Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-04-07
CITY BOARD OF HEALTH.
Annual Report of the Health Officer
Submitted.

Submitted.
A regular monthly meeting of the City
Board of Health was held Saturday even
ing. Health Officer w. B. Ferral submit
ted his annual report, copies of which were
presented in pamphlet form, neatly printed.
1t refers to the work done in improving
China slough and other localities by
filling in earth; to the arrest of
twenty-five persons for violating the
health ordinances; returns thanks TO
City Attorney Anderson for energy in
CARRYING out his portion of the work of sus
| tanning the Board of Health, and to Judge
! Henry for his action; also TO J. e. Wright
! Division Superintendent of the Central Pa
| citic Railroad. for assistance rendered. He
then refers to the slaughter houses and
| other nuisances in the southeastern portion
of the city, in about the same language
used in his special report, presented few
weeks ago The ceSSpools in use III the
| city are spoken against strongly, and due
attention given to Chinatown. We annex
a few extracts from the report, which is too
| lengthy to be given in full:
ION October % 1883, | was informed Of a
case of Chinese leprOsy in the northern
portion of the city. Upon consultation
| with +. W Hatch. VI. D., member of the
Board of Health, who at once pronounced
the case one of leproSy, provisions were
made by the Board of Supervisors 10 have
proper care taken thereof by inclosing
small house without the limits of the city.
where he was left in the care of country
men and relatives. Fortunately but few of
this loathsome class have been met with in
Sacramento and yet, as the present in
4.
sence Neither the city nor county has any
suitable place in which to dispose of them.
and except in rare instances. but little aid
is to be expected from their stolid and I'M
Sympathizing countrymen. Some place of
refuge ought to be provided for the comfort
of such unfortunate persons. The cabin
occupied by the case above alluded 10.
while it was much improved by the liberal
action of the County Supervisors. was yet
unfit for human habitation during the
rainy season. The unfortunate man died
February II, 1884, and was buried by his
friends.
During the month of December, 1888,
there was requested by the Board of Health
from the Board of Trustees the passage of
an ordinance providing for the appoint
ment of a Market Inspector, in order 10
prevent any possibility of delcteriOus mti-
Giles of food for human use being used by
the public. In the opinion of the Board of
Health this is much needed regulation, and
I should receive the sanction of the Board of
Trustees as a sanitary measure The sub
I iect-matter was referred to City Attorney
Anderson, who prepared the ordinance
providing for the regulation of markets and
the appointment of an Inspector; but up
to the present time the matter has not been
finally disposed of. 1t is 10 be hoped that
favorable action Will be taken before the
commencement of hot weather, when more
than at any other time inspection of the
markets-meat fish, vegetable and fruit
is needed.
During the year no severe epidemic dis
ease has visited us, and our city has main
tanned an encouraging degree of healthful-
ness. The table given elsewhere shows
the total number of deaths to have been
Alb, and the annual death-rate per 1000
persons living, 1870. In the number of
deaths are included those dying in the
county hospital but few of whom were
properly residents of Sacramento City. The
same remark is applicable to the hospital
of the Central Pacific Railroad located here.
My recent experience rs Health Officer
has taught me that in nearly all eases
where parties are the owners of their
homes they are eager to have them put in
the best sanitary condition, and ready and
willing to comply with every request tend
ing to that end. On the other hand, | find
in 4 great majority of cases where land
lords are interested, and where their prem
ises are occupied by tenants. that they do
not believe i'll any of the new notions
about the dangers Of filth pots. INSTRUCTED
drains, poisoned house air, filthy cellars,
noXious privies and polluted ceSspoolS, and
that their own asserted experience gives
abundant illustrations that illness never
has its origin from such causes or places
1t is with such as these that ! have the
most difficulty in enforcing my sanitary
regulations.
1t is the opinion of many Of our best
physicians that several of the most fatal
diseases, such as typhoid fever and diph-
liberia are the immediate result Of the soil
being contaminated with human eXcreta
and common sewage that the prime cause
Cmanates from our CeSspooi and privy
vaults. All eXcrcta should be removed
from the neighborhood of human dwell
ings instead Of being stored up near them
in pits, vaults or pools, 70 poison the water
earth and air. Extract Report New York
Board of Health
&c have already recommended that the
prives, cesspools and vaults throughout
the city be properly ventilated. The press
has given US the benefit of its powerful in
tuencc upon this subject at all times, and
much has been done in this direction. but
there is much more TO be accomplished.
1t is believed to he susceptible of demon
StratiOn that the majority of diseases
terminating fatally are what are termed by
sanitarians preventablc,' nearly all of
which directly or indirectly may be
traced to the effects of the gases emanating
| from the receptacles Of filth alluded to-
( The Board went into an election for
! Health Officer, and Mr.. Fcrral, who was
( nominated by Dr. Cluness in a few compli-
/ mentary remarks, seconded by DR.. Bruno,
/ was unanimously reelected
1 The question Of removing the slaughter
/ houses glue factory and hog ranches III the
southeastern part of the city, of which the
population Of that district so vigorously
/ complained two weeks ago, was brought up.
! After some dcliberation and the consulta-
| ton of the municipal ordinances bearing
| on the subject, DR.. Hatch offered the follow
| resolution, which was adopted;
Inasmuch as numerous complaints have been
made regarding the slaughterhOuscS, hOg-pens
/ aud glue factory in the southeastern part Of the
1 Ecsoircd. That the Health Officer be instructed
1 to enforce the ordinances relating 70 that sub
jet.
/ Or. Hatch stated that the lower part of
/ the city was suffering much from sipa%c
! water and il was finally resolved that the
/ Street Commissioner be requested to put
/ the city pump into operation a, soon as prlc-
! ticablc
On motion of Dr. Bruno, the Trustees
were requested TO extend the limits in which
| dairics can be lawfully maintained.
]