TH E MEDICAL EXAMINER, AND RECORD OF MEDICAL SCIENCE. NEW SERIES. —NO. C VII.—NOVEMBER, 18 53. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. Mortality of Philadelphia, for July, August and September, 1853, collated from the record hept at the Health Office. By Wilson Jewell, M. D. The total of deaths for the quarter ending October 1st, 1853, a period of 91 days or 13 weeks, amounts to 2955, equal to 321 deaths per diem. An increase over the same quarter in 1852 of 204 in the aggregate, or about 7 per cent. If we deduct the Still Born 137, the deaths from External Causes 124, Old Age 30, Debility 116, and Unknown 60, it gives us a record of 2488 deaths from reported diseases. Never- theless, it will be borne in mind, that this is a mere approxima- tion to the truth, owing in a great measure to the too frequent disregard by many practitioners, of the proper investigation of disease, and the cause of death and to the ad libitum manner of certification. The excess of deaths in the sexes has been, as usual, on the side of males; equal to ten per cent. Thirteen hundred and seventy-two, or nearly one-half the wrhole number of deaths, exclusive of Still Born, were under five years of age. The record ’during the present quarter shows a considerable increase of mortality over that of the two previous quarters, amounting to 16 per cent, above the first, and 25 per cent, above the second quarter. This augmentation, notwithstanding the absence from the city of many of our citizens, is the result generally of infantile mor- tality, during the summer solstice. But the present quarter’s in- crease has been somewhat enhanced from the more than usual prevalence of Fever, in a certain locality of the city. Class 1st.—Embracing the “Zymotic or Epidemic” diseases, furnishes 999 of the deaths for the quarter. Of this number, Cholera Infantum supplies 308, Dysentery 248, and Fevers of every division 266. Among the Fevers, 134 are set down under the head of those usually ascribed to malarious causes. This is a marked excess above those for the same period in 1852, when only 26 deaths were recorded from a similar cause. Last year there was an entire exemption from any Zymotic influence. The present quarter’s unfair comparison in this respect, with the figures of other years, must be attributed in no small degree to the existence of an unusual poison in the atmosphere. This poison has been productive of a highly malignant type of Fever, which not only assumed the livery of, but was in fact Yellow Fever itself. Of these, only 24 are recorded as Yellow Fever, while the remainder are put down under various other beads, as Typhus Icterodes, Malignant, &c. It is proper to observe, that while the cases of Fever have increased in an undue proportion, over those for the same quarter in 1852, the comparative aggregate of deaths in the first class for the present quarter has only exceeded those of 1852, nineteen ! Class 2d—“ Sporadic.” Of these, there were 400 deaths. Nearly one half occurred within the first year of life. Among them, 91 were from Marasmus, 48 from Debility and 22 from Inanition. Class 3d.