National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-04


Gates both in Europe and America. PaFEESSS7:S
very high English authority on hYnjcn nleSno9s'
nhumation as the most SIcnlty o. ~ tI A05
he cle@ne sources Of disease 70 the living. ne
rejects the suggestion of close or alright vaults
on account Of the Immense bs prefeEs
deep interment, as having the 9oyanIase, ot
s'greater filtration both for air and water tahn
shallow burying." At the same time rapluly-
Growing trees or shrubs are recommended as more
eficaciGus for absorbing carbOnic acid thanSyer-
greens. His preference Is LOT sea DuIlsi, MneTe
'FWhen in the course Of years" he remarks, III
becomes imperative TO reconsider this question,
and land burial will have TO be modlned, many
Arguments will present themselves to maritime
nations in favor Of burytng In the sea rather InAn
Of burning. 1t is true that the ImPnFlSSbs N
at large, and would not add to any perceptiole
impurity; but If the burning Is not complete,
foetid organic matters are given OF, which hang
cioud-iiEe in the air, and may be percepttble and
even hurtfIIl. As q matter Of expense, too, the
system Of Incarnation would De greater thT9 az
burial at sea. In the burial at sea some o. thS "
body would 20 st once to support other I4rms Of
life more rapidly than in the case OF land ourlalI
ana thG fb We tyss Of the ocean the
rrmains yyouid rest until the trumpet shall sound
which shall order the sea to give up its dead"
HEALTH oEPIoKRs REPORT.
The health officers report exhibits the sanitary
operations under his supervision as executive
oficer embracing nine separate Department.
general sanitary inspection, inspection Oh mar
kets and groceries, inspection OF mHLluo PLO'
ducts removal Of nigbt-sOil removal Of garoageI
pound service, medical sanitary Inspection scr
vice of physicians to the poor and service OF
apOtheeares to the p0GE In an GI t1sis
and efficiency in q high degree II appears LA LA
there have been "a 76 nuisances reported 70 MN
and abated during the year; SlSSZl.f4 worm OF
food Condemned and destroyed; ,TO5 animals I'M
bounded: l6, 900 loads Of garbage remoVeoi 4'4O
dead animals removed; 42SI7 boxes eIeaneui III
$50 houses condemned; lis cases referred 10 tne
attorney Of the board; l,7T5 kilograms received
and sent; lg6l OF CA sc her
* Is74 2a5 Door persons treated SlSl65 expended
! on medicine for the poor; - bodies o. paupers
huried at public expense; all Of which nave oeen
| accurately recorded in the books Of the health
ofHee-certanly a magnificent showing, when
,vinces incsssant activity and vigilance On tn9
IA this aggregate. He calls attention to the In
cieasing facility with which nuisanees are aOated,
and the growing disposition on the part OF me
citizens Of the District to respond promptly TO the
| sanitary exaetiOns of the board.
| Tie garbage service, he remarks, was never as
| satisfactorily or econ Omically performed as now
| Thereis rarely o complaint of neglect, the col
| lectOrS being Jealous and faithful. =
He Particularly points TO the Rarshy panHs OF Oh
| malaria. poison, urging some effective progress
in the Objection Of this most glazing OF nuisances
| He recommends as important the substitution
| OF cemensd vaults below the surface Of the
ground In lou Of privybOXes now in use, ana CANS
to great injury now resulting from these
/
III ST forty tons constantly remaining
H. LIZ TtoG j ~ % parts Of the city.
ocyii5S br tSSDul3r statement OF the wGEh
to the poor of the DistrfS s5oSin tbeir several
sanitary DIVISIONS, and aSo demonstrating the
actual saving likely to rsuIt from tie present
| system Of conducting the ssTvice to be nearly
$4,000 per annum, while the b7nefts resulting to
| the people are in no degree diminished, but, on
| the contrary, the deserving poo are promptly
| and intelligently served.
The entire report Of the health oficer is re-
MIA int
firms the high estimate entertained of his supe-
ror fitness for the ONCE, and tfs uIitorEs zeal and
activity Of the corps of inspectors and employees
acting under his direction.
REPORT OF THE ATTORNEY TO THE BOARD.
The report presents an able and satisfactory
exhibit Of the proceedings Of the attorneys ONCE
II appears that the namoer Of prosecutions dUs
| ing the year were i70, of suits 16s, number Of
cases discarded or TIoHe prosecuted O., nuuoer
dismissed BY cOur5 3. number OF appealf TO- Aum-
| Der disposed of IL appellate court S, ameint OF
hnss imposed g Sf fSe bosT ~ munger ~ y Frthy Of
mention as appears from this report, that resist
| ance to the ordinances and regUlahons OF the
board has Kpifornly resulted in the conviction Of
The oifendSg parties. The aggregate fines as al
ready st9Ccd exceed nine hundred dollars.
