Texas Almanac, 1952-1953 Page: 216
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216 TEXAS ALMANAC.-1952-1953.
Polk.-L A. Gipson Jr.; Mrs. Arverta F. Mosley: Travis.-T. A. Mayes; Mrs. Jessle L. Shelton;
Livmgston. 1154 Lydia, Austin.
Red River.-A. W. Lester; vacancy; Clarksville. Upshur.-Thomas J. White; vacancy, Gilmer.
Rusk.-H. L. Brown; Mrs Elizabeth H. Barr; Victoria.-Vacancy; Alice M. Kinchion; Victoria.
Henderson. Waller.--C. H. Poole; Mrs. Lovie M. Hill; Hemp-
stead.
San hJacinto.-Vacancy; Hannah D Dirden, Washington.-Vacancy; Mrs. Lea E. Lusk, Bren-
Shepherd. ham.
Smith.-B. J. Pryor; Mrs. Hattie G. Sneed; Tyler. Wharton.-W. B. Clark Jr.; vacancy; Wharton.
Tarrant.-H. A. Odom; iMrs. Robbie E. Taylor; Wood.-W. H. Alexander; Leverine J. Woods;
411% East Ninth, Fort Worth Quitman
Texas Health ProblemsThe improvement in the health of the peo-
ple of Texas in recent years has been of
inestimable economic and social value. From
the beginning of settlement of Texas, the
natural conditions that were encountered both
favored and obstructed the causes of good
health. The mild winters, usually dry and
sunny weather in most parts of the state, and
the rolling, well-drained surface favored the
maintenance of a high health standard, as
did the usual outdoor life of the majority
of the people of the day when Texas was
largely rural in residence and vocation.
Other conditions presented serious health
problems. The forested, well-watered East
Texas area was a breeding ground for the
mosquito, including the Anopheles genus,
carrier of malaria, and the Stegomyla which
spread dengue fever and occasionally brought
the ravages of yellow fever. Malaria, or
"chills and fever," was endemic in a large
area.
Dependence upon surface and shallow
ground water brouglit a high death rate from
typhoid fever and other disease caused by
water-borne germs. The long Gulf coast with
its foreign trade favored rat infestation and
the introduction of tropical diseases under
the lax inspection and quarantine provisions
of an early period. Lax enforcement of immi-
gration restrictions along the southwest
border presented another problem. The gen-
eral thinness of the population made good
medical service and adequate hospital facili-
ties difficult to maintain.
As the population grew other problems
arose, notably in the pollution of streams by
the dumping of city sewage. Furthermore, the
rapidly growing cities that were unable finan-
cially to build sewage-disposal plants were
likewise not in position to extend sewer sys-
tems as rapidly as population' increased.
The former low standard of living among
both white and colored sharecropper farm
population and conditions among the migrant
Latin-American farm-labor population encour-
aged a general low health standard and fa-
vored the spread of such contagious diseases
as smallpox.
In all of these matters great progress has
been made. Better public sanitation and edu-
cation of the people has almost eliminated
malaria and typhoid. Stream pollution has
largely been eliminated though, in some in-
stances, fast-growing cities still struggle with
the problem of financing equally rapid exten-
sion of sewer and water utilities. The decline
of farm tenancy, especially the sharecropper
class, has largely eliminated the problems of
poor rural sanitation.
The health laws and program of Texas are
administered by the State Health Department,
headed by the State Health Officer, under
general supervision of the State Board of
Health. (See p. 326.)
There are three medical colleges in Texas.
The Medical Branch of the 'University of
Texas is located at Galveston, consisting of
School of Medicine and School of Nursing,
with the John Sealy, Galveston State Psycho-
pathic and other hospitals. At Houston is the
Baylor University College of Medicine around
which has been built up other educational
institutions and hospitals in the Texas Medl-cal Center representing an investment of
$100,000,000. At Dallas Is the Southwestern
Medical College of the University of Texas
and the Dallas Medical Center including the
Baylor School of Dentistry and a number of
hospitals. Throughout the state there is a
tendency to co-ordinate the services of gen-
eral and special hospitals with increased
civic pride in a community's medical services.
Among the smaller cities Temple is note-
worthy for its hospital facilities.
DISEASES REPORTED
Principal contagious diseases reported to
the Texas State Department of Health in 1950
were: Chickenpox, 23,428; diphtheria, 980;
dysentery, 23,951; gonorrhea, 24,417; influ-
enza, 58,119; malaria, 2,869; measles, 58,256;
meningitis, 316; mumps, 15,308; polio, 2,355;
pneumonia, 15,656; scarlet fever, 1,235; syphi-
lis, 15,338; tuberculosis, 5,864; tularemia, 73:
typhoid fever, 285; typhus fever, 284: undu-
lant fever, 341; whooping cough, 5,341.
The five leading causes of death in Texas
in 1950 were heart disease, malignant neo-
plasms, all accidents, pneumonia, tuberculosis.
BIRTHS AND DEATHS
There were 203,248 births in Texas during
1950, and 201,018 in 1949, according to the
U.S. Public Health Service. In the United
States there were 3,451,608 births in 1950 and
3,470,749 in 1949. Deaths reported in Texas
during 1950 were 63,359; in 1949 there were
63,926. Infant deaths in Texas totaled 7,375
in 1950 and 8,616 in 1949. In the United States
infant deaths were 100,173 in 1950 and 107,137
in 1949. Texas provisional death rate was 8.5
per 1,000 population in 1949; 9.7 in the United
States. Vital statistics are not reported com-
pletely but are within 10 per cent of com-
plete.
Marriages.
There were 87,605 marriage licenses issued
in Texas for the 12-month period ended Nov.
30, 1950, and 99,392 for preceding twelve
months, according to the U.S. Public Health
Service. In the United States there were
1,674,035 and 1,586,526 for the two correspond-
ing periods.
TRAFFIC DEATHS IN TEXAS
Source: Texas Department of Public Safety:
Deaths per
Total Vehicle 100,000,000
Year-- Deaths. Miles. Vehicle Miles
1935 ........1,864 11,235,278,043 -16.6
1940 ........1,757 16,077,942,857 10.9
1941 ........1,979 17,848.010,205 11.1
1942 ........1,316 16,087,760,796 8.2
1943 ........1,179 12,699,412,132 9.2
1944 ........1,373 13,634,453,668 9.8
1945 ........1,517 15,586,919,262 9.7
1946 ........1,959 20,691,893,891 9.5
1947 ........1,997 22,865,226,655 8.7
1948 .......2,059 24,863,489,988 8.3
1949........1,957 26,885,834,951 7.3
1950 .....2,410 30,405,113,547 7 9
CENTER OF AREA-POPULATION
The center of area of Texas, or geographi-
cal center, is about twenty miles north north-
east of Brady in McCulloch County. (See
large folded map.) Center of gravity of popu-
lation when last calculated by the Bureau of
the Census, was near McGregor, McLennan
County. Calculation for the census of 1950
will probably show a point not far distant.
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Texas Almanac, 1952-1953, book, 1951; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117137/m1/218/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.