blindness takes place. Consequently, cases which recover consciousness are, generally speaking, blind for the rest of their lives. The blindness comes on very rapidly and is usually complete at the end of twenty-four or forty-eight hours. In its early stages the visual disturbance may manifest some slight temporary improvement. Poisoning by inhalation usually takes place among varnishers who have worked in small, ill-ventilated quarters. Thus, men who shellac the interior of beer.vats have, on several occasions, become affected. In these cases the symptoms are more chronic. Headache, vomiting and abdominal pain may for several days precede unconsciousness, and the coma may be fatal or the case may recover. When recovery does take place, complete blindess may ensue or there may simply be well marked deterioration of vision due to a partial atrophy of the optic nerves, which condition is permanent, but non-progressive. In spite of the fact that the Department of Health has repeatedly investigated cases of poisoning by methyl alcohol and has, on several occasions, brought criminal proceedings against those who have used it to adulterate spirits, cases of poisoning still occasionally occur, and undoubtedly the main reason for their occurrence is ignorance on the part of the public and of the manufacturers of spirits. To most people alcohol means alcohol and if one alcohol is cheaper than another, they do not hesitate to buy it in preference, and it is in this way that the incompletely rectified article, indistinguishable by taste or smell from grain alcohol, has been used in the manufacture of cheap spirits. At a meeting of the Board of Health held January 23, 1912, the following additional section of the Sanitary Code was adopted: Section 66a. No person or. corporation shall have, sell or offer for sale any food or drink which contains methyl alcohol (commonly known as wood alcohol), or any preparation or mixture of any kind whatsoever containing the same, intended either for internal or external use by man; nor shall methyl or wood alcohol or any preparation or mixture containing the same be used upon or applied to the person or body of another. Later this section was deemed too drastic, it having been represented to the Department that no poisonous symptom would arise from the external application of methyl alcohol as rectified at present and in which form it is very extensively used in the arts and manufactures. Accordingly, after a careful and exhaustive review of the literature and a thorough study of all reported cases in which poisoning was supposed to have followed its external use, the Board of Health on September 17, 1912, amended section 66a so as to read as follows: Section 66a. No person or corporation shall have, sell or offer for sale. any food or drink which contains methyl alcohol (commonly known as wood alcohol), or any preparation or mixture of any kind whatsoever containing methyl alcohol, intended for internal use by man. Any preparation or mixture containing methyl alcohol intended for external use by man, or so used, shall, when offered for sale, sold or used, be conspicuously labeled as follows: "This preparation contains methyl (wood) alcohol." MORTALITY OF THE WEEK. There were 1.568 deaths reported during the past week as against 1,511 deaths reported during the corresponding week of 1912, an increase of 57 deaths. This increase is almost exactly offset by the increase in the population, the rate for the past week being 15.23 against 15.24 in the previous year, a decrease of .01 of a point, which means a decrease of one death. The infectious diseases, measles, scarlet fever and typhoid fever, showed considerable decreases; on the other hand, diphtheria and croup and influenza showed material increases. Deaths of children under five years of age showed an increase of 19 deaths, between five and sixty-five years of age an increase of 68 deaths, and above sixty-five years of age a decrease of 30 deaths. The deaths of adults from lobar pneumonia remained the same; those of broncho pneumonia among young children increased by 20 deaths. The death rate for the first six weeks of this year was 14.64 per 1,000 as against 15.31 in the corresponding period in 1912. VITAL STATISTICS Summary for Week Ending Saturday, 12 M., February 8, 1913. Boroughs. Population Estimated April 15, July 1, Corrected according to borough of residence. 5 14.64 15.78 16.33 118 15.24 15.23 †The presence of several large institutions, the great majority of whose inmates are non-residents of the city increases considerably the death-rate of this Borough. Deaths by Principal Causes, According to Locality and Age. 29 30 45 15 5,372,983 1,511 4,568 1,568 2.571 1,161 25 114 267 Cases of Infectious and Contagious Diseases Reported. Week Ending. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Feb. Feb. Total...... 1,071 1,181 1,400 1,213 1,482 1,495 1,636 1,436 1,534 1,991 1,933 1,991 2,127 1,790 *If the deaths under one month, numbering 85 from all causes, be deducted from the total death under one year, the resultant rate will be 57 deaths of infants per 1,000 births (weekly average of 1912). 65 : : : : : : : 1 3 2 2 8 2 : : : 13 Boroughs. Corrected Mortality Among Children, Week Ending February 8, 1913. 13809 187 36.8 32.7 3733 4.1 1.5 Includes Small Pox, Measles, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria and Whooping Cough. Deaths According to Cause, Annual Rate per 1,000 and Age, with Meteorology and Number of Deaths in Public Institutions for 14 Weeks. Scarlet Fever... Whooping Cough Diphtheria and 1481 1,403 1,519 1,512 1,546 1.461 1,440 1,568 13.13 12.26 13.65 12.62 14.32 13.44 14.93 14.15 14.75 14.68 15.01 14.19 13 98 15.23 22 8 19 5 16 17 14 21 13 15 18 I 4 2 4 7 4 5 166 153 175 13 150 162 126 270 383 863 845 819 318 8「3= ༞ ོ 60 250 279 231 180 244 192 29.84 29.91 enheit)..... Maximum tem Mean barometer. 29.97 29.87 29.91 29.93 30.02 29.96 29.81 29.93 29.69 30.16 30.19 30.0 ture (Fahr- 51.6° 51.7° 48.3° 40.1 48. 33-4° 41.1 33.6 43.6 39.9° 41.9 41.° .62in 3.c6in 39.4° 25 6° Minimum tem-) perature 31.° 35. 32. 28.° 34. 18. (Fahrenheit)) |