SALUBRITY. 117 



According to the mortality statistics of the Federal Census, 

 492,263 deaths occurred in the United States, in the year end- 

 ing June 1st, 1870, and of those 203,213, or 40 per cent, were 

 infants (under five years old). According to the same author- 

 ity, the total deaths, and the infants' deaths, in California in 

 the same period, were 9,025 and 3,450 respectively, giving a 

 ratio of 37 per cent. These figures are less favorable to Cali- 

 fornia than those given in the report of the State Board of 

 Health, according to which, in twenty-two places including 

 San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland, Marysville, 

 Stockton, Petaluma, Los Angeles, Napa, and nearly all the 

 larger towns of California the total number of deaths in the 

 year ending June 30th, 1871, was 4,831, and of these 1,614 

 were children under five years of age, or thirty-three per cent. ; 

 while in San Francisco alone, the proportion was thirty-four 

 per cent. This implies that, of ten children who die in East- 

 ern cities, three might be saved by keeping them in San Fran- 

 cisco for their first four summers. After they reach the age of 

 five, the danger rapidly decreases for twenty years. The num- 

 ber of those who die in any one year under five, exceeds that 

 of those who die between the ages of five and thirty. 

 The writer of the article above referred to, says : 

 " A great part of this mortality, which I believe to be avoid- 

 able, occurs in what is known as the ' heated term,' (a period 

 of special dread to parents with young children) comprising 

 the months of June, July, August, and September. When- 

 ever the thermometer rises and remains for any considerable 

 length of time above 80 degrees, derangements of digestion 

 among infants living in such an atmosphere are very liable to 

 occur. Milk, and all animal substances used for food, rapidly 

 deteriorate in quality in regions of high temperature, and, 

 unless great care is taken, become unfit diet for infants. The 

 infantile stomach is particularly susceptible, and the child, by 

 its suffering, will speedily show the bad effects of the least de- 

 parture from pure, fresh, and wholesome food or water. Per- 



