New-York tribune., 1882-03-13
SANITARY INSPECTORS And TIER YORK.
A TALK WITH DIR. JANEs-MANY COMPLAINTS IL
LIE RnARD OE mEALIM INYEsTIGATED.

A TALK WITH DIR. JANES-MANl COMPLAlNIo ~
THE BOARD OF HEALTH INVESTIGATED.
"No office-hoIder in any department of the city
Government gets as small salary as Sanitary
Inspector, In comparison with the amount OF work
he has 10 perform and the preparation necessary 10
fit him for his duties" was the remark overheard
by a reporter of THE TRIBUNE in the office of the
Board of Health while several inspectors were
handing in their semi-weekly reports TO SANITARY
Superintendent Day. In order to ascertain what
truth there in the remark the reporter sought
out DR.. L. II. James. the Assistant Sanitary super
intendcn and talked with him reg irdlng the work
of the Inspectors DR.. James said
"There are eleven Sanitary Inspectors In charge
of districts in the city, They physicians III good
standing, and they are called upon to investigate
and report upon all kinds of complaints concerning
the unnealthfulness of houses. On the average,
about 200 complaints are received from cltzeIis
each week, and these complaints must be lnVeStl-
gated promptly by the district Inspectors. Inc
complaints are received at the Sanitary Bureau ahc
forwarded to the Inspectors who make reports on
| Monday and Thursday of each week. vi cOu sc III
urgent eases the Inspectors send in their reports on
the day when they discover any nuisance: Inc IN
spectOrs charged also win the duty OF inspect
ing the houses in their dis riCts at regular inter-
| yals Those Inspectors whose districts contain
slaughter houses and buildings where offensive
| trades are carried are obliged to visit these
places each week. Many complaints received from
citizens are anonymous communications. lhey are
mostly sent by inmates OF tenement houses. fFe-
duently the complaints come from physicians VINO
discover nuSanceS in houses OF their PATIENTS ne
complaints are ofdefecve house drainage foul odoTs
in closets or from the sewers leaky roofs, dirty cell
lars and wards ashes and garbage lett III areas, un-
safe stairs buildings, fowls, goats ana olher AMI
mails kept i'll buildings without pernhis-ln 1act
| ANYTHING and everything which make a cOndlllOn
detrimental to health or dangerous TO DE. san
tary Inspector j. called to judge OF the truth or
falsthood of such complaints upon investigation
! and he ii her supports or negatives complaint.
When AN Inspector unis certain faults III buildings
and recommends changes for sanitary reasons, the
| Board of Health issues notices 10 the oN uCls OF
agents of the buildings, who required by law to
| make the changes recommended. IN al! such cases
the Inspectors are Obliged 10 make Tonblecllons,
Each Sanitary Inspector receives a salary OF 9l10u
| per annuin. AID that is very poor pay considering
| the work he does iOr It, -, ,
secretary of the Board OF Health the reporter was
permitted 10 read "A large number nI recent com
| plants which have been investigated by sanitary
Inspectors. The majority of the IepOris are ABOUT
deecis IN drainage accumula' ed hlth IN houses
OF the most important the following are saiuPies'
An ano .ylnOus note sent to the Board Statlng
| that persons living IN the nclghbOfhOOu OF ue
snapty and COW stable at No. 4OS East SNtleth-st.
| were troubled with sickness and that a heaVy
| smell came from the stable. Dr NJ MOrrlo III
spected the place and reported that III was delrl-
| mental TO health for the following reasons: IN Il
| small confined and unventated stable are kept
| tOnr cows one goat and 4 number OF fowls, all III a
very filthy condition. Stable manure and other Oh
| fensive material cover the yard's surface J0hl
| Long the owner, who resides on the premises, has
| no permit for keeping cows fowls or goats" a
notice was sent to Long directing him to remove
| the goat. COWS and fowls and to cleanse the stable
| anG yald. ...:, .
| The following Is one letter that was leceNeu al
| the Sanitary buIean:
Your attention Is required at No. 121 East Eighty
fourthst. The and waste pipes are all stopped
ana tue house very unhealthy state. The owners
will not do anything 10 it, and the person holding the
lease cannot afford to put the place III order
D' giving '"'' SrrGHBoR.
The place was examined by Inspector Morris, who
reported as follows: " The Croton water supply
pipe has burst so that there is water for flushing
the closets for culinary purposes. There Is "a gen
erally dlapidated condition of the dwelling. Ihe
walls and ceilings of the first and second floors are
| damp from LEAKING water pipes. There are ho
stencil traps under the kitchen sinks, and no ven
tilatng pipe to the water pipe" The agent or the
house was ordered to make needed repairs ana alter
| atlOns.
| Inspector Murtha WIS directed short time age
| TO investigate the following complaint sent Dy q
! phvsicIan to the Sanitary superintendent
1 DEAR SIR: There is case OF dlphlhtrla, 1oloWlni
scarlet fever, when yesterday IN tue basement O
No 3O4 Cherryst. 1t without exception one 0f th,
fltheS places human beng, 10 live BY attending
To II without delay you may save the rest OF the family
| Respectfully, H. T. Al02"LENi' W. ~
| The Inspector reported that the basement was oc
! cuped by family in violation Of The tenement
| house act and the Board of HealtA ordered The
| rooms 10 be vacated. ,
| Complaint was made recently that goat Wa
kept III violation of the law at No. IL JalneS-sAp
and tne owner Of the goat, boy elght years oid
was moved to write protest to the Board OF neaItn
| He declared that the goat was kept clean ana Zee
like a horse He begged earnestly for permit u
| keep the goat saying: would feel very thank
| ful Where keep the goat there IS no one lVlng
| II il ONLY a store where do business lnspecto
! Tracy was asked 10 inspect the place and repor
upon the advisabihty OF granting The boy permit