Report Of Board Of Health For 1877

Office of the Board of Health, ) Ann Arbor, January 1, 1878. S Hon. U. Ceameb, Mayor of the City of Anu Arbor, Sir: We can say for th8 year 1877, that the city of Ann Arbor escaped that much dreaded disease, the small-pox, and in its stead the city has been visited by another disease fully as fatal, although not so much dreaded by the people, to' wit, typhoid fever. The past seasen was one well calculated for the disease. In the early part of the year the large fall of rain, then the long drought that followed, produced an unusual amount of malarial ferers. This assisted by the uegligence of many ot the citizens in not keeping their back yards and water closets well cleaned, and in many instances we fear that they do not pay attention euough to the water that is used for culinary purposes. In many lustances the wel] that supplied the famiiy with water was only a few feet away from the privy. Also as the well was located on the lowest part of the lot it received all the drainage, and in many instauces the washiugs trom the hog pens run down on the surface of the ground to withiu üfteen foet of the well. The disease was uot confined entirely to one locality, but the Iarger nuiaher of the cases occurred in the Second ward. The disease was no respecter of age or sex, attacking alike the child of a few weeks of age as well as those of maturer years. There have been fifty-six cases of typhoid fevor reported to this office. Of these there were ten cases that proved fatal. There must be some decided measures takan by the city to stamp out this disease. Tlie Board of Health would recommend the appointment of a city scaveuger at a salary of four or five liundred dollars per year, payable in the month of Juna of each year, oa the order of the Board of Health, countersigned by the Mayor and Recorder. His duty to be the collecting of the garbage of the city and the cleaning of all privy vaults in the city between the first day ot December and the first day of March of each yrar, wilhout extra charge to the owner or occupant of the lot, he to be under the direction and control of the Board of Health. Also that he can be removed by the Mayor on the recommendation of 8aid Board. The appointmeut to be made by the Common Couucil. This is a matter that the rich and the poor are all interested in as the family circles of both have been broken in upon by this disease the past season. The tax would be a mere trifle to each one, and the benefits derived by all, in the protection agaiust the spread of disease, would be without price, and common humanity demanda this safe safeguard. Two cases of dyphtheria, six of whooping cough, four of erysipelas, five of scarlet fever, and one of measeis have been reported to this office. There were sixty-nine deaths during the year, as follows : In January, 7 ; February, 3 ; March, 4 ; April, 6 ; May, 5 ; June, 3 ; July, 6 ; August, 13 ; September, S; October, 7; November, 4; December, 3. These died of the following diseases : No. Female. Male. Cause of death not known, 3 12 [uftammation of the lungs, 7 4 3 Uousumption, ló 10 ó Rheumatism, 1 1 Typhoid fever, 10 ü 4 Cáncer, 4 3 1 [uflammation of the brain, 3 2 1 Heart disease, 2 1 1 Paralysis, 2 1 1 l b 11 1 Hl t Illi , L 1 1 i" fr I Li., 1 . . L . . F rlllt ■ } O lunainmation oí the bowuls, 2 2 General debilitv, 1 1 Oíd ago, 3 1 2 Cholera infnntuin, 5 4 1 Dy8entery, 4 3 1 Erysipelas, 3 1 2 Inflamrnationof tlie kiilneys, 2 1 1 Apoplexy, 2 1 1 69 41 28 Fiiteen permits have beeu granted for the removal of corpses frora the city. One huudred and seventy-three complaints have been made to the Board. The census of 1870 gives tho population of this city at 7,363, which would give one death to every 106 49-69 persons living in the city. All of which we respectfully submit.