—“Nervous System.” In this division, convulsions, that formidable cause of mortality in children, are credited with 165, out of the 509 deaths enumerated. The comparative ncrease of deaths from “ sun stroke,” (numbering 33, which, added to those for the second quarter, 24, making in all 57,) above those for the year 1852, which only numbered 5, is an evidence of the high thermometrical atmosphere under which we lived during the summer. Class 4th.—« Organs of Respiration.” Under this general distinction, we find the deaths from consumption of the lungs amounting to 282, an increase over those of the same period for 1852, of 30, or nearly eleven per cent. Table No. 3 exhibits the number of death at fifteen separate periods of life. Here we find that infancy supplies a very libe- ral proportion, not less than 1,372 occurring before the fifth year. Between the ages of twenty and fifty there were 833 deaths, showing that these distinct periods of infancy and man- hood are fruitful in the production of death. The deaths from the Alms House numbered 221. Those among the blacks 175, while there were 35 brought from the country to swell our city mortality. TABLE No. I. Deaths for the Third Quarter of 1853, classified. Fh s’ 1. ~Enderiuc and Contagious Diseases. Zymotic or Epidemic . . 314 446 239 169 249118 145197 121 999 2. Uncertain or general seat-. Spo- radic diseases .... 134 149 117 75 72 61 59 77 56 400 3. Nervous System . . . 153 231 125 84146 72 69 85 53 509 4. Organs of Respiration . . . 115 157 145 55 67 65 60 90 80 417 5. “ Circulation . . . 12 19 13 3 8 7 9 11 6 44 '6. Digestive Organs . • .64 79 38 30 42 22 34 37 16 181 7. Urinary Organs . . .44114 3 19 8. Organs of Generation • . 9 10 13 9 10 13 32 9. “ Locomotion ..13113 15 10. Integumentary System . .3142131 18 11. Old Age..................... 11 9 10 6 2 5 7 10 30 12. External Causes . . . . 37 56 31 26 42 19 12 14 11 124 Still Born................... 44 47 46 21 23 22 23 24 24 137 Unknown . . . . . 19 24 17 9 15 13 10 9 4 60 920 1235 800 482 674 402^439 561 397 ^955 TABLE No. II. 1. Endemic and Contagions Diseases—Zymotic or Epidemic. o • • •••• • • • o • .OO OOOOOOO o _< • u0Or-t . -O CM O r-i O * <0 O -*-> +-* d r-V |G O >T3 00®00®00° ® ia w P h 01 10 h h H Cholera Asphyxia .2 11 2 « Infantum . 162 146 216 85 7 308 “ Morhus . 10 4 3 1 4 4 2 14 Croup . 19 12 4 5 18 4 31 Diarrhoea . 38 33 26 14 8 2 1 1 1 3 4 4 5 2 71 Dysentery . 142 106 37 49 22 17 9 8 2416 2818 16 4 248 Erysipelas .3 5 1 3 4 8 Fever .3 4 2 1 2 2 7 “ Bilious . 17 10 1 1852253 27 “ Congestive .13 1111 4 “ Continued .11 1 “ Intermittent .32 11 111 5 “ Malignant .87 14262 15 “ “ Bilious . 12 17 3 13 5 6 1 1 29 “ “ Remittent 11 11 2 “ Nervous .11 1 “ Pernicious .1 1 1 Remittent .10 5 1 ’1 3 2 2 2 3 1 15 “ Scarlet . 15 19 5 513 9 2 34 “ Typhus .16 14 111657441 30 “ Typhoid . 