Morning journal and courier., 1881-05-25
The Health Board.

The Health Board.
The C1ty's Hea1th-No Smallpox Cases
The Passage of the Appropriation for
Public Vaccinatfon-The Plan for Car
ry1nR it into Efect-The Public School
Children.
meeting of the Board of Health was held
last evening Present, Messrs. Fl. M. WEIGH,
Prof Brewer, DIR. C. A. Lindsey, DIR. Win
ehen, Dr. Cheney, DIR. Frank H. Whittemore.
Minutes of last meeting read by Mr.. Whedon.
The health officer, DR.. Lindsey, reported
there was no smallpox case in New Haven:
The case of the woman Mrs. McKenna was
one of continent smallpox. He reported
that he had called upon and had a converse
ton with the Mayor, who, upon representa-
ton of the case, was in favor of the use for
other purposes of what should be left of the
coming 81, 500 appropriation for vaccination
after the vaccinating had been attended to.
The health officer said he was present, at the
request of the Mayor at the aldermen's meet
ing Monday evening and made statement
with reference to the need of vaccinating the
children. The board voted the appropria-
ton of 81, 800, to be used at the discretion
ton.
Mr.. WEIGH inquired if plan had been
adopted as to vaccinating the public school
children.
DIR. Lindsey said he had partially COM
pleted plan, and with suggestions from
members of the board designated IL schools
where the vaccinating would be done The
vaccinating would be done at O'Clock p. m.
lust after the schools dismissed, and in the
following schools, VIZ
Woolsey for the Fair Haven school chill
dren, Division street school, Skinner, Woos-
ter, Hamilton, Eaton, Dixweu avenue, Oak,
Webster, Washington, German English.
These schools were selected with reference
to greatest convenience in doing the work.
The scholars of other schools in the different
localities would come to the nearest school IN
their locality to get vaccinated.
DIR. Lindsey said that it was to be regret
ted that the appropriation had not passed
sooner, SO the work could be done before the
hot season Prof. Brewer agreed, and said
it was now only week before the LIST of
June. DR.. Lindsey said with warm spell
it would not be advisable to vaccinate teeth
ing children or nursing mothers. In the
case of such he thought vaccinating might be
omitted. We vaccinated nearly 1000 chill
dren seven years ago, and this time we would
probably not have to vaccinate half or a
quarter as many because the scare has
been upon the town for two or three months
and almost everybody at all sensitive about
smallpox and having the money to spare has
been vaccinated.
Prof Brewer asked if sufficient quantity
of vaccine matter could be obtained.
Dr. Lindsey thought it could be, and pro-
posed that four days in one week be devoted
to vacclnating, having physicians at each
school designated above, and that the sue
ceeding week two days should be devoted to
inspecting arms" which was very important
in order to see if the vaccination had taken,
and vaccinate new applicants who had not
appeared during the first week. and finally
to set apart one day in the succeeding week
when the inspection of such cases as had not
been inspected should take place. The
seventh or eighth day after vaccinating was
the proper time to inspect the work.
DR.. Cheney enquired if it was held that it
was necessary after successful vaccination in
childhood to be revaccinated before
the age of puberty. This question
expression of minds from some of the ply
sic1ans on this subject. DIR. Cheney said
that child should of course be vaccinated
in infancy, and the question arose if it as
held necessary after revaccinating at the age
of puberty, and again successfully later on, to
vaccinate again.
DIR. Frank Whit enore mentioned an article
published recently by DR.. Austin Flint ON
this subject.
DIR. Lindsey said that some hald that vac
cination was gradually losing its efficacy, and
that during the last few years, If the statls
tics cited reliable, there was much
larger per cent. of fatal cases than formerly.
Mr. Whedon thought that perhaps the
ier statistics, say in 1900, might not be as
perfect those ter on, and again in later
formerly.
Dr. Lindsey said the statistics quoted from
were carefully kept in hospitals for record
and data.
DIR. Cheney said the popular idea that vac
cination wore out in seven years was moth
ing, and probably arose from respect for the
old Jewish number. The human system is
entirely renewed every three years, every
atom.
DIR. Whittemore asked if infants were to
be carried to the schools.
DR.. Lindsey said yes, and others added that
to make vaccination as perfect as possible it
was very desirable that mothers bring their
infants and all the young children to the
schools.
Mayor Robertson entered the chambe r,
and being received with marked attention
expressed approval of the public vaccination,
and that the work should be inspected. The |
great fault with half our cases of vaccina- |
ton was that they were not properly fol |
lowed up.
The health officer and Drs Winchell and |
Whittemore were appointed a committee to |
have charge of the public vaccinating.
The Mayor said that he hoped to get law |
passed under which no child can be admitted |
to a school without showing certificate of |
having been properly accinated.
Mr.. Whedon cited various large cities |
in which such a law was in operation, and no |
child could be admitted to schools in Massa- |
chusetts without having certificate of vac |
cination. Professor Brewer said that it was |
SO in Germany, and that in Denmark people |
could not get married without having first |
been vaccinated. and cited case from Punch |
where an English couple, fleeing from Eng
land to Denmark, had to submit to be vacci- /
mated before they could be tied in wedlock. /
The carpet cleaning establishment on High |
street complained of last week was visited |
by committee of the board appointed for
the purpose Messrs Brewer, Lindsey and
Whedon. They went there individually each |
a number of times, but the weather being SO
wet last week most of the visits were ineffec-
tual. Prof. Brewer reported that on his fifth |
visit he found the machine in operation and
filing the whole neighborhood with the dust |
and particles from the carpets.
DR.. Lindsey reported that as hot weather
was approaching and much sanitary inspect
ing would be required, whether it would not
be best to employ an additional sanitary in
spector Action on the matter was deferred.
One of the inspectors visited a rag and
paper waste establishment at the head of
Long Wharf recently. The proprietors have
agreed TO fumigate the establishment once a
week.