The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-21
Board of heaIth.I

A meeting of the Board of Health was
held yesterday afternoon to consider what
action is necessary to be taken to prevent
the Introduction of small pox into the city
from Montreal. A communication was read
from Manasseh Smith, ESQ.,, in which the
writer stated that he believed the city to be
In danger and urged the necessity of action
as many people are coming here from Mon
treal.
Previous to the meeting City Clerk Burgess
had telegraphed to the president of the
Board of Health the following message:
PLEASE wire to me the extent of small pox
epidemic in your CITY," The following re-
ply by the president of the Montreal Board,
Henry r. Gray. Esq, was read by the
mayor: about four hundred cases con-
fined pretty much to the east end. Not
much danger to yaccinated persons"
DIR. Smith said that quarantine regulations
to be effective would have to be enforced at
the frontier. If the disease appears in Port
land, the same course should be pursued as
heretofore strict isolation of sick and in
fected persons and attention to sanitary mat
tiers. The small pox hospital and the vehicle
for conveying persons thereto are ready for
immediate use
The mayor stated that he had instructed
the police officers to report any suspicious
cases as soon as discovered. At the sugges-
ton of the mayor, it was voted to publish in
the different papers a request to heads of
families, desiring them to see that all men,
bers Of their families, including servants,
are properly vaccinated
At the conclusion of the discussion on the
danger from small pox, DR.. F. H. Gerrsh
made some remarks ON the abolition of
privy vaults, prefacing them with some
statistics as to the number of vaults emptied
since July LIST, as compared with the number
for the year and the corresponding months
of last year. 1t was explained by the Mayor
and City Clerk that people had expressed
desire to conform to the provisions of the
law but the limited facilities for emptying
the vaults forced them to wait until the
heated term. DR.. Gerrish then said that his
plan was to revive the proposition made by
DR.. Ring and himself when they constituted
commission in 1879 to investigate certain
nuisances. He proposed the doing away
with all privy vaults in such length of
time as the Board should deem proper and
PShuih5 viz OpClubiOl VI Gu6 Tile
use of odorless carts in emptying the vaults
The Mayor said that from sanitary point
DIR. Gerrish was right but that the plan pro-
posed by him was not practicable owing to
limited sewer accommodations. 1t might
however be carried out where the sewers are
accessible and in the case of new buildings
Health Agent Stevens reported that Mrs
Mary j. ONeil had put her premises in
proper sanitary condition in compliance
with the order of the Board In the case Of
Holland Gwinn's premises, 76 Oxford street,
1t was voted to proceed against him unless
the orders of the board were complied with
The agent reported number of cases in
which he had notified property owners to
have the vaults on their premises put in
proper condition.
1t is probable that the Board will consider
at the next meeting the advisability of pro-
curing some odorless means of employing
privy vaults