statistics of death in this state show that the mortality from typhoid fever in 1892 was lower than that recorded in any previous year since returns have been made to the state, the number being one hundred and nine for the entire state.

THE DEPARTMENT OF VITAL STATISTICS.

The record and return of births, marriages, and deaths now approximate accuracy to a greater degree than ever before. The law is enforced in every town in the state. The record of marriages and deaths is as complete as it is possible to obtain; the birth returns are not complete, chiefly for the reason that many births are unattended by any physician or midwife, and are not returned to the townclerk by the parents. The value of these records, especially of deaths, to the health authorities as a guide to sanitary work, is incomparable. In fact, no intelligent sanitary work can be carried out without the statistics of deaths as a guide. They are absolutely indispensable to an economical and scientific application of preventive medicine. The importance of an accurate registration is, therefore, beyond computation, even though the mass of statistical matter contained in the registration reports may seem to the casual observer to be of doubtful utility.

There is another feature connected with these returns which makes them exceedingly valuable, and that is the fact that the state has on file the individual record of a great part of its population, and a few years, if these returns are continued, the state will have in its possession the records of substantially all its citizens. Several towns have lost all their records by fire during the past few years, and but for those on file in this office, they could not be duplicated. A record of these vital events is often of great importance in determining the rights of the individual, political and civil. We have in this department nearly three hundred thousand individual records, and it is the intention, if suitable room can be secured in the new state

library building, to have them so classified and arranged that any one of them may be found in a moment. Such an arrangement is much needed, for it is almost impossible to get at the records as they are now filed, in bundles in the vaults of the state house.

SECRETARY'S REPORT.

Under this heading, in the following pages, will be found some of the transactions of the board which are deemed to be of public interest. A portion of this report is of more special importance to health officers and physicians, while the greater part contains papers on various sanitary topics instructive to all our citizens.

The eagerness with which the reports of this department are sought at the present time would seem to indicate that their educational and instructive features are thoroughly appreciated by the people of New Hampshire.

SECRETARY'S REPORT.

BURNING OF THE STRAFFORD COUNTY ASYLUM FOR THE

INSANE.

On the night of February 9, 1893, the Strafford County Asylum for the Insane was burned, and with it the lives of forty-one of its inmates were lost, out of a total of forty-four which were confined in the building when the fire broke out. This appalling catastrophe aroused the people of the state, and for the time being, the legislature also, which was then in session. Immediately following this shocking conflagration the legislature, by a unanimous vote, evidently for the purpose of protecting the defenceless poor and insane at the several almshouses in the state, passed a concurrent resolution directing the State Board of Health to investigate the facts regarding the fire and to report particulars, "with such recommendations as it deems best for the public good." The board promptly made the investigation, conducted personally by Attorney-General Eastman, taking the verbatim testimony of the witnesses, and summarizing the same into a brief report, with the conclusions and recommendations of the board, and presented the same to the legislature several weeks before its final adjournment. It is immaterial, so far as results are concerned, whether the legislature of 1893 was forgetful or neglectful of its duty to that most unfortunate class which is solely dependent upon the public for care and protection, but it is a matter of record that that legislative body adjourned, sine die, without enacting a single provision for the protection of the inmates of the almshouses

of the other nine counties in the state against a similar death! Not a single recommendation of the board was carried out.

It is, also, a matter of history that a bill was introduced to place all of the indigent insane under state supervision and care, in connection with, and under the management of, the New Hampshire Asylum for the Insane, but the measure did not pass the house. Its failure to pass was due, probably, to the lateness of its introduction, as the bill came directly from the Judiciary Committee, and was supported by many of the most influential legislators.

The present system of maintaining the pauper insane at our county almshouses has many and serious objections, which can be made apparent to any person who carefully and impartially studies the conditions, together with the requirements essential to the most modern care and treatment of the chronic insane. We trust that the members of the next legislature will carefully and thoroughly investigate this subject, and then enact such measures as may be necessary to carry into effect at least some of the recommendations made by this board in its report upon the Strafford County horror. Unless this is done, the constant and untiring efforts of the State Board of Health, towards bettering the condition of our poor and reducing the dangers which are a constant menace to their lives, would seem to be little less than a thankless and useless effort.

We append here with the report of this board upon the Strafford County case: