Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-13

Health Matters-The Morals OF the
CItV-sOmething Ab5ut the Police
and JafI.

/
the Fifth Annual Report of the Mayor and
the reports OF the different departments.
| The main features of the Mayors report
have already been given, and it is unneees-
sary to refer to It again. There are matters
of general interest, however, in the other
reports which deserve comment, and we
have, therefore, presented the following
synopsis of the reports of the Health Officer,
the Chief of Police and the Jailer.
THE HEALTH OF THE CITY.
DIR. j. T. Mcfarland, the efficient Health
| Officer, makes a very full and interesting
report for the year, touching upon all mat
tiers affecting the sanitary cond ton OF the
city and surroundings, and the general
health. We make from 1t the following
extract:
Good health has prevailed during the en-
tire year, and, excepting diphtheria, few
cases Of scarlet fever, and one case OF small
| pox, the city and vicinity have been free
| from contagious or infectious diseases.
No case in the slightest resembling yellow
fever was noticed by any member Of the
| medical profession, although reports to the
contrary were circulated in the press OF
neighboring cities. No summer passes with
out the circulation Of similar damaging re-
ports, the object and general result being
interference with commerce and retardance
Of travel. An Individual has redress by law
for SANDER, and 1 see good reason why COM
munities should be equally protected.
The Sanitary Board have been persistent
in their efforts to suppress the disease diph-
/ iberia, which has in Savannah, as in many
other cities of the States, prevailed to
| troublesome extent during the year. In
houses where the disease has made appear
snce the case or cases have been isolated as
much as practicable. Children living In
these houses have been prohibited from at
tending schools, visiting in such instances
has been interdicted as much as possible,
premises have been cleaned, disinfectants
| freely resorted to, and in cases OF death
from this, as with other contagious or in
fictitious diseases, public funerals have not
been allowed.
On May oath had removed from William
street, western portion of the city, to the
small pox hospital, a white family, compris-
| ing father, mother and seven children, the
youngest, an infant Of five months, having
a clearly defined case of smallpox. This
family, who are Italians. arrived In Savannah
about March LIST from Bradford, Penn, via
New York. No sickness OF any kind occur
red in the family from time Of arrival until
/ the development Of the case above noted.
| As there had been no smallpox In this city
| for years, the case of this infant must
be accounted for by the bringing into
use of some article of infected bedding
or clothing which had been trunked away.
| This explanation is all the more probable as
| smallpox was known to De prevailing both
| in Pennsylvania and New York at the
| time OF their arrival in this city. Ex-
| cepting the little patient, each member OF
| the family had well defined vaccine marks
| upon their arms; Notwithstanding this l re-
} vSccinated them all without result, although
1 1,~f~- s.r-A Falr, h
infant recovered, and no member of this
| large family at any time presented the
| slightest symptom Of disease. All beddidg
and clothing belonging to this family was
/ sent to the hospital. The house from which
/ they had been removed was thoroughly
| cleaned and washed with esrbolic acid solu-
/ ton, disnfected several times with chlorine
| gas, and then lime washed. When the case
had recovered and it came time to dis
charge the family, all bedding was burned
| at the hospital, as was all clothing which
| could not be boiled. This was done under
my personal supervision. New bedding
and clothing or money was given by the city
authorities In return for property destroyed
| by sanitary order. The family came to the
city snd reoccupied the house from which
| they had been moved without the develop
/ ment Of any other case OF this disease. The
/ protective character Of vaccination is most
| forcibly demonstrated by the history OF this
/
| one month constantly subjected to the DOW
| erful infection of this dread disease, all of
them escaping It's loathsome and serious
consequences, unquestionably because of
vaccine protection.
During January, 1850, the Sanitary Board
| endesvered, as health precaution, to make
vaccination general in the city. The city
physicians were supplied with the best
| bovine virus, and the community was pub
| Iicly notified that those who were unable to
raw would be Vaccinated free Of charge.
| This effort was productive Of bur little good
| result. Tdere exists with a large number
OF our population prejudice against or
a total disregard OF vaccination. At this
| time, when smallpox is prevailing in six
| teen States and two Territories of
| the United States, and in a number
/ Of cities and localities with which Savannah |
| is IN almost daily communication, 1t is I'M
| perstive that steps should be taken by
/ which our community will be protected, |
| should the disease be introduced in our
midst. Unfortunately the State law does
not make vaccination compulsory but citi-
zens can do much to protect their families,
| and by combined action, the community at |
| large, by positively refusing to keep or
have in employ any servant who Is not vac
/ cinated. 1t is a known fact that the cpl
| demic Of smallpox in this city of 1876 aud
/ 1877 WIS kept alive by servants who slept |
away from their places Of daily oceupation,i In |
| houses where they aided In secreting small
| pox cases ; leaving these pest houses they
| came in contact with those who hired them,
and others, thus spreading the disease
| broadcast. | most respectfully suggest |
| that the city authorities of Savannah memo
rialize the next session OF the General As
sembly OF Georgia for the passage Of law
which will give authority for making vacci- |
nation compulsory when said officials shall |
| deem it Necessary for the health and safety |
OF this community.
am pleased to report that through the |
su question and recommendation Of the SAM |
tary Board, law was enacted by the Gen
eral Assembly Of Georgia during
their last session, which empowered |
| the Board of Public Education of
| Chatham county to make such |
regulations regarding vaccination being a
der their jurisdiction, as in their Judgment |
they might deem necessary for the pro-
lection OF the public health and safety; and |
the honorable body, acting under this su-
thority, have published an order requiring |
that from and after January 1st, 1882, each |
pupil of public school In Chatham county /
must present a certificate OF successful vac |
cination, from physician, before they will |
be admitted to a seat IN said schools.
The negro race as a class, when they have |
medical attendance, but poorly carry out |
instructions regarding medication, diet or |
sanitation; their poverty, squalidity, want |
of vitality, taints Of former diseases and |
carelessness, predisposes to serious attacks /
of sickness, which under the best care, in /
result, compare most unfavorably with the |
white race. The greatly increased ratio of |
death peg one thousand of aggregate popu-
lation which the blacks Snd eol0Fed give to /
the moruary statistics Of cities like Savan-
nah, having population nearly equally di-
vided between whites and blacks, is uu-
Just In the extreme, and gives an in
correct idea of the health of such localities: /
nevertheless, these statistics are published |
and circulated broadcast, to the serious de-
triment Of Savannah and many other South
ern cities. | have endeavored during the
past year, with some good results, to con-
vince the representatives Of the sanitary |
press Of the United States OF the Injustice
they are doing by publ shing these statistics
without drawing the color line so plainly
that the race ratio will be apparent to the
most careless reader.
-
During December last a delegation of
health officials from Charleston, s. c., who
were In attendance upon the meetings of
the American Public Health Association,
held conference with His Honor the Mayor
and other members of the Sanitary Board
of this city, and discussed qusran-
tine regulations as applicable and
desirable fer the ports Of Savannah and
Charleston, which resulted In an assurance
from the visiting delegation that IL some few
stated changes were made in the now exist