31 29 1 1 4 10 17 9 10 3 3 2 60 “ Typhus Icterodes 9 2 2 9 11 “ Yellow . 11 13 1 2 12 6 3 24 Hooping Cough . 14 25 20 11 6 2 39 Measles .11 1 Small Pox .5 2 4 1 2 7 Syphilis .211 2 “ Congenital .112 2 536 463 319 171 84 43 IS 41 IOS'66 70 37 31 12 2 999 ......« ■---■—----------------------------------------------------- 2. Uncertain or General Seat.—Sporadic Diseases. . £ ............I ... I . o ® O ^H . OoOOOOOOOO^h ~ . O ~ IQ O f- GO o: H +-’4-»4->4J4-' ^*j*J*JOiqOOOIOo'o©Oo r? ,H H Abscess ... 63121 1121 9 “ Psoas . . 1 1 1 Cachexia ... 2 1 1 2 Cancer ... 1 2 111 3 “ Breast . . 4 13 4 “ Lip ... 1 1 1 Cyanosis ... 2 5 6 1 7 Debility . . . 45 71 48 4 3 1 1 5 8 4 81810 4 2 116 Disease of Glands. . 1 1 1 Dropsy . . . 16 18 1 231 38326221 34 Disease of Abdomen .1 1 1 Hemorrhage ..3111 1 1 4 Inanition ... 18 9 22 1 1 1 2 27 nflammation ..211 2 “ Glands (malignant) 11 1 Marasmus . • . 85 60 9140 10 1 1 11 145 Malformation ..213 3 Melanosis ... 1 1 1 Melcena ... 1 1 1 Mortification . . 1 1 1 Tabes Mesenteriea. . 9 5 4 5 5 14 Scrofula . . . 11 5 1 1 4 2 1 3 1111 16 Tumor, Abdominal .2 112 Ulceration, Throat . 4 2 2 4 ________________________208’192 182i54 29 8 5 1 15 2013 18|26!18 8 3 J400 3. Of the Nervous System. s- • >"» .................O S Z _< .IQ©©OOOOO© O_ . o m « o > x a . ® c A 1-1 O O o O O o o oo o *-■ 73 ten ® P" O io o OO o O O © O O r? F=H pH Prt'H Abscess of Brain ..111 1 2 Apoplexy ... 20 12 2 9 5 3 7 5 1 32 Concussion of Brain .11 11 2 Congestion “ . 49 21 15 9 9 2 1 4 5 13 1 7 3 1 70 Compression “.221 111 4 Convulsions . . 81 75 88 39 18 4 2 2 2 1 156 Coup de Soleil . . 25 8 1 10 12 6 2 1 1 33 Dementia ... 2 11 2 Disease of Brain . . 12 13 79221 111 1 25 Dropsy of Brain . . 31 24 231413 2 1 1 1 55 Effusion “ . . 13 11 8 2 6 2 2 2 1 1 24 Epilepsy ... 3 2 1 2 1 1 5 Inflammation of Brain . 24 17 13 8 4 5 2 2 2 1 3 1 41 Mania ... 1 1 1 “ a potu . . 17 8 5 6 9 5 25 “ Puerperal . . 1 1 1 Neuralgia ... 1 1 1 1 2 Neurosis ... 1 1 1 Palsy .... 13 7 1 1 2 2 5 1 2 5 1 20 Softening of Brain .1 11 Tetanus ... 4 121 4 Trismus ... 1 1 . 1 Tumors of Brain .2 112 302 207'156 82 55 19 7 8 38 52|30 24 20 10 6 2,1509 4. Organs of Respiration. ~ £ .................. s • —i . o o oooooooo^ . ,2 • • o CQ CO^fiQCOC-OOair-l o g <3j w *qq 00000000*-* 73 73 S "c 2 2 ® *->*-'*-'♦* — *j-**-*o P r® O *-O OOOOOOOOO ,° p p rt « « h h NCO'*#«©t'OoaH H 1 Asthma ... 1 2 111 3 Congestion of Lungs . 65111 1214 11 Consumption “ . 127 155 6 11 5 1 3 30 89 584021 11 7 282 Disease of Chest ..111 1 2 “ Lungs .2 6 2 1 1 2 1 1 8 Dropsy of Chest .. 7 5 3 2 6 1 12 Effusion “..11 1 12 Hemorrhage of Lungs .43 13111 7 Inflammation Bronchiae . 13 17 10 9 2 1 2 2 3 1 30 “ Chest .212 1 3 “ Larynx .3111 3 “ Lungs . 20 27 14 4 7 4 76311 47 “ Pleura .1 1 1 Hectic Fever ..11 1 Tuberculosis .*312 3 Ulceration of Larynx .11 1 “ Trachea .11 1 _________________187 230 37 27 22 6 3 35 104 71 48 34 16'12 2 471 5. Organs of Circulation. ...........I . . . 'o © . . . 