National Republican., 1873-12-05
THE CITY'S HEALTH,
ANNUAL RtPoRr or HEALrH OFFICER.

Jects Carefully Referred ts-sewer ceu-
nectiess, Alleys, streets, Feed Inspec-
tisus, tho Psuud, Smallpox, &c.
r. T.Keene, NJ. D., health oficer Of the Dis
trict, has just prepared and submitted hls an
nual report, Of which the following Is an inter
esting extract;
Ater furnishing q detailed statement Of the
duties OF tReealth ofncer, The number Of the
several cisssD OF employees, the names OF the
sanitary insrecsors and their districts, and q
description OF the form Of report and manner OF
abatement OF nuisances, he recommends the
number OF inspectors TO be increased 10 1fteen,
and their salaries liked at ti,9oo per annum.
The consolidated report Of nusances shows that
ip.66s have been abated during the year. not In.
uluding minor nuisances disposed OF upon ver-
bal notice. In accordance with a law OF the
Into the common sewer e por,ierins thereon, he
work ot erecting proper house-aewer conneo-
tons has been pushed with extraordinary vigor,
and constitutes one OF the most Important sani-
tary results Of the year. The number Of sewer
connections thus secured since the passage OF
the law amounts TO i,l0I, thus Improving the
vast amount Of slops and waste-watcr into the
common sewer. OF lots having staRnant water
thereon lpT have been filled. In this connection
the health oflcer recommends that no dwellings
he allowed In the alleys, as necessity To the
cleanliness OF the city and essential 10 Its sani-
tary condition; also, that the cleaning OF alleys,
tSority Of the Board OF Health, pelleyins @ the @
work will be more promptly and economically
done than by the existing method. Prtvy vaults
are recommended instead OF boxes as q sanitary
In connection with the subject Of
ImvArx SAVER CONNECTIONS,
he says "some sections OF the city OF Washing.
ton, particularly the northern and northwestern,
have been during the past year peculiarly unfor-
tunate IN the slow progress OF the general sys-
tem OF sewerage. Being marshy ground, and
improvements rapidly covering all that region
with dwellings, hydrants being introduced before
sewers were laid, the surface has become, as It
were, an immense sponge saturated with water,
from which there is no relief until outlet be
made through the sewers. Another very serious
cause OF complaint and Of sickness In that Sec
ton, as In others, has been the abandonment OF
excavations, tho work being Incomplete, In the
streets, alleys. Sc., which are soon filled with
water and nlh, remaining stagnant weeks,
often months, TO the great hazard Of the health
and lives OF citizens, who must exist as best
they may In the midst OF malarial vapors that
infest their homes and poison their families by
LAY and night. These most prolidc causes, Incl
dent TO the extensive system Of improvements
In progress there, have tended more than any
other 70 increase the sick and death rate OF the
city. But am assured by the honorable Board
Of Public Works that all that could be has been
done; that the only relief Is sewerage, and that
they viii press thus to completion with all possI-
al am convinced that on the part Of some con.
tractors there has been lnexcusable neglect or
criminal disregard for the lives OF citizens liyin
honk Ot tnclf WOfk, WulCu resultf-l
IN groat damage TO private property, In many
Instances In death from disease so engendere,l
that might have been avoided by the exercise OF
proper precaution and care"
An elaborate tabular statement OF nuisances
sbated follows, AMI In this connection he
speaks Of
ALLEYS.
II will he noticed that there were sos com.
paints OF nlthy condition Of alleys. This q
most significant and suggestive fact. We have
aNT Usrt.. H.
100 Of them Observation-Disclosures peculiar 70
this city. Many OF these lined on both sdei
with miserable, dilapidated shanties, patched
their means, are crowded the families OF ca,
very poor, many directly from the field, iguo
rant OF the nrst principles Of cleanliness, thei
what Wondei tSe alleys IN IN front of ,hsir y sap
are the common receptscles OF all the nth they
throw away7 What wonder that when ID,
as aTesd epidemic inyades our city these crowded
counts most OF Its yictms7 What wonder thai
IRON them are dragged up to the Police Court
that oil Its docket7 For do not nlth, pesliicnce
soi crime everywhere, In every city, creeI
hand In hand7
The remedy Is simple and entirely practicable
The Board OF Health should condemn all hablta
lions, OF every class, on alleys as nulsances In.
