Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-09
THE SAINT AIRY LEAGUE
Making Plans for Active Work During the
Winter Months.
A Good Summer acknowledgement
Wells Under Investigation.

The council of the Sanitary League met
last night at the board of trade rooms, DR.
j. s. Billings presiding in the absence OF
MIR. r. Ross Perry, who was called from
| the meeting by a professional engagement
The reports and discussions showed thai
the city had enjoyed an unusually health
full summer. Steps were taken to carry
on active operations during the winter
though the consideration of some matters
was deferred until the next meeting, when
1t Is expected the attendance will be larger
the storm last night having kept a number
at home.
MI Webster, who has been performing
the duties or assistant secretary 20 Mr.
John Joy Edison. the secretary, was formal
ly elected assistant secretary.
A Good Summer.
Inc sanitary committee made a report
through its chairman, Dr. Billings. review.
ing briefly the events of the summer from
sanitary point of view. The summer he
SAID, had been very healthy one and the
oeath rate had been unusually low, due
IN part probably, to the very extensive
cleaning up of the alleys, yards and other
places inaugurated in March and April
ana partly to the fact that the summer
had been a very cool one. so the nup,har
VI ueaths from cholera infantum had been
comparatively low. There had heen at nc
s s curing the summer apparently any
danger OF cholera and nothing has o.
CURED requiring especial action of the conn.
Gil OF tne sanitary committee The recon-
nendatlons made by the committee TO tbe
spectors had been doubled and renorts be AZ !
peen called for as to materials deposited IN
sewer traps The house-to-house inspection
hao oeen completed by the inspectors.
The Sewer Problem.
Inc subcommittee on sewage disposal. DR.
Billings said, had been Investigating tbe
subject and had had interviews with the
commissioners and engineers They an.
proved the plans of the commission of ex.
perts appointed under authority of Con.
gress, and which had received the sanction
OF the District Commissioners They re-
commended that these plans be indorsed by
the league by resolution. The subcommittee
on water supply was still engaged ON Its
work Ii had mapped the city located the
wells and examined samples of water from
lhlrV or forty OF them. They had obtained
authority to have necessary work done I'm
laboratories of the government Their in.
vest1gations, though not yet completed in
dictated that all the wells were more or less
contaminated with organic matter and
some of those in use were considerably con-
taminated, but the subcommittee was not
yet ready to make a final report The
chemist and bacte-iologist were both al
work. and it was probable their work would
be completed and the result reported in
December. DIR. Billings thought there was
probably no question that most all the wells
should be closed. especially those in parts
of the city reached by the general water
supply. He suggested also that the league
should do something about the contagious
disease hospital. as II was regarded as i'm
portant that such hospital should be
erected.
During the course of the discussion Mr.. G.
c. Glover asked about boiling the water i'm
neighborhoods where people were forced to
depend upon wells for their supply. DR..
Billings said that boiling water for ten
minutes would render it perfectly harmless.
though it would boil away all the flavor of
the water.
The secretary was authorized to have
printed list of the committees and men,
bers of the league. and the committee on
promotion was instructed to arrange for
some public addresses at an early date
Sanitary housekeeping.
A report was received from Mrs. Anna l..
Woodbury., chairman of the ladies' COM
mittee on sanitary housekeeping. The COM
mittee on diet kitchen. she said. has been
collecting statistics and information in re-
gard to them, and the committee felt that
such places. where good. simple food and
nourishment for the sick can be obtained at
low prices, are important both as sanitary
and social agencies. The subcommittee on
education felt that schools of cookery for
those who do not have such instruction in
the public schools are of great benefit.