0000000000 — 0) —1 . . O ci f 0 O I- so cn - H O g S W ^OOOOOOOOO o 2 d -S s 2 2 2 - - - - - - - - - - o 5 — A *5 “ 00000000000 — P — O — —I 5 £ £ *" ^*"0^000000000 r° fA Ph I—) t-h C9U7)T-tr-H(NCO'^V7)X>i^a)Or-i H Aphthae ...22 2 Cancer of Mesent’c Glands 1 11 Cancer of Stomach . 1 1 1 Cancrum Oris ..3111, 3 Cirrhosis Liver ..211 11 3 Congestion “..112 2 Consumption of Bowels 421 1211 6 Colic ... 2 2 2 Disease of Bowels .11 1 “ Liver ..12 111 3 “ Stomach .13 2 1 1 4 Dropsy of Abdomen .23 221 5 Enlargement of Liver .31 11 3 Gangrene of Stomach .11 1 Hemorrhage of Bowels 1 11 “ Stomach 2 2 1111 4 Ileus .... 1 1 1 Induration of Liver .1 1 1 Inflammation of Liver . 69 22 2. 1251 15 “ Stom’h & Bow’ls 46 36 29 L3 ■ 8 3 2 71 4 5 4 1 3 3 82 “ Peritoneum . 762 1 1322 1 1 13 Jaundice ... 4 3 1 1 3 2 7 Obstruction of Bowels .312 11 4 Perforation of Intestines 1 1 1 Scirrhus Stomach .1 i 1 1 Sore Mouth ..11 1 Teething ... 3 3 2 3 1 6 Ulceration of Bowels .21 111 3 “ Stomach .1 1 1 -1 ZZ M .0 th o-i « 10 © r~ 00 a> v-i . aj S _2’5,>0’_UOO^ • qj 4—> }C0-TlC)Oi>00Oi-4r"1 Caries of Vertebra .1 11 Disease of Hip . . 2 11 2 “ of Spine -.11 1 Rheumatism . . 1 1 1 _____________________4 1___________1 21 1_____1_________5 10. The Integumentary System. jj , ■ d • -do d d d d d d d o J4 _ r ! ^h CM • >-4_.+-)4-'+-4-»>J4-’4-» £ kS & ^^^^OOOOOOOOOOOr0 <; p^oiO’-H’-icico^ToooGoo—■ H Purpura Hemorrhagica 6 2 12 11 l1 11 8 11. Old Age. Old Age . . • | 8| 22| | | | | I I I I I I 31 9|13| 4| l|30 12. From External Causes.__________ Jo .................O-~< T-I CQ IO T-< T-i CJ CO VO CO I> GO O t-i M Asphyxia ... 7 4 10 1 11 Burns and Scalds ..25211 1 2 7 Casualties . . . 20 43 331241421 24 Drowned . . . 40 6 6 4 3 10 14 6 3 46 Fracture of Leg, . . 1 1 1 “ of Pelvis, .1 1 1 « of Skull, .1 1 1 “ of Spine .1 1 1 Gun Shot Wound, .2 11 2 Hydrophobia, . . 1 1 1 Intemperance . . 10 10 5 6 5 4 20 Poisoning ... 1 2 1 1 1 3 Suffocation ... 2 1 1 2 Suicide ... 1 3 31 4 ______________________87 37 15 4/ 5 10 6 8 26 23 17 9 1 124 Still Born . 661 71 1371 j I I I I_130 Unknown . . . 37l 23 28| 1| 3| I 4 10| 6 7 1 |_____ 67 TABLE NO. 3. Deaths for the Third Quarter of 1853, at fifteen distinct periods of life. Under 1 year,.......................794 1 to 2..........................363 2 to 5..........................215 5 to 10............................90 10 to 15............................47 15 to 20 . . • . . . 97 20 to 30 342 30 to 40 276 40 to 50...........................215 50 to 60 151 60 to 70...........................112 70 to 80............................70 80 to 90............................35 90 to 100............................10 100 to 110........................... 1 2818 Still Bom...........................137 Total, 2955 Embraced within the foregoing tables, were 221 from the Blockley Alms House, 175 persons of color, and 35 from the country, as follows: July. August. September. Total. Almshouse, . . 57 93 71 221 Blacks, ... 59 66 50 175 Country, . . 13 17 5 35 Total, 129 176 126 431