Share your discoveries
Please help us spread the word about Record Hunter and the thousands of FREE historical and genealogical records we provide...Use the social media buttons on every page that interests you.
Search Historica
Visit Historica to search over 100 indexes to 1 Million+ birth, death, marriage, obituary, estate, naturalization and military service records. Searching is free, we offer digital copies of the indexed documents for $10 and items are usually delivered within 24 hours.
City of Altoona, PA
Board of Health
Transcribed from "Illustrated Altoona" page 123
The Altoona Board of Health
ALTOONA has a well organized Board of Health and an efficient Health Officer. The Board was established in 1885 under the law of 1874. Regular meetings are held on Thursday afternoon of each week, from April 1 to November 1; balance of year every two weeks. All contagious diseases are reported by the physicians of the city and a placard is placed on the front door of the house to warn the public against entering. And should smallpox or any malignantly contagious disease break out the afflicted persons and premises would be promptly quarantined.
Vital statistics are carefully kept by the secretary, who makes an annual report of the number of marriages, births and deaths in the city.
The Board now consists of the following members: Jacob Adams, President; Dr. C. B. Dudley, Dr. E. S. Miller, George F. Jackson, Dr. J. G. Hughes; Dr. C. H. Closson, Secretary, and John M. Watt, Health Officer.
The latest annual report of the Board, contained the following facts for the year ending December 31, 1895:
Number of marriages during the year 248
Number of births during the year 1,222
Number of deaths during the year 628
The mortality of the city is 14.95 per thousand population. Leaving off the accidents and still births and taking the deaths from disease alone, it gives a rate of 12.76 per thousand population.
The principal causes of death were:
Accident 42
Cholera Infantum 31
Typhoid Fever 26
Measles 16
Old Age and General Debility 32
Pneumonia 39
Consumption 52
Other Diseases 330
Still Births 60
Keywords/Tags: Jacob Adams, Dr. C. B. Dudley, Dr. E. S. Miller, George F. Jackson, Dr. J. G. Hughes; Dr. C. H. Closson, John M. Watt, Department of Health, Board of Health, Health Department, Health Board, Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania, Illustrated Altoona