National Republican., 1876-02-04

Georsetown, and here offered at Wholesale and
beard. His position is . laborious one, and re-
quires peculiar fitness and adaptation to Its Judi
cicus and successful management, as the subjects
OF inspection differ from those OF the ordinary
food Inspector; so his knowledge and his skill
must be peculiar, and since We employ but one in-
Increased and their performance is dificult. The
four inspectors referred to- classified as indicated,
are paid each sl,20o per annum, agEregatinz
| time, as necessity required, q chemist, who has
anslyZ Zed and inspected microscopically such
IL OUd With h poisopoSs TpoS
time to time, special Fe%ark is U not % hscsssaSy @
by the board during the year for such service has
been not to exceed 5000. The value of articles Of
food, including marine products condemned dur
ing the year, had they been Of
WHOLESOME QUALITY,
amounts to sl6,eSs.53. These condemuations in.
clude every variety Of articles Of food, meats.
| poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits, &c: The board
this branch Of the service to give it larger atten
tfon provided appropriations can be secured ade
Suate to the SUPPORT Of It's IrSp9sed Efforts 10 that
| to the various branches of the service of the
board not justifying such allowance to this par
| ticular department as its Importance and neces-
| sity would seem TO demand, the board has been
| compelled to forego that thoroughness In the
ganization and performance OF this service which
as our duty, and the non performance of which
can only be excused in view of the inadequlcy OF
such appropriations available to the board.
AS Indicated, the entire expense of this service
for the year has not exceeded s., 500. Were this
work done with such general and uniform thor
oughness as to entirely prevent the sale OF un-
wholesome food, in the use of needed apparatus by
professional, scientific officers, the cost would not
the amount now expended. 1t is not to be under
stood, however, that the board undertakes the
services Of its present force or the
RESULTS THEREBY ACCOMPLISHED.
1t is believed that no more efficient inspectors &C.
complishing the object of their employment with
greater satisfaction with the like duty to be per-
formed can be employed at the salaries now paid.
proof OF the value Of this careful Inspection of
food exposed for sale in the District, prominent
hotel proprietors and others who purchase largely
assert that there has been an improvement OF at
least 60 per cent in the quality of the articles OF
food go exposed since the establishment Of our
system of inspection.
gress approved June %, 1874, il was made the
duty of the Board OF Health TO make and enforce
regulations to secure full and correct record Of
vital statistics Regulations on this subject have
been made and enforced by the board, whereby
full and correct record of deaths and interments
Of tho dead has been secured. There occurs in
the District no death, report of which is not
promptly made to the board; there is no burial,
disinterment or transfer Of the remains of any de-
board, and the diseases, Infectious contagious or
other, which cause death within the District Of
Columbia, are reported and recorded, and in case
such cause Of death be Zymotic or preventable
disease the premises where such death occurs are
made the object Of special inspection and report
by the health officer, and all local causes of such
disease discovered and removed, as far as prac-
ticable, and the family and friends advised so as
to secure thorough isolation and hygienic condi-
tions. Combining thus two important branches
of sanitary service, the result has been large
reduction Of the death rate from these causes in
the District Of Columbia, as shown by the record,
and invaluable service thereby rendered to the
community.
The registry OF deaths in the District of CoIum.
bia under our regulations Is perfec: Thiscaunot
he said of other city of this cOuntrv nd
death-rste under the present management, so far
as Zymotic or preyentab BILE diseases are concerned,
ted States whose registry of deaths is compare
lively correct
In view Of these very considerations, and under
the strict sanitary regulations Of the Board of
Health, there is an exceptionable immunity en-
joyed in the District Of Columbia, by persons
the Classes Of diseases named In lie Hs5s orssn2a.
tion of this service, the employment Of its health
officer and his suoordinates in the inspections
local causes of diseases and the removal OF the
same, as we'll as the daily and general inspection,
the board has in view constantly its obligations to
CONSERVE THE HEALTH
OF the President and officers and employees of the
General Government, Senators and members of
Congress and their families, and officials repre-
senting foreign Powers, such persons forming
District, and W sose health and lives are matters
of special interest to the constituencies and Powers
which they represent. Herein the board dis
organization. serving at oncs the permanent resi-
dents of the District Of Columbia and the officials
named.
