St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-03
DR.. KILv|NGT0N'S SAY.
He Reviews His Record and His I'M
provements.
THE HEALTH INSPECTION.
The Doctor INDUCES in Some Glerifi-
cation That Seems Quite
JustifiabIe.

late DIR. S. S. Kilvington, the health
officer, out of Office by introducing into
the legislature bill, or rather an
amendment to the health bill, declaring
his Office vacant, is generally regarded
as piece of dishonest politics, which
will work INJUSTICE to him as we'll as OPP
posing the action of the city council,
which has fully intended to give him
the chance at least of partially carrying
out certain reforms which he has sug-
gested. DIR. Kilvington said yesterday:
when l first took charge of the Mime
apolis health department the Office was
in little room on the second floor of
the city hall. This room had in it an
old-fashioned desk, one stool, two chairs,
about six OF eight stubs of burial per-
mlts and some incomplete records of
births and deaths dating back to the
time when DR.. Ames was health officer.
There was not enough room in the office
for the thirteen health inspectors the
council appointed, to say nothing of the
persons who came in to make COM
plants. The Office was generally
opened at 1880 and remained open until
noon, the health officer being present a
small part of each day. There was no
system of health inspection reports at
all. The inspectors came to the Office
when they were sent for, and attended
only to complaints. No records of the
complaints made or the work of the de-
partment was kept. / took possession
OF the Office April 16, 1887, and at once
called a meeting of the thirteen inspec-
tors for the purpose OF coming to some
understanding and arranging some
system upon which to work. This meet
ing was attended by four or five of the
inspectors, who listened to my sugges-
lions and then gave me to understand
that their duties were defined by the
council, and that the former health Of
ficer had done as he pleased about the
health office, attending to the duties of
it during his spare hours. Then the fight
between
with mesbegan. At this time the office
OF the health department was removed
to the top floor of the city hall, and
given the present comfortable quarters.
This place was fully fitted up, and
began the work in earnest.
Il found myself not fully prepared 10
go ahead with the work, for the reason
that in all the time | had put in study
ing medicine / had failed to take up the
branches most essential for the proper
government of the health department,
WAC preventive lDCulCiuCs L
also found that in order to be successful
l must give up my regular practice of
medicine and start out on new line. [
therefore purchased all the standard
works on hygiene and sanitation. These
covered so much grou nd and varied so
much in theory that after several
months hard study I was as far behind
as ever. | went to Chicago then
and held an extended conference
with DIR. De Wolf, the health officer,
and one of the ablest and most
day. After talk with him l found
that if was to be successful the only
way for me to do was to visit different
cities and study their methods. inquire
into their failures and govern myself ac-
cOrdingly. 1 have visited over two
hundred cities all over the United
States in the interest of the health de-
partment, and have paid all my own
travelling expenses. l can tell you how
every city in the United States. or in
Europe, of over $4,000 inhabitants is
disposing of its garbage and refuse mat
ter, what system of sewerage is in OPP
Grafton, the source Of the water supply
and all other matters pertaining to the
public health of the place. have given
my entire time and attention to such
matters, and shall continue to do so UNI
til leave the Office.
THE MINNEAPOLIS HEALTH DEPART
MENT
is now working under system second
to none in the world, and | will leave
1t to men who are thoroughly posted in
such things to judge if the statement is
not correct. Letters on file in my Office
from men all over the country show
that such is the case. Under the pres
ent system can tell you to-day the
character, location and disposition of
every complaint which has been made
to the health department since July 1887.
| can tell you by wards as well as in the
aggregate the names of the inspector or
inspectors Oh each case, the number of
cases of contagious diseases of different
character, their location by ward and
street, the date of appearance, the date
of recovery, as we'll as the date on which
son afflicted was allowed to 60 where he
or she pleased. l can tell you the eX-
act number of privieS and cesspools in
the city, as well as the number in each
ward, the number which have been
cleaned, the condition of each one, and
the number attended to since my term
of Office began. Right here [ want to
say that can prove to any one that the
department has done more and better
work under the present system with five
inspectors that was done under the old
system with thirteen. Under our pres
ent system can tell you the number of
deaths, the cause of each, the social
state of the deceased, the nationality,
the name of the attending physician
and the place of burial, since adopting
the system. The records also show the
exact number of deaths in each ward.
The number of cases of violation of the
health ordinances is also shown on the
records, accompanied by full state
ment of facts in each and every case.
Another thing which
MY RECORDS SHOW
is the location of every depression and
old stone quarry in Minneapolis where
there is stagnant water, together with
report of the sanitary condition of the
same. The sanitary condition of every
public building in Minneapolis, par
ticularly the schools, is also set forth at
some length. My records show
every communication received by
! the city council in relation to
the health department, together with
the action taken. The records also
! ferred to committees or to individuals,
and those which were strangled by the
opposition to the head of this depart
ment. Last, but not least, can show
| YOU the records of over 500 sanitary in
spections OF private buildings made
/ and recorded since Jan. /. Everything
that can possibly be of interest to any
one is comprised in these inspections.
and record of the deaths or cases of
sickness in each house is also given.
The plan of inspection is Similar to the
| plans pursued in Chicago, New York,
! Boston, Leipsic, Heidelberg, Vienna,
| Christiana, Glasgow, Liverpool and
London. The object of this inspection