Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-20
BAKER WANTS HELP.
New Laws Are Needed to Protect
Pittsburg's Health.
TIE LOCAL BOARD is INTERESTED.
Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever May Be Cared
fer by State Acts.
BE LOCAL BOARD is INTERESTED.
FINEMENT HOUSES TO BELOOKED AFTER

Superintendeut Baker wants some new
laws for the better protection of the health
Of Pittsburg. At the coming session OF the
Legislature he will try to get one Dill De-
fore that body. The diseases he wishes to
cope with are diphtheria and scarlet fever
He would also like to have a tenement
house act
81 am going TO write 10 Secretary Lee, OF
the State Board of Health, said Mr.. Baker
yesterday, land try to get him interested
ia new legislation. Diphtheria and scarlet
fever are two of the most malignant dis
eases we have to cope with, and at the pres
ent time we cannot keep pace with
their spread. We have system
Of caring for smallpox, which has proven
itself verv effective. 1t is now nearly two
weeks since case of smallpax has existed
within the city. Law aids us in that As
soon as a case appears we pIacard the house
and put policemen on guard night and day.
No one is allowed to enter or leave the
house.
Their Prompt Action.
"The victim is at once removed to the pest
house, and the bed clothes, bed and all the
effects of the sickroom are burned. Diph-
liberia and scarlet fever are just as bad, but
we are not allowed to do anything but dis
infect the house To my mind they should
be treated the same as smallpox.
"Dav alter day children die with these
two diseases. The same publicity is given
to these deaths as to that of a man who dies
Of old age. The body is kept often three
days after death. Children are allowed to
All in in
young folks act as pallbearers- This scat
ters the disease in every direction. The
physicians are noticing this and daily re-
ceiee complaints about this practice. 1feel
safe in saying that the majority of the
doctors in Pittsburg are with me in this
move. / want a law that would send
victims to a pesthouse and if they died the
funeral would be as promptly after death as
possible and none but the closest relatives
should be allowed to attend. 1 think Dr.
Lee is sufficiently interested in this to get
the matter before the Legislature.
Another Glaring Evil.
Tenement houses are another menace TO
the city's health. Landlords are allowed
to rent all sorts of places to people In this
CITY, Hundreds OF persons are living in
novels would not allow any beast to stay
in, and are paying So and IS month rent.
Many of these places are under ground and
daylight never reaches them. The air is
foul and thick. 1 have often gone into one
of these places and found q man sick with
contagious disease and in the same room
five or six other people would be sleeping.
There is not 8 letter in the State statutes
which will aid us in this direction.
lam considering asking the city Coun-
ellis to help me- want three wards built
on the city property on Bedford street for
diphtheria, scarlet fever and erysipelas All
three are diseases whiqb none of the city
hospitals will take charge OF. Now when
we have a case where the victim has no
home there is great trouble in getting any
one to take charge OF it. The city has four
acre, Of land in this plot, and, although the
pesthouse is on it, there is plenty OF room
to build the other three houses, and all
could be isolated"