In order to fully carry ou. the purpose OF the
law to secure a full and correct record of vital
Statistics the board In It's organization of the SER
is member Of the board and such clerical assist.
ants as may be necessary. Three clerks have been
employed during the past year under the registrar
cl1dipg the purchase Of books, printing of blanks
the weekly publication and distribution of reports
Of births, marriages and deaths &C., has involved
an expense of about IS. 900 for the past eighteen
months. Hereafter the expense Of this depart
ment will probably not exceed So 600 per annUm.
The duties imposed upon the board by the late
Legislative Assembly OF the District of Columbia,
such as the prevention OF the introduction and
spread Of infectious and contagious diseases In
all premises to be connected with q public or
private sewer, &C., have been fully performed,
and the expense incurred in connection Herewith,
IS far as the Board Of Health was made liable In
anywise, promptly paid. The duties imposed by
the honorable Commissioners of the District,
cines to the sick poor Of the District the burial
OF paupers, the Organization and supervision OF
the garbage service and the care Of Holmead
performed.
TO REcaPITULATE.
The board finds that the several branches of
duty enioned upon II by law are as follows: The
to health, the PREVENTION Of Domestic spimaIs
from running at large in the cities of Washing
ton and @ Georgetown, the prevention of the sale
ofunwholesome food within said cities, the making
and enforcing of regulations to secure full and
correct record Of vital Statistics and the general
duty of guarding against death from Zymotic or
preventable diseases in the District of Columb bis
together with the special duty Of the prevention
of the introduction spread OF infectious or con-
additional duties Imposed by the late LsgIsIatIve
Assembly and the honorable Commissioners of
the District, and the carefuliand accurate keep
entire Service Of the board ii ali It's departments,
together with the due and efficient execution Of
the ordinances, rules and regulations Of the bosrd
courts when necessity requires.
II has been the purpose of the board since its
organization to perform these duties to the great
est good Of all concerned, and while cultivating
due economy as TO appropriations made by Con-
gress and the local government to secure the
In addition to the employees already named
there are employed by the board chief clerk
and health officer, and in the health Office
medical slnitary inspector and three clerks
The balance of the So. 2S5 appropriated By act
of Congress, approved March g. 1873, is used to
deiray other necessary expenses OF tho board and
Tor general sanitary purposes.
TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK.
indicated in this statement and recapitulation,
exclusive of the salaries Of the members of the
Board of Health. there was appropriated BY act of
year ending June 80, 1876 the sum OF So, ,235-
SIC, III so from the General Government, the bal
abce "a like emcunt) from the treasury Of the
~ AsSs ~ OaPoAscS
of every kind incurred by the board for the
year. 10 this date, OF this sum.t there has been
expended by the board in its sanitary operations
for all purposes the sum OF $50 ~, leaving q
balance in the treasury unexpended up to this
date Of SIS, ,0s22S.
The sum appropriated to the board in view Of
the duties imposed, the labors to be undertaken
and performed, the manner in which such lRbors
are uI dertaken and the thoroughness and skill
with which they are performed, to say nothing Of
the important sanitary interests as regards the
protection Of the health and lives Of our own and
foreign officials committed to the board, the fact
that the board is called upon to present to the
naticp, and, in fact, to the world, model sani-
tary organization, achieving, in 0 city undergo
ing large and expensive general improvements,
the most important sanitary results-the sum
named must appear insignitcan especially If it
be true that the health Of the 169 900 persons re-
siding permanently and temporarily within the
District has been Improved, as we claim. And
the board challenges Investigation Of the facts
and figures offered, in proof Of such achievement.
The largest amount appropriated any one year
since the organization OF che Board Of Health, to
be used by 1t for sanitary purposes was ssi, ,44o.
This sum Is very much less than the amount ap-
propriated generally for sanitary purposes In
other large and important cities OF our country
oflike population and similar circumstances with
our own.
Without claiming infellibIlIty or exemption