418 SCIENCE OF HOME AND COMMUNITY 



a matter of politics. Men are appointed on account of some 

 political pull without reference to their fitness for the work. 

 The selection of health officers should be taken out of politics 

 and only specially qualified men should be appointed. A 

 board of health should have at least one physician connected 

 with it. It is desirable that the health officer should do no 

 practicing. 



Duties. The board of health has many important duties 

 to perform. These may be divided into six groups : first, to 

 collect vital statistics; second, to control communicable 

 diseases ; third, to reduce infant mortality ; fourth, to look 

 after water, milk, and food ; fifth, to keep the town clean ; 

 and sixth, to control the fly and mosquito nuisances. 



St. Paul 214,744 2558 1 1. 9 



Minneapolis 301,408 3739 12.4 



Milwaukee 373,857 5205 13-9 



Los Angeles 319,198 4538 14.2 



Cleveland 560,663 8047 14.3 



Rochester 218,149 3215 14.7 



San Francisco 416,912 6319 15.1 



St. Louis 687,029 10888 15.8 



Kansas City 248,381 3966 15.9 



Detroit 465,766 7452 15.9 



Indianapolis 233,650 3824 16.3 



Buffalo 423,715 6940 16.3 



Jersey City 267,779 4401 16.4 



Denver 213,381 3533 16.5 



Newark 347,469 5784 16.6 



Louisville 223,928 3756 16.7 



Boston 670,585 11562 17.2 



Cincinnati 363,591 6319 17.3 



Providence 224,326 3980 17.7 



Pittsburg 533,905 9603 17.9 



Baltimore 558,485 10753 19.2 MMBHHM^^HM 



Washington, D.C. 331,069 6511 19.6 M^M^^^MMMM 

 New Orleans 339,075 7250 21.3 ^M 



FIG. 166. Annual death rate per 1000 of the chief cities of the United States. 



Vital statistics. The vital statistics are the records of 

 all the births and deaths that occur, of the causes of the 

 deaths, the age of the person deceased, and similar details. 

 It is very important to know what per cent of deaths occur 

 from each disease in order to know which are the most 



