NOTES. The season of trade-winds and dust is at hand, and it behooves every one to use care. If obliged to breathe in dust, breathe through the nose. Always keep victuals away from dust, especially milk; and grocers and bakers should keep their goods protected from its contaminating influence. We are in danger where we least expect it. In a city where the water is not absolutely pure and many careful citizens use water drawn from an artesian well, the writer saw the man who serves it take a can from the wagon, pull off the cover, and, with the wind filling the air with dust composed of dry earth, horse manure, dried sputa, and all other filth of the street, allow the water to flow from the tank to the can, carrying disease with it-a quality of the dust. In the immediate neighborhood were cases of typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and diphtheria. Do we fully appreciate the danger from dust? * The Commission of Health of Chicago has recently ordered that all cases of tuberculosis be reported, not with any intention to quarantine or in any way interfere with treatment; but for purposes of preventing the spread it is necessary to know the location of all cases. In Kansas the State Board of Health has ordered that all county health officers require the disinfection of every house in which a death occurs from tuberculosis. In California tuberculosis is a reportable disease, and every case should be promptly reported. No harm could possibly result, but much good would, if every center of infection was known to health officers, and the sooner we follow the example of Kansas the better. CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. Vol. I. MONTHLY BULLETIN. Entered as second-class matter August 15, 1905, at the post office at SACRAMENTO, MAY, 1906. No. 12. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. N. K. FOSTER, M.D., State Registrar..Sacramento | GEORGE D. LESLIE, Statistician.... Sacramento STATE HYGIENIC LABORATORY. ARCHIBALD R. WARD, D.V.M., Director. ------- University of California, Berkeley NOTICE TO REGISTRARS. Transmit Reports Promptly.-Since the tabulations for the biennial report of the State Board of Health must be begun at once, Local Registrars are urgently requested to transmit to the State Registrar their reports of vital statistics to June 30th as early as possible in July, and certainly within the time prescribed by law. VITAL STATISTICS FOR MAY. Summary.-For May there were reported 1,712 living births, 2,375 deaths, exclusive of stillbirths, and 1,739 marriages, which, for an estimated State population of 1,882,483, give the following annual rates: Births, 10.9; deaths, 15.1, and marriages, 11.1, per 1,000 inhabitants. As usual, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death, with diseases of the circulatory and nervous systems next in order, the proportion of deaths caused by pneumonia and other diseases of the respiratory system being less in May than in previous months. The most fatal epidemic diseases in May were measles and typhoid fever, followed by diphtheria and croup, whooping-cough, and influenza. Causes of Death.-The following table shows for the State in May the number and proportion of deaths due to certain important causes: Proportion per 1,000 Total Deaths. 1,000.0 40 16.8 4 1.7 3 1.2 41 17.3 Scarlet fever. Whooping-cough Diphtheria and croup. Other epidemic diseases Tuberculosis of other organs. Cancer Other general diseases. Other diseases of nervous system. 6 2.5 Pneumonia and broncho-pneumonia. Other diseases of respiratory system. Diarrhea and enteritis, under 2 years. Childbirth Early infancy Suicide Other violence. All other causes. 142 59.8 Tuberculosis, as usual, was the leading cause of death, altogether 390 deaths, or 16.4 per cent of all, being due to tuberculosis of the lungs and other organs. Next in order are diseases of the circulatory and nervous systems, the proportion for pneumonia and other diseases of the respiratory system having fallen off with the coming of spring. The 204 deaths from violence, other than suicide, include 48 late reports of deaths resulting from the earthquake and fire in April. The principal epidemic diseases in May were: Measles, 41; typhoid fever, 40; diphtheria and croup, 22, and measles and influenza, each 10. TO BOARDS OF TRUSTEES, BOARDS OF HEALTH, AND HEALTH OFFICERS. We wish to call your attention to Section 3061 of the Political Code, which has long been the law of the State: SEC. 3061. It shall be the duty of the board of trustees, council, or other corresponding board of every incorporated town and city of this State, to establish, by ordinance, a board of health for such town or city, to consist of five persons, one at least of whom shall be a practicing physician and a graduate of some reputable school of medicine, and one, if practicable, a civil engineer. The members of the board shall hold their office at the pleasure of the appointing power. Every local board of health established in this State must: First-Supervise all matters pertaining to the sanitary conditions of their town or city, and make such rules and regulations relative thereto as are necessary and proper, and not contrary to law. Second-Report to the secretary of the State Board of Health, at Sacramento, at such times as the State Board of Health may require : The number of deaths with the cause of each, as near as can be ascertained, within their jurisdiction, during the preceding month; (c) The presence of epidemic or other dangerous, contagious or infectious disease, and such other matters within their knowledge or jurisdiction as the State board may require. If there is any incorporated town which has no Board of Health, the Trustees or Council are violating the law by not establishing one. They are also depriving their constituents of the benefit of an important branch of government. Establish one at once. Particular attention is called to the second duty of the local Board of Health or its executive officer, namely, reports to the State Board of Health. It is a violation of the law