The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-30
DIR. HELFER'S EPIDEMIC.
HE SAYS ALL HoBOKEN rs DYING
OF DIPHTHERLA.

None of the Other Doctors Have Heard
of 1t, but Agree That the Garbage
Nuisance Is Outrageous-Some Scarlet
Fever.
The ststement of Dr. Samuel A. Heller
OF Hobuken, that diphtheria is prevalent
In that city has created widespread alarm.
Most of the Hoboken physicians with
whom spoke last night however, said
that they were not treating any persons
for that disease. But, first of all, let me
give you the conversation had with DIR.
Helfer:-
How many cases of diphtheria have
you now on hand?" asked.
II have had to treat five new cases
within the last eight days, and these cases
We're duly reported to the Board of
Health" he replied. "Now, if l have that
number of cases, it is quite reasonable to
suppose that other physicians also have
similar cases. have four cases in one
family alone"
What do you suppose. doctor, causes
diptheriasp
''This garbage on the street is the great
est nuisance we have. If nothing but
ashes were put in ash barrels it would be
all right, but these ash barrels,are recepta-
cies for all kinds of decayed meats and
vegetable matter. In some streets there
is a big box into which ten or twelve
families throw all their kitchen offal.
When the sun strikes this offal the smell
arising from it is offensive to the nostrils
| and detrimental to health. If people
would only put their garbage in little
boxes in front of their houses, and if these
| boxes were promptly removed there would
| not be SO many infectious diseases in our
midst"
DIR. CHABERT DIFFERS.
| Next | went to see DIR. Chabert. He
! said:-'I have no cases of diphtheria, and
| think on the whole we have had very
! healthy summer. These big ash barrels
are frightful things. There is one in
Sixth street into which sixteen families
| throw their garbage OF course diphtheria
| is caused by germ, but then, you know,
| we have diphtheria in many places where
| there doesn't seem to be any garbage at
all lying around. We have had diphtheria
| on Hudson street even"
Hudson is one of the principal resi-
Dental and perhaps the cleanest street in
| Hoboken.
DIR. PITTS ON ASH BARRELS.
DR.. Pitts sald:-'I have not heard of
1 any cases of diphtheria in Hoboken
| Some of these ash barrels, though, are
| terrible. Over in Brooklyn they are COM
PEELED by law to separate garbage from
| ashes. | don't know how they destroy
| the garbage in the City of Churches, but
| think they burn it. Garbage should be
| burned always. | think we make bad
mistake here in filing in vacant lots with
| garbage. When it is necessary to ex-
cavate for a foundation for house all
! this garbage in half decomposed state
| is brought to the surface and, of course,
| that is detrimental to health. 1t NAV be
| said, indeed, that diphtheria is more
likely to break out in districts where
| there are excavations than in districts
| where three are no excavations"
SCARLET FEVER.
When saw DR.. Gelbach, he said, 81
| have no case of diphtheria proper, but
am attending two cases of scarlet fever,
| in both of which there is diphtherial throat
affection, but not diphtheria proper. Both
cases are convalescent.n
| DIR. Fisher said:-"I don't know of any
cases of diphtheria. 1want to say this,
though; the dumping OF garbage on
| the meadows is an outrageous proceeding.
| 1t would not be tolerated anywhere ex-
| cept in Hoboken. Then again, the car
| rying of garbage without any covering
| through the streets should be put stop
| to. The condition of our receiving ba-
sins, too, is very bad /"
''HoBoKEN is HEALTHY,
DR. Saltonstell, of the Board of Health,
said:-"No case of diphtheria has recently
been treated by me. Hoboken is as healthy
as any town of the same number of in
habitants in the United States. In regard
to the garbage question, the present con-
| tractor has lived up to his contract If
| bilc EtaI UttsSC AdS " DC ACnlONCQ 1uOAC LIZ
quently from the streets the Common
| Council would have to make larger APP
preparation for the work of removing it. /"
DR.. Simon said:-"I have not seen case
of diphtheria during the past month. 1
have one case of scarlet fever. This has
been one of the healthiest summers in
Hohoken in years. There has been very
| little sickness of any kind"
Two or three other physicians with
| whom l spoke said that doctors some-
times mistook folicular tonsilitis for
| diphtheria.
| Inspector Allen, of the Board of Health,
who keeps record of every case of diph-
| liberia in the county. said:-s'I have heard
Of only two cases OF diphtheria from Dr.
and DR.. Attwell reports three or four
cases. That is a very small average for
Hoboken."