Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-11-01
HEALTH MATTERS.
pr Robbins Says Ills Brother Physician
 . Are Chronic Law Breakers.

pr Robbins Says Ills Brother PhysieIans
 ,r. Are Chronic Law Breakers.
 The board of health held it's regular monthly meeting at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mayor Kilduf presided. Bills were received as follows: F. B. Field. 8; H. W. Moses. salary. 3.33; Boucher * Peters. carting. s19; H. M. Rigney. gar bage contract, $35S. .33; Cannon X Webster. disinfectants, S7.95; G. O. Robbins. five professional calls at g. sl0. All were ordered paid except Health Officer Rob- was included in the health officers salary. Dr Robbins spoke of the salary of the health officer as paltry sum.
 Mayor Kilduf asked the health officer what his idea was as to salary; should 1t be $500. s700 or 1000. and added: ''I would like to know just what this salary of S250 is supposed to cover. If 1t is not enough in comparison with the duties let us make it enough. but let it stop there. do not wish to be niggardly. The board must soon make up its estimates for the coming year and think the health officer should be paid a stated sum in lieu of all other fees. limo smallpox breaks out it | will be his good fortune; it it does he should attend to it without extra compen- sation."
 Dr Robbins said: In all large cities the health officer is not supposed to carry out dead bodies or go to the cemetery to wash the bodies. or run around after under takers. or in short. take care of them. any how. We have no contagious disease hospital or ambulance and somebody must be paid for this work. l don't want any | thing but what is just and proper. My predecessor was paid for all professional services aside from his salary"
 The bill was tabled until the next meet ing.
 City Engineer brought up the matter of the collection of garbage. The present three years contract will expire on Jan- uary and the engineer wanted to know if it was likely that it could be let out again at the same figures. si 300 year. The sanitary inspector thought not. People who never had garbage collected before have now provided themselves with cans The work is increasing every year and Il was the opinion that the bIds to be pre- sented this year would be higher than or any preceding year.
 | Health Officer Robbins brought up tn, matter of the negligence of physicians 1T relation to the ordinance which provides that physicians shall report all cOntagioui diseases to the health officer. He saiC that Doctors Griggs. Hamilton. Castle
 Hayes, Lopez and Dubuc, had been care less, to say the least. in complying witl the ordinance and that Dr Axtelle had no
 reported a case within a year until very re | gently.
 MT Frisbie asked the health officer i
 he knew for a certainty that these physi cians had known of patients sufferinI
 from contagious diseases and failing to re
 port it. The health officer said he coul' not be sure of that. but added: "There ar 7 cases where families are strongly oppose
 to quarantine or posting of their houses ! and physicians. to keep in their goo graces neglect their duty. Whenever any
 thing has occurred where my duty was il
 question. have never hesitated to do and have never shirked. night or day.
 The health officer then read the fUllowin
 names of people whose houses he hG \ visited in the past few days in order
 satisfy himself that the laws were bein complied with: A. c. Burritt. Hillsid , avenue: A. F. Abbott, Fairview street; ( F. Chapin. Fairview street; Mrs k. : Strain. Hillside avenue; Charles F.. LeWi
 Johnson street. Two of c. c. Comme
 ford's children. the health officer said. Ina T. been attacked with scarlet fever and had. so the neighbors saii. boasted tn - he had cured them himself. The healt '- officer considered that this was n hacraI
 breach of the medical practice act Ho a could he he expo cted to keep down q i spread of scarlet fever. he asked. when q ' first he knew of one case was when q
 child came to him for a permit 10 retul
 to school?
 U The clerk was instructed to have print' e 300 or 100 copies of the ordinances in r II lation to contagious diseases and to ma one to each phy sician in the city.
 The following resolution was passed:
 Voted, that whenever there shall con < to the knowledge of the health officer ar instance of neglect of the ordinances T ID lating to the reporting by physicians aI
 householders of cases of contagious di .a eGse to the health officer. and if in | .s opinion there seems to have been cle "a violation of said ordinances. that in SUI
 cases the health officer shall forthwith I
 port all facts in his possession to Il e prosecuting attorney