Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-23
THE ClTY'S HEALTH
Some Of the Measures Adopted by
the Health Office.
IMPORTATION FOR TIE USEOF CONGRESS
Efforts Made to Secure a Pure
Supply Of Milk.
CLEANING THE STREETS

Health Officer Hammett has transmitted
to the chairmsn Of the committees on the
District OF Columbia q long communication
giving a general review Of the work Of his
department In following up the lines Of in
vsstigation In regard to typhoid fever. tu-
berculosisl the milk supply. the waite. SER
vice the sewer system and the house-to-
house inspection. These investlgati1nS. he
says, In q letter accompanying the report,
led to the collection Of q large amount of
statistical and practical knowledge which
has been utilized in furnishing informal On
to medical colleges, boards Of health of
other cities. and to the scientists and Med
ical Society Of our own city. The report
says: t.
The beginning Of this fiscal year found
this department engaged in the examina ton
Of the question Of the dumpage Of the orsl
OF the city. and the dangers to the public
health from the indiscriminate deposit OF
imtnehse Quantities Of all manner Of refuse
matter amid the densely populated sections.
on this subject large amount Of Stats
teal work was expended for the use OF
the District and legislative authorities.
These facts in tabular form went clearly
to show how diphtheria. typhoid fever and
diarrhoeal ailments were ensendered by this
Daroarous ana inhuman custom. and recon-
mendations were made to the effect that
the system OF dumpage" now In vogue be
totally reformed by legislative enactment.
Immediately following this invest ton
came the consideration Of the matter Of the
oaleful influence Of the Rock creek and
James creek canal sewers. The frightful
mortality arising from these sources was
fully demonstrated In the Volume Of tab
ulated statements and comparative results
furnished the Commissioners and the COM
mittees In Congress. These. when examin-
ed by your bodies and formulated in leg
isAtive enactmsnts. will result in the saw
Ing OF thousands Of lives and confer on the
BILE value.
HOuse-to-House Inspection.
Along with this arose the necessity Of q
thorough inspection and cleaning of the
whole city Of Washington and its suburbs
In order to accomplish this a hsrculean
task was undertaken. The very first step
required mass of correct information to
be obtained. AZ q consequence an inspec-
ton OF every nook and corner Of the city
from house to house was inaugurated, and
carried through force Of between twenty
the sanitary condition of about fifty thou
sand houses. besides the avenues, streets
ana alleys. As result the plague spots
and sources Of dangerous disease were ex-
posed and the great work Of enforcing by
law the legal reouirements In regard 70 san
itation ls still being carried on By the
health department - 81 -.
An important feature Of tho years work
i has been that which has besn.SarrtSa on In
siysis of over 70 HoS34a ssss e. e aot of
milk. water and other substances I will
not 90 into details at thls time Of my eff
ical laboratory. nor Of the manner in W61GH
We. haYe been placed at q, .disadvantSge
by the failure Of Congress 70 make an ap-
preparation for Its support. but merely con-
n hrtn ltv,Ar 80
that has been accomplished. As milk is
one OF the best mediums for the develop
ment OF disease germs. my first object was
70 purify this Important article Of food.
That II has greatly improved is generally
admitted and we note that as a result In
part of this work q decrease In the NOR
tality OF children under five years of age
OF S24 over last year.
Inspection of Dairy Farms.
I'VE found also that there were other i'm
portant subjects connected with the milk
supply that could not be so easily handled
BY this office. Our laws governing the sale
Of adulterated and diseased milk were
found to be deficient and after consulta-
ton with the district attorney 1t was de-
cided that a law should be drawn up that
would meet the requirements of the case
This has been done and since forwarded by
the Commissioners to the members Of the
Medical Association for their opinion. In
addition to this the subject of tuberculosis
among cattle and the effect of ruberculosed
milk In propagating the disease among the
human race has received our attention.
but as we had no Jurisdiction over the resi-
dents Of Maryland and Virginia 1t was
deemed advisable to secure the assistance
OF the Department Of Agriculture In carry
ing out this work. In accordance with the
recommendation Of the Commissioners Of
the District to the honorable Secretary Of
Agriculture in relation thereto this work
has been recently begun and 1t Is the In
tention Of this Office to begin an inspection
Of the dairy farms In connection Herewith
with reference to their sanitary condition at
an early date, provided that any funds can
be made available for that purpose.
the courtesy or the farmers of Maryland
and Virginia, who. in answer to a circular
gent out last October. asking certain infor-
nation, net only do not object to such an
inspection, but welcome ii, and have offered
to assist us to the extent Of their ability.
In regard 10 the water supply from our pub
lie wells, I have always been Ct the opinion
that 1t was responsible in part for the prev
alence Of typhoid fever In the District. Be-
cause of this belief It vas decided, after
consultation with the chemist. Prof. Hird.
and the ttatistician, Mr.. Moore, to begin a
systematic inspection of the water supply to
ascertain Its relation to typhoid fever. This
decision Was reached early last winter. ana
work was at once begun preparatory to such
investigation. Tables were prepared show
ing the location by squares OF the cases Of
IypnOlo ISNcT tHat uaO OCCuITcu the LIE
trict within the past three years and list
Of the public pumps was likewise located. A
table was prepared showing the relative
number Of cases among the white and col
ored population.
The Lack of Sewers.
In conclusion" says the communication.
II simply desire to state that it has recent
ly been stated before a committee in Con-
gress that there was a law providing that
closets dnferring box privies) should be
severed, but 1t was not strictly enforced" :"
Such public declaration having been made
1t would be proper to here call the atten-
ton Of the committee to the fact that
there Is no distinct law requiring property
owners to connect their box privies with
the public sewers. OF course where there
are no sewers, as Is the case in q large
section of the city, such connections can
rot be made, law or no law. There was q
proposed addition to the regulations which
required all premises abutling on public
sewers provided by the engineer depart
ment to be connected Herewith when or
dered by the Commissioners. In carrying
out this regulation the health department
was met by q legal decision In the case Of
O citizen who was arraigned before the
courts for refusing to comply with Its pro-
visions. and which ended in the suit being
dismissed. After this an endeavor was made
to obtain the enactment Of some law or
regulation which would meet and over
come the difficulty, with such success as
trust will cure the defect"
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War DE- Gpnrtment Changes.
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