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9
Local Diseases.—Diseases of the respiratory organs caused 109
deaths, of which 68 were due to bronchitis, 35 to pneumonia, 4 to
pleurisy, and 2 to laryngitis. Diseases of the nervous system caused
77 deaths, including 33 from apoplexy, 13 from inflammation of the
brain and its membranes, 13 from convulsions, 2 from epilepsy, and
1 from insanity. Eighty-three persons died from diseases of the
heart, 52 from diseases of the digestive organs, including 9 from
obstructive diseases of the bowels, 9 from peritonitis, and 17 from
diseases of the liver, together with those caused by habits of intemperance.
The deaths from diseases of the urinary system were 29, of
which 22 were due to nephritis and Bright's disease.
The deaths from the accidents and diseases of child birth were
9, 4 of which were referred to puerperal fever.
Developmental Diseases include 21 deaths of infants from premature
birth, and 4 from congenital malformations. The deaths
attributed to senile decay and old age were 40.
Constitutional Diseases.—The greatest number of deaths are contained
in this class, which includes 45 from cancer, or 5 less than
for the preceding year; 23 from tubercular meningitis, hydrocephalus,
and tabes mesenterica; 4 from gout and rheumatism, 9 from
diabetes (the deaths attributed to this complaint are becoming more
numerous year by year), and no less than 86 parishioners perished from
consumption and other scrofulous diseases.
Consumption is now known to be caused by the tubercle bacillus
first discovered by Koch in 1882. This bacillus is freely given off and
discharged iu the sputa of consumptive people. It has been shown
that this sputa, when dried, may remain infective for long periods, and
become a danger to those who inherit a constitution predisposed to
consumption. The greatest care therefore should be exercised by those
in charge of consumptive patients to prevent the sputa of such
becoming dry and infecting the air breathed by others. A spittoon
should be used containing a little water, to which a little carbolic acid
should be added, and the contents be emptied down the closet. The
practice of receiving the sputa on a handkerchief and putting the same