furious to health, and ask that such provision be
made by the District legislature or by Congress
as viii insure the general vacation and remoya
o. these nurseries of contagion and crime, thes,
botches upon the face OF our otherwise fair city
Those alleys wide enough and nt for human res-
idonce should be dignined with the name OF
streets. The alleys having been vacatea and IN,
hovels removed, they should all he properl
graded and severed and laid with asphaltun
pavement, that they may be easily cleaned ant
flushed by hose from a hydrant. Then, an,
then only, eau this city become the moIel o
cleanliness It's high position among the cities o
ne world demands, and Its citizens be assure,
Of immunity from deadly epidemics, so often III
terror and scourge OF the people. But what sha
We 90 with the wretched poor, whose miserabl,
sbodes We propose to demollsh : Build then
homes on the hills out Of the city, lift them ou
of these reeking slnms, and provide for their liy
ing where the free air and sunlight will eleyat
their lives and give them health In place Of NTH
crowd, poison and cOntagi0n. Our crOwdel
alleys and the Pguall tenement houses OF othe
cities are the effects Of like causes, viz the mai
ural tendency Of the lowest classes TO congre
gate In the larger cities, and the natural ten
uency Oh another class TO collect the larges
nnssible rent from the smallest possible outlay
Inc manifest duty Of all who have authority II
SAINT ify anairs Is no longer To temporze, but &c
strike uncompromlsingly, and at once, at this
the loot OF the evil, aud never rclinquish thei
nlows ,, until these plague spots are numbere,
After calling attention to a detailed report OF
FOOD INSPECTION
he remarks that In our large cities there Is nf
more frequent cause OF disease than the sale OF Of
unwholesome food. The lower classes victims
OF poverty and the avarice OF dealers, habituaIy '
oonsume ioou tnat u most unwholes0me, indeed
poisonous, and as consequence, often from
that cause alone, drag out q miserable physical
existence. and their children are puny, wretched
specimens OF humanity, who fall an easy rrey to
epdemics. We wisely declare against NTH,
overcrowding, Insufficient ventilation, miasmatic
vapors, and the long line Of nuisances, but ne
glect the true sources OF health, the sources OF
nourishment OF these people which give them
the power TO resist disease. Men who are able
10 select their food and live upon the fat OF the
land SIT around their luxurious tables and talk
the disgusting diet OF those who live In novels,
but make or enforce no law TO protect those who
arc helpless for self.protectiop.
Inc Importance OF the strict inspec ctiOu of
food cannot, must not, be Ignored, and this in.
rpeciion should include all groceries, liquors,
everything that people eat or drink. II neces.
q, snd nefe s ,Se Ss as many as police
selling anywhere unwholesome food, aud indict-
ment made against those manufacturing or
selling compounds for food, which, upon analy.
SIS, are found to contain poisonous preparations.
Then viii sanitariaDs begin TO experiences some
return for their lAbOrs, and the richest benefits
accrue to the people.
THE FOUND.
This service has been well performed. The
buaru In their selection OF pound master have
been particularly fortunate. Beng thankiess
ONCE, and It's incumbent subject to constant
hindrance aud misrepresentation, It Is dlfiiculi
judgment with the necessary energy aud cour.
age. IL Is dlfficult also to select men for the
actual labor OF seizure OF animals, often In the
lace OF armed opposition, OF the requisite &C.
uvity and strength, VINO, In the reslstence OF
such opposition, may not sometimes become the
aggressorr.
The comparative freedom OF the two ,tles
from animals running Al large marks how well
the work Is done. OF the 1851 dogs captured
during the season OF the dog law comparatively
very Few were redeemed. They were mostly
worthless, yaRabOnd ours, whom their owners
did not sufficiently value TO pay the dollar aud
lake them hone-the class OF CANNES most
likely 10 be mad on the slightest provocation
aud 70 most widely disseminate hydrophoblc
poison. They were disposed OF by the combined
ehorts OF the pOund-master, with rife, aud the
remover OF dead ANIMALS.
Cows are the animals most frequently found
at large At oil seasons; their owners being per-
lnitted TO Craze them on the commons In the
outskirts OF the city, often carelessly allow them
70 wander on out Of their charge, and are
Obliged TO pay the fec for redemption, tempered
with much dissatisfaction, would earnestly
recommend 10 the board that an ordinance be
passed forblhdlng the grazing OF cattle within
the city lmits. This would most likely accom-
plish two desirable ends, by Kidding the people
OF the annoyance OF hlthy cow stables and Of
the goat, should be banished beyond the confines
Of the city. Although the source OF nourishment
20 many poor people, they are destructive to
trees and other property, are public nuisances
wherever found, and should not be tolerated
within the densely-populated portions OF the
District. They give lhe pound-master more an
noyance than all other animals found at large,
nlany OF their owners resisting by force his at
tempts 70 capture them.
The stern enforcement OF the pound laws, not
Nnhsianding frequent determined resistance,
FF FDAl lhA nna al ~ HAL n