Morning journal and courier., 1891-05-02
COMMUNICATIONS.


 The old sanitarian Frees His Mind
 About RoOsters and Lawyers. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 My eyes were dimmed when read the following sad account of blow to Sanita- ry Science, which appeared in the New York Sun of April 30, 1891.
 'The celebrated case of Joel vs. Clayton was settled yesterday in Recorder McDon- ough's court in Hoboken. Mrs. Joel and MT. Clayton are neighbors, but not on friendly terms. This is because Mir. Clay ton keeps rooster in his his back yard whose robust growing in the early morn ing hours disturbs the slumbers of Mrs. Joers husband. Mrs. Joel complained to the county board of health, and Mir. Clay to answer a charge of maintaining nuis- ance. Lawyer Winfield appeared for the board of health and Lawyer Weller looked out for MT. Clayton's interests. MT. Weller read the ordinance referring to nuisances, and declared that only ani- malls, dogs and geese are mentioned in it: He denied that 8 rooster was an animal, a dog, or a goose, and asked for a non-suit, which the recorder granted"
 Of course, every sanitarian must lament that the Hoboken Board of Health did not | succeed in their laudable intention to have the owner of this unsanitary rooster severely punished. But sound valuable lessons for our future guidance can be drawn from this failure to enforce Sani. tary measures.
 In the first place, it should be noted that the Hoboken Board of Health fol lowed the established custom of al Scientific sanitarians;-it sided with tht oppressed. All Sanitary Science demon strates that the person who makes com who is accused is always guilty and should be prosecuted by the Scientific healtf authorities. I have been told that tn, lawyers have different theory and holi that an accused person should not bt deemed guilty until after a careful inves tigation has proven him to be SO. Bu lawyers are mostly utterly ignorant O. Sanitary Science and therefore one O little consequence in this world and vii be of still less importance in the world t, come.
 In the second place, the strictly Scien tifc character of this prosecution of tn owner of our unsanitary rooster is imme diately apparent to every sanitarian wh has studied the cause of scarlet fever Every case of scarlet fever which I hay investigated had it's origin in one and tn same cause; to wit: A rooster with
 scarlet comb and scarlet wattles had bee1 heard growing in the neighborhood jus before the disease broke out.
 have not yet found the scarlet feve bacteria in the scarlet comb of the rooster But I have no doubt that the rooster scarlet comb is the indus from whic springs the terrible bacteria which ger crates scarlet fever. In this opinion al fully fortified by the irresistible logi which all Scientific Sanitarians emplo when tracing the source of other disease
 Lastly, the need of giving more Power boards of health is fully shown by tt acquittal of the guilty owner of an unsan tary rooster. All ordinances relative 1 boards of health should at once be amend ed by section similar to this: Anythin whatsoever, either living or dead, and tt acts, or omission of acts, of any creatul whatsoever, shall be deemed unsanital and dangerous to the public health whel ever the board of health shall declare sue thing, creature, acts, or omission of act to be unsanitary. AN OLD SANITARIAN.