NECESSARY LEGISLATION.
Ample as are the powers of the board in GER
tsin directions additional legislation should be
invoked in order to the Dore perfect control OF Ger
tain insanitary agencies not covered by or but par
! italy included in existing laws. For example,
where lots containing dsgnant water are owned by
Ton-residents, the Bard Of Health should have
the power Of abatinc nuisance, and Of assessing
the property in order to cover the expense of such
abatement. No reason exists why a tax should
not be imposed in this as in other improvements.
The same rule should apply TO all nulsances
found on premises, the owners Of which are non
resident or cannot be found.
The penalty Of neglect or refusal to comply
with notice to abate should be fine, coupled with
an order Of the court compelling immediate COM
pllanse on the part of the delinquent:
T1n hna1 off and &c fms prB
have power to search premises wherever nuts
anees are supposed to exist.
When the duty Of Rbating certain nuisances is
vested in one or more OF the civil authorities upon
information rendered by the board of the exist
ence Of such nuisances, and the failure of such
authority to abate, the board should have the
right promptly TO act, especially when the grieT-
anee imminent and the necessity Of its removal
urgent.
The power to make and enforce suitable quar-
antine regulations Is also indispensable. During
the late prevalence Of smallpox persons In adj
Tanced stages Of this loathsOme malady often
came by land and water to this city, mingling
with iElpunity in the throngs upon our streets
and thOrUughfares. This is but one instance Of
many where the Board Of Health should be
clothed with authority for preventing ingress
into the District of those suffering from cOntag-
iOus or epidemic diseases.
Whatever is dangerous In life and limb should
be placed under the cOgnlEance and disposition of
the Board Of Health.
The inspection aud general supervision OF hos
pitfalls supplied wholly or partially at public ex-
Board Of Health, as we'll as the determination Of
worthy objects Of charity, and the issuing Of per-
mits Of admission into such institutions.
The act Of the Legislature in relation to drain
ing certain lots, &c, should be So modified as TO
make it the duty of the Commissioners to drain
the lots and assess the cost, whenever the owners
refuse to comply with the notice of the Board Of
Health, and the board report such refusal.
The cleansing of alleys and sewer traps and the
removal Of otal should surely be part OF the duty
Germane to this subject may be considered
paTements in their relation to the health of cities
Involving their durability, comparative noiseless-
ness and freedom from vegetable decay, as well as
their accumulation and Judgment OF street hlth.
This theme is an ample one, and embraces the
are not now called upOR to treat, were we indeed
competent to do so.
sLAUGRTER-H REPRESENTATIONS.
The killing of animals in populated locations,
besides being source of great annoyance to resi-
dents in the yicinity,is unquestionably serious
injury 10 health. No system Of inspection, hSw-
ever faithfully executed, can preserve slaughter
houses in largo cities, or in their thickly popu-
lated suburbs, in q condition of entire purity and
nervousness. such nuisances, including the re-
suits Of slaughterng, as bone boiling, fat render
ing, &c. should be removed TO q safe distance be-
yond the limits Of population, and, If possible,
concentrated in one establishment.
The Importance of combining the slaughterlng
OF animals, the rendering Of fat and bone boiling
in one place, with improved machinery, BY which
every part Of the animal, including the blood
may be saved and applied to valuable uses, can
not DC 100 nlgHly estimated. Inc advantage oil
abattors to communities in supplying meats from
animals properly inspected both before and after
killing, and carefully slaughtered, thus protect
ing the consumer against fatigued or diseased
animals, is eminently worthy OF consideration.
This important subject was considered at the
late meeting Of the American Health Association
at Philadelphia, near which city an abattOir is
about to be constructed. DIR. HartshOrne intro
duced certain resolutions, which were adopted,
declaring that "lOr city, one properly arranged
and conducted abattOir, subject to municipal
regulations, is always preferable to a number Of
private slaughter houses" Another resolution
recommends that such establishments should be
located as far as practicable at distance from
the centres Of population, and If possible, upon
tide water" 1t Is to be hoped that this subject
will engage the earnest attention of our citizens,
and considered, it must soon be, in the light of
q necessary sanitary reform. No superior lOca-
lions for we'll regulated abattOir can be found
than those in the vicinity Of Washington, where
abundance Of pure water Is accessible Tor the pur-
pose Of slaughtering, and deep convenient har-
bOragc for transporting by steam tugs and bargos,
as we'll as facilities for railway carriage. No
time should be lost in insugurating reform so
essential to the comfort and health of our eiti-
Zens. Our intelligent and enterpTising butchers
will not fail to perceive that both credit and profit
will be entertained by heartily cooperating In
cOmmendable movement.
The report then takes up the question of night
soil, the water supply, public buildings, &C, and
closes with a short comprehensive paragraph
upon the progress Of sanitary science In the Uni
ted states during the past year.