National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-10-09
BOARD OF HEALTH.
Matters Of Importance Considered.


q. Cox, president, in the chair.
The registrar of vital statistics having SUD
mitted q list of names Of infants, under one year
Of age, whose deaths were reported during the
month OF August, their names never having oeen
reported as ,qurei by section three OF the resu-
lations OF tie b1srd gGverniag statistics, FRO
fessor Lar gstoo, of tie committee o1 ordinances,
made the folio wing report: The committee on
ordinances. to whom this matter has bsen re-
ferred, fnd the general authority conferred upon
the registrar Of vital statistics plain and simple
and we would recommend that the list of names
presented by the registrar be referred TO the
health oficer, with direction that he secure the
names Of persons at fault In the matter, and re-
port the same to the registrar, who is hereby or
dered to institute, through the attorney Of the
board, proceedings against all
PERSONS THUS POUND VIOLATING THE LAW
and the requirements of the board. The report
was adopted.
Prof Langston. from the same committee, to
whom was referred the recommendation OF the
health officer that Martha Fortune be prohibited
from the practice of midwifery, reported that the
Board Of Health has no authority In any case 70
inter6ict the practice OF midwiIery N me pstrcs
to such persons and their occupation is clearly
defined in an an act Of the l. gislatiye Assembly,
entitled San act in relation to reports Of births
&c, approved August Is, 1871, and the act of Con-
gress on the same subject, approved June % 1874.
The board can exercise no jurisdiction over mid
wives, except to .quire them to make reports 70
the registrar Of vital statistics under the pro-
visions Of these acts. Your committee recommend
that legislation be asked by the board as TO TINS
subject OF Congress, the object OF which shall DO
TO confer such power upon the board as may De
necessary to accomplish, by the control thereof,
yidfpg for full and correct record Of vital stats
tics, approved June %, 1874.
The report Of the committee was adopted
DIR. Verdi, from the committee on Inspection OF
food, made the following report: -.
Your committee, who has under consideration
the question of inspecting food in accordance with
the ordinance of the Board Of Health, entitled
"An ordinance to prevent the sale Of
uNwHoLEsoNE FOOD
in the cities of Washington and Georgetown"
have come to the conclusion that to carry out the
provisions OF the same inspectors not only practi
cal, but learned in the science Of chemical analy
sis and microscopy, are required. That the pres
ent food inspectors have done their duty faithfully
so far as their limited knowledge would permit,
but that, from want of educational training, are
unqualified to inspect and condemn food according
nances OF the board, excepting, however, the in
spector Of fish, who appears to understand thor
oughly the departmentintrustedt to his care That
in order to organize a system that will meet the
requirements Of so important service person
learned in analyt ical chemistry and microscopy
should be employed, whose prescribed duty shall
be to examine every specimen of food submitted
to him by the tests recognized by the best author
titles on the subject, and whose further duty II
shall be to instruct the food inspectors in the art
Of detecting diseased meat, Impurities and adul-
terations In bread, milk and the various
ARTICLES EXPOSED FOR SALE,
by such means and tests as would not be coutro-
verted by other experts in the courts Of law. That
in consultation with the health officer, who appre-
cates efforts It is found that streettnspector
may be dropped from the rolls without injury to
that department Of the sanitary service, and the
mend be appropriated and added to the expense
fer the service Of food inspectors.
The report Of the committee was adopted.
Prof Langston, from the same committee, to
whom was referred the opinion of Hon. VIM. Biz
Eey 1s o 81 me Iase %pG8
which water accumulates, creating nuisances IT,
furious to health, with Instructions to make
II. Bradley so advice after due consideration,
submitted as their report the following
explanatory opinion Of Mr.. Bradley bearing
committee be discharged from further considera-
tion OF the same.
Mr.. BRADLEY's OPINION.
l. That you have power and authority to de-
clare what are nuisances injurious to health, over
and above such as are nulsances at common law.
2. That you have power to require the removal
of them, to be done under your direction, or to
caused or permitted them, whether they be pub.
lie bodies or private persons or associations.
