Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-10-11
THE BOARD OF HEALTH
Elect Officers for Year and Hear the Report of the Health Officer.


 Report of the Health Officer.
 At the annual meeting of the board of health, held in the selectmen's office yes terday, the following officers were chosen j: J. B. Doherty, president; James C. White, secretary, and C.W.S. Frost, health officer. The following annual report of the board of health was read: MT President and gentlemen of the board of health of the town of Waterbury:
 Your health officers would most respect fully submit the following report of work done during the year just passed; Number of cases of contagious diseases reported 30; typhoid fever, Causes investigated), z. Diphtheria has been the only contagious disease which we have had to deal with. It has occurred in thirty -one families with fifty cases. In every instance the premises have been visited and information regard ing necessary precaution given to the fam lily. Where bad sanitary conditions have existed, they have been corrected. Five | cases of typhoid fever were reported ex- istng at once in one house at Waterville. Here was found a cesspool leaking freely into the cellar of the house, and not ten feet from the door, privy vault full and | running over. This was sufficient expla- nation as to the cause of the disease. Two
 
 contents of privy vaults washing down side hill under the windows of bedrooms. One of the best effects accomplished by your officer has been the abolishment of the R. $. Hotchkiss horse burying ground situated on the Wolcott road. For four or five years an outrageous condition of af- fairs has here existed. Dead horses have been carted to the lot, oftentimes left by the roadside within seventy-ive feet of a neighbours door. Sometimes left there Tor two days, when they would be taken to tho top .of the hill and placed on the funeral pile, sometimes covered loosely with manure, but more often left for days with no covering whatever. Hundreds of dead horses and other dead animals have been disposed of in this way, very much to the annoyance of neighbors and certainly with great detriment to the health of the community. When there was an east wind, such as prevailed three-fourths of the time during last summer, the stench could be distinctly noticed along Long Hill and the upper part of Walnut street. And as there was for two or three years past a large amour. amount of sick Der of physicians have considered that the cause of same was due to this nuisance. Attention to this nuisance was first called last April. Inspection revealed pile containing about one hundred carcasses of dead horses, dogs, &c., twelve ca-casses being partially or wholly un covered. Orders were immediately issued to MT Hotchkiss to cover same with foul feet of earth and to stop the practice oi leaving dead animals near the road. Al dead animals brought to the grounds to bt immediately covered with four feet o earth. These orders were executed witl as much despatch as possible under the circumstances, two weeks being consumed in the process. A large tact of ground having to be plowed in order to secure enough earth in order to cover the pil, sufficiently deep A similar state of affairs existed Tn New Haven last spring, and a' two months were consumed in correcting same, the expedition in the above men tioned case mey be appreciated. The effec of having a town health officer has beer good, as people have been much nor, careful in regard to sanitary matters, anc there is no doubt but that the number C cases of contagious diseases has been ma terially lessened thereby.