National Republican., 1876-01-26
AGARD OF HRALEE.
4 Plan to Bisinfeet Smallpox Clothing.

n hes3 70 UlklnleCt euh4Ap0A SAssAAS'
The Bard Of Health met at their rooms last
evening; Dr.. G. Z. Cox, president, in the chair.
Mt. Marbury, from the finance committee, re-
peEted bills amounting to sSSeeo, which were
paesej, and ordered to bepaid.
DIR. Verdi, from the special committee to whom
was referred the resolution to provide fer plan
of disinfectcn which will obviste the necessity of
destroying clothing, saving thus annually many
thousand dollars to the people of the District of
Columbia, submitted a report, stating that OF all
modes Of disiDfecting clothing or any texture
having been exposed to the cotageon Of small
pcx, dry and moist heat are the most energetic
in destroying the animal virus, nay, any virus,
animal or vegetable; that experience has taught
in England and other countries that dry heat Of
2OOO, and moist heat Of 2j0o disinfected any tex
ture from all matter liable to indure infection.
This mode Is also the cheapest and most quickly
ready for use.
The committee recommended the building of an
apparatus at the smallpox hospital or In any
other more suitable and convenient locality.
First, disnfecting cylindrical oven, ten feet
high four feet in diameter, lined with fire bricks,
which shall contain a rack upon which to hang
heated BY ring Of gas lets az the bottom or By
steam boiler, three feet high, one foot and half
in diameter, in close proximity to the oven. Tle
pipe The steam boiler to be heated when need-
tGl by ring Of gas Jets properly applied under
With this apparatus the dry heat can be raised
te 2OO0 while the moist heat be raised to 250o
by steam. These degrees Of heat are considered
germ Of infection in three hours. It is cheap
and efficient apparatus TOR disnfecting articles OF
beddipS, carpets, &c, suIphurous fumigations are
considered efficient and to carry this tumigatIon
properly the following plan is proposed: A box of
wood, eight feet by six; this box should be so
maGe as TO be almost air-tight. 1t should be
divided into three compartments, lengthwise and
across, like three drawers with the bottoms made
downward on hinges.
This box will work as follows: Each compart-
fR sNrorn lFfrno ohs
fumigated placed thereon; the drawer is then
pushed in and the airtight door closed. The
nited ano the oven of the box becomes filled with
sulphurnus acid. Articles thus exposed to sui
phurGus acid for two or three hours are thor
oughly disiAfecteS. The box could not cost more
than S25.
For the destruction of articles undt for use
small oven should be built with horizontal
CRATE in the middle. The fire is made In the crate
and the aTucles TO be destroyed placed on the
floor OF the oven, the cinders fall from the grate
which must go through the fire crate above to go
out of the chimney. In this manner all danger
from flying particles is prevented, as they must
pass through degree OF heat which VIII destroy
any vehicle OF infection. The committee is OF
opinion that five six hundred dollars Will cover
all the expense connected with the three appa-
ratuses for dlsnfection. The cost ior disinfec-
ting after the apparatus is built Will consist in
the consummatiOn OF gas and wood, which must be
very trifing.
Considering that during the smallpox epidemic
OF 1S72-'3 the destruction of clothing Of parties
bIa nearly $4,000, and that property OF even
greater value had been destroy ed belonging to
noD-iDdigents, Tor whom no appropriation had
been made for reimbursement, the sum incurred
in building the apparatus is but trife In COM
pslison. Moreover, when the citizens know that
their clothing can be disinlected without loss of
property, they Will be less eager to maintain
silence for the protection OF their property They
Will come forward willingly, disinect their CLOTH
ing, and thus protect the people from an invasion
OF the disease, generally induced by infected
clothing in transportation and handling by wash
erWonlen.
On motion Of Mr.. Maroury, the report was ac-
cepted and filed.
The health OH Ger submitted the followingreport
oil the operations OF his olce for the week ending
January -, 1876: Nuisances reported, 40; re-
ferred, IS; abated 462; referred to Commissioners
13; citizens complaints, 10; official notices issued,
70; causes OF death Investigated, 9; pccunary con-
ditions Investigated, 5; burials at public expense
recommended, 5; patients treated byphysicians to
the poor les; cost Of medicines furnished by drug
gists $i7?; deaths from zymotlc diseases investi-
gated-Diptheria, l; tons OF garbage removed,
50; dead animals removed, 81; privies cleaned by
sPected-lOl25 bushels oysters 400 punches fish.
Condem ned-q:5 bushels of oysters, 19 punches fish.
Unwholesome food condemned-3l7 lbs. beef, ,29lbs.
veal, lbs mutton, y lbs. pork, 10 lbs. venison,
% turkeys l2l chickens II rabbits geese, duck,
Sc pumpkins, 9S heads cabbage, bushels parsnips,
l bushel sweet potatoes, ~ bushsls apples, l
peck tuTnips. Pound rcport-animals impou 1ded,
=; redeemed, =; killed, !: amount rea lied, -.
Upon recommendation OF the health Oticer, the
brick and frame house and premises, 1927 ID
street northwest and the frame houses, 81 and 50
Twentieth street. between / and X streets north
west, and frame house and premises in alley be-
tween Twenty. fourth and Twenty fifth aud an1
streets northwest, having leaky roofs, causing
the walls to be damp and the rooms unhealthy,
damp and rotten floors, falling ceilings, filthy
yards, iull. filthy and dilapidSted priVes, being
in bad sanitary condition generally, and unit for
human habitatiOn. were declared to be nuisances.
and The health officer directed to abate the same.
The board then adjourned.