The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-07
BOARD OFgHEALTH'S
BUSY MEETING
Exhaustive Report Was Made by Health
Officer Allen.
HEADACHE POWDERS CONDEMNED
They Caused One Fatality. Board to
Confer with Councils Sanitary
Ommittees..Sprins Brook Com.
pany Will BE Asked to Furnish Bet.
ter Water for the Bellevue District.

pahy Ill Bc ASKED 10 Eurn1Sh bet.
ter Water for the Bellevue District.
More than the usual volume of busi-
ness was, Notwithstanding the terrific
heat. transacted by the board Of health
yesterday afternoon, though the only
members present We're DR.. James h.
Bentley. president; DR.. w. +. Allen.
health officer: DR.. w. Il. Paine, and
Henry j. Zeigler. Sanitary Policeman
Burke. Food Inspector Thomas. Crema-
tory Superintendent LOTUS and Secre-
tary Briggs We're in attendance.
The report of DR.. Allen as health Off
Ger was as follows:
To the Board of Health:
Gentemen-Owing to the exceedingly
humid weather the usual summer COM
plaints''-to the board of health-have been
greater than those of last year during
the month Of July.
The most unsatisfactory and. in fact,
absolutely inefficient arrangement we now
have to contend with is the very imperfect
method of collecting garbage. 1t seems to
be fact that people will not separate gar
base from ashes unless compelled to and
at present We have no means of doing
tIldt. uocS piSNti
tirely among the poor and ignorant by
any means. There is one block in the
central business part of the city decorated
| with the signs of professional men which
is constantly in evidence before the board
of health on this account The question
of collecting garbage will never be settled
until the expense is met by general tax,
ana the sooner councils take hold of 1t the
better and | would respectfully suggest
,l.... t. ,n,tf Ia
ont delay.
MENACE TO HEALTH
Pig pens and standing pools are still
with us, though In Il greatly diminished
degree 1t Is sad fact that nOtwith-
standing the rigid rules of the board of
health and the watchfulness of the sani-
| tary officer, there are still some hogs left
in the city of Scranton.
The pools that make trouble are in
variaby located in streets or courts not
yet accepted by the city. The commits
sioner has no authority and in point Of
fact no one else has. If councils would
compel property owners to grade streets
when built upon or at least instruct the
city engineer to give the grade whenever
needed this trouble would be done away
with.
Many nuisances. which could be abated
by sewer connection. still exist because
the tax for the sewer has not been paid
and the street commissioner Is forbidden
to allow 1t until the tax is paid. This is
most unfair AS those who have paid their
tax very frequently suffer the greatest.
| think an ordinance should be passed
compelling connection with sewers wher-
ever needed.
The secretary's report shows the NOR
tality of July to be less than that of the
preceding year. 10. In July. 1883. there
were PIP deaths. As compared with other
cities our death rate is always very small,
in spite of the new microbes constantly
being discovered and the rapid increase in
population. Very respectfully,
W. T.. Allen. Health Ofhcer.
SECRETARY'S REPORT.
motion prevailed. following the
reading of the foregoing. that the SEC
retary arrange for u conference between
the board and the sanitary committees
of the two branches of the council.
Secretary Briggs reported for July 17O
| deaths, Of which eight were violent and
one was by execution. Deaths during
preceding months numbered 14S in June,
| l25 in May. 1871 in April. III in March, 1Ol
in February. and l3l in January. Dur
| ing July in preceding years the deaths
numbered l76 in 1895, 1Gl In 1894, 1SS in
1923 and 164 in 1892. Last months
deaths exceeded the births by a.
DE. Paine called the boards attention
| to the pelnicious habit of many women
in using injurious headache powders
and cited fatal case in his own prac-
tice recently. This woman had taken
flag salt" one dose at 4 o'clock and
| another at s. DR.. Paine was summoned
| at o'clock. but was powerless to save
| the womans life. The powders" had
completely paralyzed the heart. A
| motion was adopted condemning the use
| of headache powders unless prescribed
by a physician.
The complaint made to Secretary
| Briggs by Bellevue residents relative to
| the quality of the water furnished that
| locality by the Spring Brook Water
company was discussed. The secretary
| was instructed to direct the company to
| remedy the evil and to see that his direc-
tions We're complied with.
The code of plumbing rules recently
| drafted by specially appointed COM
| mission were adopted and vote of
| thanks rendered Architect +. i. Brown,
Building Inspector Nelson and Plumber
| NJ +. Howley for their aid and counsel
| with Health Officer Allen. The rules
| are practically an enforcement of the
Act Of June. 1898. They provide es-
peAally for the registration Of plumbers.
their methods Of work and the super
vision of an inspector.
CERTIFICATES OF PLUMBERS
For carrying out the registration pro-
visions Of the code plumbers certificates
| have been procured and will be- issued
| by the secretary of the board. Any
plumber working at his trade and not
possessed of certificate after the code
| Is approved by the mayor will be liable
| to damages or imprisonment. according
| to the nature of his particular case.
| From Jones street residents. II. H. Nc
| Keehan, w. j. Fisher and William Rich
| mond, a written complaint was received
| of the house occupied by James Walsh.
They described ii as nuisance 1t was
in this house that five children were re-
Gently lying i'll with diphtheria. The
case was told at length in The Tribune.
! Dr. Allen was instructed to ivestigate
the matter and take whatever steps he
| deemed necessary.
| Food IspectOr Thomas reported the
markets to he in good condition and
milk generally up to the standard.