Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-19

Il
are constant sources of complaint, and means
OF relief should be afforded. There are sew
eral parties ready and willing to establish pri-
yate depots for the receipt Of this material, but
| the location Of such place suitable to all the
| surroundings ;s no easy matter. / would ask
| the attention OF the Commissioners to remarks
| on this subject in my former reports"
| UNwHoLEsoME FOOD COMBINATIONS.
| The condemnstions of unwholesome food
| during the year show very large increase.
Few persons stop to think of the condemna-
ton during the year Of over 60, 900 pounds of
| meat. nearly 1000 pounds of game. over 5000
| pounds of poultry and such large amounts Of
i vegetables and fruits as are shown in the fol-
| lowing statements: The increase in the amount
| of meat condemned reached 9,708 pounds and
| that of poultry 1852 pounds. There was an in
| crease in the number of birds, rabbits and
squirrels condemned aggregating 4,o4s. the
| number of bushels of potatoes and parsnips
| nearly COO and in heads OF cabbage and lettuce
| 6.S45. There were 5. 1876 more watermelous con-
| demned than Tor the year previous and 1858
more punches Of miscellaneous vegetables.
| MARINE PRODUCTS.
The receipts of herring, one Of our most inn
| portant food fishes, shows an increase Of 1884,
500 compared with the year previous, while
a decrease of 29,lS6 is shown in shad. The re-
| celpts of bunch fish increased over 81, 900.
! Oysters increased nearly 5000 and CLANS over
| a million and half The number of herring
condemned was $500; bunch fish, Is, Iii !;
| CLANS SO. 600. and crabs, 2l0. 600. These num-
bers. however, show in each instance decrease
over the year previous. This very important
service. as well as that OF food inspection, con-
tinues to be thoroughly we'll performed.
NEW POUND NEEDED.
In reference to the pound service the report
notes the fact that the number of dogs killed in
1880 exceeded by thirty-six the entire number
OF animals empounded in 1889. During the
past twelve years there have been 80, OO9 dogs
killed within the pound Enclosure, and still
there seems to be no dearth Of a supply. The
health officer says the question of a new and
more suitable pound building in some more
appropriate locality is which should be
considered by the Commissioners.
After commenting upon the great amount Of
work performed by the fourteen physicians
OF the poor. the report recommends that
twenty physicians at least should be provided
and the appropriation for the entire service be
increased to 800
THE COLLECTION OF GARBAGE.
"rhe large increase in the amount Of gar
bage collected during the year may be attribu-
ted," the health officer says, "to an increased
efficiency in the service. additional funds hav-
ing been provided and an inspection force in
augurated. The sum provided at the present
time is not, however, sufficient to secure q
service such rs We are attempting to perform;
that is to say the removal of all accumulations
from dwellings tri-weekly and from hotels,
markets and provision stores daily when neces-
sary."
He notes the fact that private collectors to
whom permits have been issued, are taking the
garbage from 945 dwellings in the city. He
thinks the garbage service could rot be per-
formed If the city took control Of it for less
than $4,000, and urges appropriation of at
least $4,000 for the service.
REPORTING CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
Referring to the Investigations to ascertain
the cause of zymotic diseases the report says:
I'VE must continue to regret the absence Of
legislation which would provide for the re-
porting by physicians of all cases of contagious
diseases. The bills introduced in the last Con-
gress providing for the regulation Of the
practice of medicine in the District of Column
bia contemplate such reports, and 1 sincerely
trust that a law concerning the subject may be
enacted at the coming session of Congress-"
INSPECTION OF PLUMBING.
Reference is made to the report of Mr.. Rob-
inson, the inspector OF plumbing, which has
been published in The STAR, and the health
officer adds: "A large amount Of work has
been performed by this very important branch
of the service. My only regret in connection
Herewith is that sufficient amount of clerical
labor is rot provided so that information of
great value might be tabulated and properly
laid before the public. 1t is most unfortunate
that SO important n service should have been
in operation for eight years and remain unable
to formulate single table from which compar-
isons might be made or information of value
furnished. The inspector should be enabled to
give all the facts and figures relating to this
service. instead of being compelled to deal in
generalities year after year. hope the Com
missioners will lend ear to this request for adj
ditional help as well as that for proper quar-
ters."
CLERICAL SERVICES NEEDED.
"The necessity for increased clerical services
in this department." the report says. lis imper-
alive. The provisions of the dependent PEN
sion law has resulted in occupying what would
amount to the time OF one clerk in making
searches and furnishing transcripts Of records
OF births, marriages and deaths. To give an
idea of the great increase in this labor would
state that during the months OF July, August.
September and October, 1882 we were called
upon for 179 transcripts. During the cores
ponding period of this year we we're called
upon to furnish 653 and the demand IS increas-
ing daily. When it is taken into consideration
that in addition to the labor of furnishing
transcripts IN G58 cases the further labor of a
number OF searches in each case, running as
high as twenty to thirty daily, where a num-
Der OF names among the 100000 on file in this
office are similar, Is demanded. There is no
fee charged in these cases and as
majority of them are for widows pensions
the Inauguration of fee system to
pay for the clerical labor involved would
PROBABLY De cOmDated. Zee OF % cents In
each case would, at the present average OF
transcripts furnished. more than pay for the
clerical labor needed. As u further illustra-
ton OF the increase of clerical labor, l would
state that the number Of letters received upon
which action was demanded. in 1882 was 803; in
1880 the number reached l,6l0, showing the
labor just doubled, without any increase in
force. trust that the Commissioners will not
overlook my appeal for additional clerical
force. as set down in the estimates for the en-
suing year. i have also asked for an addi-
tional sanitary inspector and that food in
spector be appointed in lieu of the officer now
detailed from the metropolitan police force t o
assist us.
when the board of health was organized in
1872 they were furnished with nine sanitary in
spectors. With the population nearly doubled
and the labor increasing every day we have
now only six sanitary inspectors and three in
spectors OF food.
HOSPITAL FOR CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
GAS far back as 1882 and several times since
have referred in my annual reports to the ne
cessity for providing a suitable hospital build
ing for contagious diseases at some approved
point within the District. The building VIC
should be called upon to use in any case of
emergency at the present time is the old
wooden building situated directly east of the
United States jail on part of the
reservation occupied by tho Washington
Asylum. In far its usefulness
for the purpose is concerned, / think
about the best thing that can be done
for 1t would be to adopt the plan Of disiufec-
ton adopted by the German health officer of