Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-08-21
The Public Health.

A meeting OF the Board or Health was he'd
last evening, at which the minutes OF a
special meeting held On Thursday were read.
At this meeting Messrs. Turner 4 Co. were
informed that the force employed in the coll
lection and removal OF garbage was made
quate, and that a remedy must be applied.
The contractors signfied their Willingness to
carry OF the work TO the entire satisfaction
OF the board.
A resolution was offered by DR.. Verdi that
a special committee be appointed to investi-
gate and report as to whether the offal depot
IS offensive and Injurious TO health In its
present condition and as the work is now
being done; but no action was taken.
Or. Cox, from the sanitary police commit
tee, made report approving the proposed
changes in the sanitary districts; which was
adopted.
THE MoRTUARY REPoRr
The report of the register of vital statistics
Tor the week ending 18th instant was pre-
sented, showing IS deaths, I'll less than the
previous week. OF which Fl were from cholera
lufantum; each from consun ptiOn, maras-
mus, diarrhUa, and 4 each from whoOpiDg
cough, typhoid fever, dy SeEtery and MANTLE
convuisions; each inanition, apopleXy and
epilepsy. The colors were equally divided
- each-and The sexes nearly SGT males
and - females. There were Il white adults
ard colorei, aud 81 white minors and 10
cOlo'ed. There were - under years OF age-
q whites and ~ cOiored. There were mar
riageS and - births-49 white and 81 colOred
Tue IA e OF mortality Of tie WIN e Doruiafiol
was 2i.'G per eco per amman, ', lille the no.
tality of the cOlOTed population was -. 4G per
l,O1O FOR the same period. Rate Of inrreaSe Of
is Per Loco; while the decrease o. The colnred
population By deaths over births was 1902
per 1000 per annum.
Resolutions were adopted declaring the
frame building and premises No. 17CG MaSsa-
chusetts avenue northwest having improper
drainage AID leaky roof, mint FOR haDIt1tiJg
/ are nuisance Injurious 10 health, and also
me Hrick dVelliIg and premises No. Ia
Bridge street, Georgetown, and the health
CDicGT was ordered tn q bate the same.
A BABY FARMER IN WASHISGTOS.
y FlF N.lL I'm "a
tCa.th officer recommending that if, in the
province Of the board, .the place OF Martha
Hicks, No. SO 2ist street northwest, he i'll
veSliEated, as she appears to be- carrying on
the business Of baby farming and the infants
almost invariably die while III her charge
L II report II made on the reference OF the
re gistIaT To the health officer dated the 18th
inst. as to the cause OF death Of a white
Child and The circumstances Of its birth ana
parents, who seem TO have abandoned it, Il
Is based on the report of the meiical sanitary
inspector. Dr. W. ID. Stewart in which tits
stated that the unknown dead white female
child, aged about seven weeks, was left at
the house OF Martha Hicks. ColOred by an
unknown woman, who hai represented her
self as the mother OF the child, and whom
she had not since seen or heGm of. Martha
HICKS said that the child was left with her
or Tuesday night. the = IN ult; that she had
contracted with the mother to receive her
enid al compensation Of = per month, and
that she did not know or inquire for the
Lame OF esidence oi The mother She further
said that she did not ask such questions of
those who patronized her, and admitted that
size made q business OF baby farming, and
that, with one exception, the children ma ve
all died, that the deceased had been appar-
entity IL healthy condition when she re-
ceived ~; that IL few days afterwards be
gan TO lose flesh ami slept all the time. She
denied having given the child drugs or medi-
cine Of any kind.
DEATH FROM EXT AUsTToN
On Monday. the 9th instant, tine child had
teen attacked with vomiting and purging,
which bad continued for several days, until
IN
cor tinued, and the child had died from eX-
BaustiOn and hamilton or the 18th inst DR.
Stewart was OF the opinion that the state
ments MADE by Martina Hicks were utterly
unworthy Of credence She was heartleSs
as She was ignorant. At one time she had
said that the woman who had brought the
child 10 her was employed In the Treasury
deI artnGDt, and then denied her statement.
She had admitted and then denied that she
bad received any compensation. lie was
further Of the opinion that Martha fIicks
was able 10 provide burial for the body OF
the deceased, OF whose history and parent
age she manlfestly knew more than she was
willing to tell.
Or. Cox suggested that the grand Jury
should look into this case.
Mr.. Langston moved that the subject be
referred TO the committee on ordinances,
with "A view Of determining the best mode OF
meeting this case, and II was so ordered.
A communication was received from Or.
j. II. Bushnell, suggesting q return To the
ward, council or district division of the city,
each having a physiciDn and apothecary
centrally located, as better understood and
more convenient for physicians aud apOthe-
carries. he says: This might increase the
number OF Physicians and apothecaTies, but
more prompt attendance and convenience in
obtaining medicine would be he result.
without increased expense, as the amount
appropriated could be divided pro rata"
The communication was referred to the san
ltaIy ponce committee.
TIE GARBAGE AND NIGHT SOIL DEPOT
AGAIN.
Or. Verdi called attention 10 the resolution
he . h. fol
ton to the night soil depot. on which no ac-
ton was taken, in consequence OF the alb
sence OfDT. Bliss. He then offered Tesolu-
tion that special committee be appointed
Ia thoroughly inspect the depot in question
ana report whether. in their Judgment, the
transmission OF said offals IN said depot is
done i'll manner not TO create nuisance.
and whether said depot should not he trans
feTred TO locality more remote from al in
habited neighborhood.
Dr Cox and MI. Iangston suggested that
Dr. Bliss was still absent. and his Or B.'S)
committee had had the service under CON
sid6TatiOn.
A LOCD-sMELLING DEPOT.
DR.. Verdi urged the necessity OF immedl-
ate action, stating that he had visited the
depot expecting TO meet the members Of the
board, and found thai immediate action was
necessary, since all would agree, on visit
10 the place, that il was nuisance; the
smell was percepuble, both inside and out.
The platform Is now saturated with the
Slops, and the place IS now q nuisance which
should be abated at once.
Mr.. LangStOn said that after the remarks
made by the health officer at the previous
meeting he was not 50 sure that the cOntrac-
tors were faithfully executing the contract.
DR. Cox referred TO the injunction sworn
out by residents in the neighborhOOd Of the
depot, and being decided against the pc
titiOuers; Judge Wylie in his decision highly
cCmplimenLing the board. He himself at the
time the site was selected was Tot especially
favorable 10 the locality OF the depot and
was IN favor OF moving IL further out.
He did not believe there was a member OF
The board who would not willingly, and
without the least hesitation, do even ytEinE
IL his power To abate any nuisance when
be was convinced that a nuisance existed.
This whole subject was embraced in the mat
ter now under consideration by the sanitary
committee, and he thought that they should
wait until the chairman OF That committee
returns, before taking action.
DR.. Verdi said he would like the whole
board to visit the depot To day ~ II o'clock,
ana see for themselves, as he was sure, after
visiting there, they would be convinced that
IL was d nuisance. This he hoped the report
erS would not publish, for II they did there
would be five hundred men put 10 work
cleaning up.
DR.. Cox Introduced & resolution, which was
adopted, that the resolution of DR.. Verdi be
referred 10 the sanitary committee, with in
strUctlCns 10 report at the next meeting OF
the tgart. and that said TunafiuO A. called