Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-23
Board of Street Commissioners.

Proceedings ola regular meeting of the Boatd
of Street Commissioners, held June 21st, 1880.
Roll called and all members present.
Com. Baxter chosen chairman pro TEN.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and
approved.
The following ward accounts were presented
and under suspension of the rules allowed
Against the Fifth Ward Poor Fund-The ac-
count of Becker & Kaiser, for flour, sl1.3s.
Against the Sixth Ward General Fund-Thc
account of FIR. Hagemeister, for lime 80 cents.
The Committee on Gaslight, to whom were re-
ferred the accounts of E. Honerjaeger of $9O5,
for repairing street lanterns, and of 500, for a
new street lantern reported in favor of allowing
the same
Report accepted and accounts allowed,
The following annual report of Health Officer
DR.. WiggintOn, on the sanitary condition of this
city, was read by the Clerk, and on motion of
Com. 'Voss the same was accepted and ordered
to be printed:
To the Board of Health, Cityot Watertoton, WIS,
June LIST, $780,
GENTLEMEN:-I now present to your honorable
body my 4th ANIMAL report as health officer of
your city. Owing to sickness in my family I
have been behind in my report about month
for which ask indulgence ~.
We still compare well with other cities Of like
population. In many particulars we are far
ahead. Up to February we had been free from
all diseases of verulent nature the few cases Of
diphtheria being generally of mild type, with
ed. In June of the fiscal year there occurred but
10 cases of diphtheria, and one death. In July
Is cases with two DEATHS. August Is cases with
four deaths. September q few cases, one death.
October few cases, no death reported. Novem-
Der and December very few cases and but two
deaths reported. January"a larger number of
cases but no more deaths. In'July 1879 the first
care of scarlet fever occurred, being in the 7th
ward, recovered From this date to February
1880 there was no other case. From this latter
date to the present time the disease has been
gradually growing more fatal. In the begin
ming of January began to keep O. record of the
mortality from all causes, and although not alb
solutely correct it is accurate as could be had
under the circumstances: January; 'consump-
monia l. peurperal fever 1. heart disease 2, in
Jury l, total H. Deaths under four year old 4.
February; Consumption l, membranous
Group 2 diarrhoeal disease 1, old age l. total IL.
Deaths under 5 years 5.
March, Diarrhoeal diseases 2, diphtheria g.,
scarlet fever q commissions 3, old age s. total H.
Deaths under five years s. April: Diarrhoeal
diseases g diptheria g. scarlet fever 7, puerperal
Deaths under five years 9. May; Consumption
1, diarrhoel disease 1, dphtheria 3, scarlet fever
8, total Is. Deaths under five year 4,
Here we have total mortality of 68 for five
months, or over Ii deaths per month or for the
wear $50 deaths. This is too great a mortality
when we consider that over half of the deaths
come from preventable diseases So coming from
diphtheria and scarlet fever alone. And in regard
to the latter disease the per centage of deaths
to the number attacked has been very large A
large percentage of these deaths might be pre-
vented by due care on the part of the public.
Parents friends and sometimes physicians, are
too negligent in regard to the contagious and
infections character of these terrible diseases.
In many cases the attacks can be traced direct
ly to wanton, ifnot criminal, exposure.
Neighbors rush in to sympathize mothers with
large families carry it. and nurses forget or neg
lect TO change their clothes and disinfect their
persons, mourners insist upon public funerals,
ministers of the Gospel open the doors of the
churches and preach long sermons to sympath.
izing friends. the frontseas often filed with an
xious little playmates waiting for the last look
at their little dead companion. These are the
ways in which death often finds inroad into many
of our otherwise happy families. These are plain
facts and must be excused for bringing them
thus forcibly before you. Every intelligent citi
zed should aid US in changing this negligence
which so much abounds. The custom of hold
Ing puD ocs can do the ese NO good and too
| often makes them the unconscious communica