8. To present to the grand jury for Indictment
all cases Of nuisance, and have the authorities
punished by law.
i. II you have funds for such purposes subjects
10 your control, you may enter on private prop
erty ard abate nuisances.
but it is excsediDgIy doubtful If you can in any
way create civil contract between your board
may be reimbursed for your expenses incurred in
the removal Of the nuisance. And quite GER
tsirly you cannot create lien upon the land or
The COMMITTEES were discharged from further
cor sIderation Of the subject.
The report OF the
REGISTRAR OF VITAL STATISTICS
was then submitted, of which the following is
synopsis: Total number of deaths IS; white, male,
II; female, Z; colored, male Z; female 2; minors,
white, male S; female 8; colored, male, Is; female,
H. oil rxrhft L. q.
one month to one year, white, 5; colored, 8; from
TO two years. white 2; colored, i three to four
white, 8 colored l; tiye to ten white !; colored,
thirty white, colored o. thirty to forty, white,
4; coloTed, 3. Observation-Disclosures Of columbia,
causes OF death were: whooping cough 2; erysiplas
l; typhus fever, /; typhoid fever, 8; typho mala-
rial fever, 3 hyalmia l; diarrh@, dysentery, l:
cholera, (nfantum,) 81 entero-colitis, /; cerebro-
spinal meningitis, 81 syphilis (congeDital) l: in
anition, 2; alcoholism, (intemperance, !; anvemia,
l; snasarca, i narasmus, 2; phthisis pulmonalis,
apoplexy, (cerebrall 2; soitenin2 Of the BRAIN 1;
commissions, (infantlle 3; trismus noscentium 2;
couple soleil, l; yalyular disease OF the heart,
(mitral /; pneumonia, 2; congestion Of lungs 1;
gastritis, (chronic,) 2: liberation Of throat, l;
premature birth, 2; debility, lcongenitall 2 puer-
j; killed by railroad, l. DurinEthe same week
there were II marriages; white, s; colored, 3.
Births, gs; white, GO; colored, 81 The mortality
last week, or at the rate Of PAST per 900 per an
mum; 23s4 per cent. Of the deaths were from
Zymotic diseases 24.00 from constitutional, 1888
from local, 1900 from developmentalIand la from
violence. The rate OF mortality Of the white
population was 1881 per ], 900 per annum, while
the mortality Of the colored population was AZ 50
per J, 600 for the same period. The number deaths
during the week was rs; white, 60; colored, 81.
Rate Of increase Of the white population by births
over deaths 1447 per 900; while the decrease Of
the coiored poulation by deaths over births was
1910 per l. goo per annum.
On the Recommendation of the health officer,
the hrfcE house and Dremses- No OIL ID
northwest, having leaky roof, rendering the walls
damp and the rooms unhealthy, defective drainage,
no sewerage, dilapidated floors,
IN BAD SANITARY CONDITION GENERALLY,
and mt for bsbitatIon, and the frame house and
premises on Eleventh street, between Ct and H
streets northeast, the property OF John Burnside,
having leaky roof, rendering the walls damp and
rooms unhealthy, no sewerage imperfect floors,
ceiling falling, yard, no water supply, no
privy, being overcrowded and filthy, and in bad
sanitary condition generally and unit Tor hum3
habitation, and the frame buildings and premises
In alley between and streets, New Jersey ave-
NJ. Lankton, having very leaky roof, rendering
the walls damp and rooms unhealthy, no sewer
age, dilapidsted and filthy floors, filthy ceilings
and filthy Irivy, no water supply, OvercroHded
and in bad sanitary condition generally, were de-
clared nutsances, and ordered to be Rbated accord
ing to law and the ordinances Of the board.
The application Of E. H. Thomas for position as
clerk or sanitary inspector was received and re-
ferred.
DR.. Cox introduced the following resolution:
Resolved, That from and after this date no
leave of absence with pay shall be granted by the
board to any in its SERVICE and no employees Of
the board shall receive any extra compensation