National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-23
THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
INCREASE IN THE DEATH RATE AND
THE CAUSE ASSIGNED.

The Board Of Health met at their rooms last
evening, DR.. T, S. Verdi in the chair.
Mr.. Aarbury, from the finance committee, re-
ported bills amounting to 90. so, which were Sp-
proved and ordered % be paid.
The registrar submitted q report of mortality
1OF the week ending September 10. Total deaths,
&c; adults white males "A, females 9; eeIoreo
males I, females 3; minors, white males u, ie-
males 1O;oolOred males G, females s.
The report also shows for the same Rerlod Il
HHrriages-White s; cOIo7ed 4. Births @s-White
males Il, females 10; cOlored males 9, females 8.
The report further says:
uOn referring to the mortality In the several
sanitary divisions, las promulgated by the Board
ofHealth,) it should be borne in mind that the
statement does not refer to the rate Of mortality
DeT taOusgnS but to the total deAthE in the sew
eraI divisions regardless Of the number Of inhao-
itants. -.,,.,,.
census of the several (ssnitary) divisions, When
our reports will not only show the diseases pecu-
liar to each, but also the rate Of mortality per
thousand IN said divisions and the local cause Of
disease, as far as may be obtained
alt will be observed by comparing our report
for the week ending September L with the pres
ent that there were So deaths reported in the
former and 20 in the latter, showing an excess Of
IL deaths during the week ending September y,
named being phthisis pulmOnRlis and diarrhoeal
diseases, and q perceptible increase from both
these causes during the last weak. The mean
temperature for the week ending September II
was 75.5, and the mean humidity 65.03 while the
mean temperature for theWeek ending September
70 was TIA, and the mean humidity SIS.
at is An important and interesting fact that
notwithstanding the reduction in the mean tenn
perature during the week ending September 10
Of nearly four degrees, the mean humidity was
increased nearly or quite Il during the same
period; showing, we think cOnclusiVely, that to
the increased humidity Of the atmosphere must
be largely attributed the increase in the death
rate from phthisis pulmOnalis and diarrh9al dis
eases. We have reason to anticipate favorable
showing in our report for the week ending Sep
TENDER 26 as the barOmetrical and thermOmetri-
cal conditions thus far indicate moderate degree
Of humidity and equable temperature"
WORK OF THE HEALTH oFFICF.
The following is a synopsis of the operations of
the health office for the week ending Sept 10:
Ruisances reported 443; referred SO; abated, 81;
referred to Commissioners, so; Official notices
issued, %; sewer notices, Is; complaints Of citi
gems, 81; dead animals removed, 40; causes Of
death investigated, 6; burials at public expense
recommended, 3; loads Of garbage removed, 35l.
Marine products inspected: 2,O47 bushels oysters,
sSs2 punches fish. Condemnations: 3O2 punches
tsh, 3l5 pounds beef, IS barrels pork, O. pounds
mutton, 50 pounds veal, l23 pounds bacon, SO egg
plants, 49, bushels peaches, 80 bushels apples,
bushels beans, s head cabbages, % dozen Gu
eumbers, so dozen corn, Is cantaloupes, 50 water
melons. Animals impOunded, -: redeemed, Is;
killed, %; amount realized, 81; privies cleaned,
SIS.
The frame shanties, Nos. 1924 and 1926, situated
in Majors alley, west side, between Ninth and
Tenth and NJ and n streets northwest, having
leaky roofs, causing the walls to be damp
and the rooms unhealthy, no sewerage, &c;
the brick building, No. l4OS Pennsylvania ave-
nue. northwest, being below grade, having defect
i've sewerage leaEy roof, dilapidated floors, &c;
the frame shanty situated on northeast corner
Of Massachusetts avenue and Third street north
west, having no sewerage, stagnant water in eel
lar, &C, were condemned as nuisances and or
dered to be abated by the health officer.
THE POUND SERVICE.
The health officer submitted the following COM
nUnication on the efficiency Of the pound ser
vice:
1.-The season OF dog-dsys, limited by the ordi-
nAnces Of the Board Of Health, having closed on
the 18th inst, 1 have the honor to report the re-
suit Of the operations of the pound service in this
direction from the 18th of June to September Is,
As follows: Number Of dogs impounded, 222s;
number Of dogs redeemed, $50; number Of dogs
killed, 1854; number Of other animals impodnded,
346.