to omit making these reports. It also deprives this office of much necessary information. Blanks will be furnished on application. Many health officers have never reported to this office, so are not on the mailing list. It is one of the requirements that all health officers report and all changes in the local boards be noted. Many who are on the mailing list and receive the Bulletin each month, fail to regard this second duty, imposed upon them. Blanks were sent to all health officers who were on the list, when they were issued. The names of many have since been gathered from newspapers and they may not have the blanks, but need only write and ask for them. We want from each health officer a careful report of the health conditions of the community. It is not expected that each officer can always give the exact number of cases of a particular disease that exists in his jurisdiction, but he can closely approximate it. It is the duty of physicians to report all infectious or communicable diseases to the health officer, and if he will have postal cards printed with a list of such diseases and distribute them to the doctors and insist that they be filled and returned, an almost absolute record would be kept. We strongly advise this, and many local health officers are doing it. These reports can be easily compiled and sent to the State office, where a complete record will be kept. We could then study and watch the spread of disease, and do much to check it. Some health officers are doing excellent work in these reports, and to them we extend our thanks. If no diseases occur, send the card just the same; it shows us you are on the map and attending to business. The portion reserved for "remarks" should always be filled. Every one has something valuable to say, and we get some good suggestions in this way. BIRTH REPORTS. The law requiring the registration of births is not being obeyed in some parts of the State as carefully as it should be. The reasons of this are three: A few physicians think they are being imposed upon, and that the State has no right to ask this service of them. A few more seem to be totally ignorant of the law, although copies of it have been sent to them. A greater number, while knowing and acknowledging the justice of the law, neglect to comply with its provisions. To all, we wish to call attention to the following from Dr. Arthur R. Reynolds, Health Commissioner of Chicago, showing the necessity for these statistics: "There is hardly a relation in life, from the cradle to the grave, in which the evidence furnished by an accurate registration of births may not prove to be of the greatest value, as, for example, in the matter of descent, in the relations of guardians and wards, in the disabilities of minors; in the administration of estates, the settlement of insurance and pensions, the requirements of foreign countries concerning resi dence, marriage and legacies; in marriage in our own country, in voting and in jury and militia service, in the right to admission and practice in the professions and to many public offices, in the enforcement of laws relating to education and to child labor, as well as to various matters in the Criminal Code-the irresponsibility of children under ten years of age for crime and misdemeanor, the determination of the age of consent, etc." While our law may not be perfect, and experience may show the way to a better one, it is the one in this country that has produced the best results. Until we get a better one, the physicians should loyally support it. By keeping a supply of blanks in their obstetric cases, they can, without loss of time, fill them out. The child has a right to this registration, and the physician's duty to it is not done until the certificate is filed. The Monthly Bulletin of the Indiana State Board of Health quotes Dr. Frank Billings as saying in his presidential address before the American Medical Association : "The physician's duties are not all performed until he has duly made out such certificates of births, deaths, and contagious diseases which he has attended. His duties to his country and the laws, his duty to the profession to which he belongs and to his patient all demand of the physician that he make full reports." ASSOCIATIONS OF HEALTH OFFICERS. A short time ago the State Board of Health invited the health officers of Kern, Kings, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Amador counties to meet in Fresno, on June 16th, for the purpose of organization. In response to that invitation, health officers from Kern, Kings, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, and San Joaquin counties met and organized "The Central California Health Officers' Association. Dr. W. S. Fowler of Bakersfield was elected president, Dr. Mary R. Butin of Madera, vice-president; Dr. O. W. Steinwand of Selma, secretary, and Dr. G. L. Long of Fresno, treasurer. "The object of this association is to unite all the health officers of Central California in a more perfect and systematic organization; to act as an adjunct to the State Board of Health; to carry out and enforce the health laws of the State of California; to endeavor to bring about a better understanding of the same with the general public; and to secure and promote such influence, as health officers, as can only result from a systematic and uniform organization." It was decided to hold semi-annual meetings, and the next one will be held in Stockton in December. It is very much to be regretted that the health officers of the remaining counties-Tulare, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Calaveras, and Amadorwere not able to be present to join in the discussions and to impart to others their valuable experience. They are earnestly invited to attend the December meeting at Stockton. Two papers were read, the first by Dr. Mary R. Butin of Madera, on "The Model Sanitary Municipality," the other by Dr. W. S. Fowler of Bakersfield, on "Disinfection." Both papers were full of good things, well said, and brought out extended and interesting discussion. |