Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-05-07
A SANITARY STATEMENT.
The Annual Report of Health Com
missioner Eystnr.
An Interesting Review of the Health
Departments Work During the
Past Year. Including statistics OF
Contagious Disease. Births and
Deaths.

There is no department OF our munich
pal government so important to us all as
that of the public health, the preserva
tion of which is the first law of nature,
and all efforts made by the city and its
officers to promote our sanitary welfare,
are of the deepest interest to all. Though
the city has once been thwsrted by legal
process in its efforts to insure healthy
food il is. nevertheless, not disheartened,
and few cities in the west have their SAN
itary welfare as well guarded and regu-
lated rs Rock Islands is today The re.
port of Health Commissioner Eyster sub,
nights session. is an interesting review
of an extremely I'm fortunate year liz re,
gard to the existence of disease prevail
ing not only in Rock Island. but all over
the land, and attended generally by the
most serious results. The report treats
all these subjects pertaining to the de-
partment thoroughly. 1t says:
| have the honor to herewith pre-
sent the annual report of the depart
ment of health for the year ending
April 30. 1890. The health of the city,
except as it has been affected by two en-
demic outbreaks of disease and a wide>
spread epidemic of influenza, has been
exceedingly good, and despite the utter
ior effects of the outbreaks alluded to.
the mortality for the year will compare
very fsvorably with that of any city in
the country.
Beginning early in last summer, and
gradually increasing in intensity, the city
suffered from an outbreak of
DIPHTHEBIA AND INFLUENZA,
which proved the most severe, wide
spread and fatal that has ever inflicted
itself upon us. resulting. as will been by
the tables submitted further on, in the
production of 222 cases of the
disease in the course of the wear. The
utmost efforts were used by the
department to prevent its spread and
terminate its existence in the way of $50
lation and disinfectiOn, but under the
present conditions and existing city or-
dinances, it is very difficult, if not inn
possible, to thoroughly isolate cases. or
satisfactorily disinfect premises upon
which the disease exists. A circular of
warning against the exposure of others to
the disease and advice as to the disinfec-
ton premises was issued, and copy
of it has been sent to the householder to-
gether with plscar1s for the house i'm
mediately upon the report of case
This has been well received and followed
by the families to whom it has been
sent, and 1t is thought that it has had
much rrpnI nj in
spread of the disease Although it is
recognized that dphtheria is produced by
specific cause which is highly conta-
gious, yet | am convinced that that this
cause is often produced de novo in wells
contaminated by the drainage of impure
matter from privy vaults, cesspools, de-
composing vegetable matter etc; it has,
therefore, been my policy to recommend
as far as practicable to discontinue wells
and use the river water. Absolute isO,
lation of cases. careful disnfection of
premises, the use of pure water, and
strict sanitary cleanliness of the CITY
would think in time eradicate this dread
disease from our midst. About the first
of January the epidemic ofcatsrrhal fever
or influenza, popularity known as La
Grippe, in the course of its rapid tour of
the civilized world, made its appearance
in the city, and very quickly affected
large proportion OF the community. al
though am pleased to say that the NOR
tally from 1t was very small and its du-
ration limited to a very short time.
AT THE COLLEGE.
One other outbreak of disease
has occurred during the year, which.
though confined to the persons
living in single building, has
quite seriously affected the interests
of one of our public Institutions and
caused the death of number of persons.
About the first Of April number OF the
students of Augustana college were at
tackled by typhoid fever. which extending,
has resulted in the development of a
considerable number of cases among the |
students who remained here, and a still |
further number among those who went to |
their homes at q distance Shortly af. |
ter the appearance of the disease the col |
lege authorities called upon the health |
department to investigate its origin and |
cause. | gave the matter most careful |
consideration, and after thorough inves-
tigation of the food and water used. the
previous history of those affected, and
the sanitary condition of the building, | |
was convinced that the cause of the dis.
ease undoubtedly arose from defective
plumbing and sewerage, and the conse.
quent presence of sewer gas throughout
the affected building. | found the dis>
charge pipes within the building con-
structed of common drain tile, which |
throughout its course was leaky at Joints
and broken in numerous places by large |
oil mir he
OF sewer gas, which had undoubtedly |
permeated the entire building, and in my
opinion constituted the cause of the severe
and extensive outbreak of sickness among
the students. Advice as TO the proper
renovation OF the sewerage and care of
the building was given to the college
authorities which is being carefully car
ried out, and will. l think, remove all
danger of any further trouble and put the
building in good sanitary and healthy
condition.
GARBAGE.
One of the most important elements in
the sanitary care of the city is the prompt
removal of garbage and slops. 1t needs
no argument to conYince US that il is not
proper or conducive to good health to
allow organic waste in any form to ac-
cumulate either in the interior of our
dwellings or in their immediate vicinity.
Nature has given US a sense which is dis
gusted with such practices and it requires
no high degree of refinement to condemn
them from the tribunal of good taste
alone without recourse to hygenic laws.
1t seems strange then that so many of
our citizens should be culpably neglect,
full in the proper care of their house waste