Careful and studious observation of the practi-
cal workings of this service and the sentiments Of
the people on the dog question convince me that
1he board or other authority should inaugurate
some system Of disposal Of the supernumaTy and
worthless ours that infest the two cities and make
night hideous, that shall not be spasmodic orcon-
constantly operative, and so accomplish much
more than under the present ordinance, and with
out some Of its Objectionable features. 1t is
believe, generally conceded that the muzzling OF
dogs is not only great cruelty to the animal,
hut even induces the development of hydropho-
bia symptoms. A law which shall be rigidly en-
forced, requiring a license for every dog kept in
the cities, and at the same time that every dog
licensed shall wear collar, his badge of respect
ability having the rngidanpn nd
Of license; that every dog found without any
such collar shall be cOntFaband and liable to be
impOunded and shot, would accomplish all the re-
suits desired. That the dog is faithful, affection
ate and valuable, and that the attachments
formed for them by their masters are of the
strongest, cannot be denied. The rude seizure
and impOunding Of these pets-cOmpanions al
mOst-eXcites Oftentimes feelings of most intense
opposition to the present method, while those
who have no dog to love would have them all
summarily disposed Of no matter how. The mode
Of execution adopted in our pound, viz: by pistol
and bullet, has proven itself most effective and
least Objectionable. OF the large number killed
not ten uttered cry, so instantaneous was their
death, while by the process Of experiments the
dogs were the victims in Of the cities of the
sensitive recOls at the thoughts OF their writhing
agony"
The communication was received, and that Dor
tiOn in relation to statistics was referred to the
committee on ordinance for their consideration.
The health officer also laid before the board q
communication on
THE REMOVAL OF NIGHT-soIL
in which he states: 1.-THE time is approaching for
the execution by the Board Of Health of a new
contract for the removal Of night-soil from priyy
vaults, &c, in the District OF Columbia. have
the honor to report the result Of the operations of
the Odorless Excavating Company for the past
year, and to suggest matters of Importance for
the consideration Of the board as features Of the
new contract, developed from observation of the
practical workings Of the system, the primary
object being the removal Of the material without
offence or the distribution of noxious gases. The
apparatus and its applications when properly ad-
Justed and managed has accomplished its work to
the general satisfaction Of the people, fulfilling
its promise and receiving the Endorsement of
all who have had occasion to compare it with the
disgusting system it supplanted. During the
year the company have cleaned some a, 900 boxes,
and the complaints Of inattention or neglect have
been comparatively very few.
Recently my'attention has been called by citi-
zens, by inspectors, and by personal observation
to the fact that the work is now, in many cases.
carelessly performed, portions Of the apparatus
having become SO worn or broken as to no longer
prevent the escape Of offensive gases Particu.
larly is this the case with the charcoal furnaces
used, man! Of them being so broken a. to be use
less, and frequently the coal is not turning to
destroy the displaced gases. The threads of the
patent shoppers on the hose in some cases are so
worn that the shoppers tall of and the material
falls out.
1.-THE privies, also, in many cases arc not
thoroughly cleaned; sticks bottles, crockery, &c,
remain often in large quantity. The deodorizer
and disinfectant used by the company, If dis
tTlDuted literally, is excellent but in some cases
IL is found none is used, and in almost all cases
an nsuheient quantity. Complaints have Of late
Deen frequent Of the discourteous manner of some
OF the superintendent Of the work. This, how
ever, has been confined to one or two superintepd-
ents. a case occurred last week where a box was
emptied by mistake, no fee having been collected
and the man in charge transferred the contents Of
another box with the first and then demanded hts
fee for removing it second time The connanv
npon my reference and investigation Of the facfs
promptly dismissed the guilty superintendent
Those facts are presented as data for thai
formation Of the board, tending to show that In
the main, and while the broom was new II syvsnt
clean and was satisfactory to all concerned IL ts
now somewhat old, and, should the contract he
renewed, the apparatus requires thorough reno
walton in the detail performance Of the every day
work in order that eXcavRting may be entirely
OdOrless practically as we'll as nOminaIly. The
communication was referred to the ordinance