The latest numbers on Minneapolis births and deaths, plus a rundown on diphtheria, croup, scarlet fever and bovine tuberculosis, as reported in the Tribune:

VITAL STATISTICS

Report of the Health Department for the Month – Small Death Rate – Inspections and Results Noted.

The report of the health department for the month of April is just about completed. The totals are as follows: Contagious and infectious diseases: Diphtheria and croup, 22 cases, 5 deaths; scarlet fever, 9 cases, 4 deaths; total, 134 cases, 4 deaths; total number of deaths from various causes during the month, 141.

The total number of births for the month was 353, of which 165 were males and 188 were females.

The report of the chemist for the month shows that 65 samples of milk were examined, and that 8 of them were below the standard required. There were 12 samples of water examined.

The veterinarian states that he inspected 24 dairies during April, and that his miscellaneous inspections amount to 32. There were 98 cattle tested for tuberculosis, making the total number tested since Aug. 1 to date, 1,360.

The dairy inspector inspected 33 barns, took 21 samples of milk, and caused 98 cows to be tested and tagged.

The inspector of meats condemned 604 pounds of veal, 624 pounds of beef, 40 pounds of mutton, 20 pounds of fish, 97 pounds of poultry, the result of 287 inspections in all.

Anyone who could afford to ride to the hospital in style in the late 1800s was, in the end, just another statistic. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

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