The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-06
THE HEALTH BOARD
Runs Against . fragrant Case
at Columbia School.
DEAD KEPT UNeuRlEc TooLoNo
Complaints OF Impure Water In the
Occidental Block-The Matter
or Burial Perraits.

ire board OF health is after the board OF
efucatton again. but IL the Developments
YESTERDAY afternoon. as brought out at the
meeting Of the board or health. prove 70
be facts. then Secretary Guernsey VIII Dc
the specisI one called on TO explain. Il ep-
pears that fhe Columbia school. which 8
located between Mercer and Oak and Feb
eraI and Bacon streets. has large cess
pool Not long ago tbs pool was cleaned
out. and, according 20 the report made 10
the board of health By the health nicer.
the refuse matter was thrown on the ground
within 90 feet Of the school building, and
directly in the way OF q path that was used
by the children IN coming and going from
the school. The matter IS now being In
yestigased further by Sanitary Os.cer Bray
mer with view 10 finding out the rame
of the man VINO actually did the work.
Health Officer Palmer told the board that
Director Chilberg, Of the board Of edaca-
ton. said that Secretary Guernsey was the
one who had charge OF the contract for
cleaning the cesspool. In view OF the con-
dition Of affairs. Il was decided 10 take no
action, and In the meantime Mr.. 8raymer
VIII continue his investigation.
A slight breeze went over the meeting
when Horton said that ne would like 10
know II there was a law relative TO the
length Of time undertakers could keep boz
dies. Health Officer Palmer said that he
did not know OF any.
Il asked" said Mr.. Hcrtcn, because
/ have known OF cases where bodies were
kept for months" He then went on to
enumerate several cases. and inquired eS-
pecially II anything had been done with
the body OF woman who died two or three
weeks ago of diabetes. The health officer
said that he di not know of burial or
shipping permit having been applied for.
Il didn't know such things were done,
said DR.. Russell
II should think body ought not 10 be
kept over ten days" added DIR. Holmes.
There should be a public vault or some
kind OF place for depositng bodies. IL IS
unsanitary to keep bodies in undertaking
shops for weeks and months. ] VIII make
a motion that the health officer be instruct-
ed to draft an ordinance covering this mat
ter"
How long time win you allow the I'M
dertakers to keep body?' asked Health
Officer Palmer. DR.. Holmes was willing 10
have DR.. Horton fix the time, but DR.. Hor-
ton was OF the opinion that the matter
should be left to the discretion OF the health
officer. Finally all agreed that the ordi-
nance should call for a specified time, and
the matter OF an extension left with the
health officer.
by the way" said the health officer.
ssHillory Butler was buried today without
q permit / do not know that he is dead
except as i read 1t in the Post-IntellIgen-
GER"
well, he Is dead and buried said DIR.
Horton. 81 know that because / was at
the funeral"
II suppose in the case of Mr.. Butler"
said Health Officer Palmer. st was not
thought matter of great importance to
comply technically with the law before
burial While must say that the under
$aE ha han mr. of faf ss in
getting permits. yet sometimes they wait
until the last moment / am subject TO
outside calls and suppose that sometimes
delays may arise through their not finding
me at the Office. 1t would seem. however.
that with the usual length of time between
death and burial they could get time to
get the burial permit"
I'm the future" said DIR. Holmes. 81
think IL well to make all of the undertake
ers get permits before bodies are buried.
IL they do not. then go after them. l viii
make motion that the health officer be
instructed to notify all undertakers not TO
bury body unless permit has been pre-
viously obtained"
Several complaints have been made to
the health Office about the water used Ia
the Occidental block. The members OF the
health board had a specimen before them
yesterday and were OF the opinion that II
contained injurious matter. In view of the
action OF the city council. when a similar
case came up IN which the Squire-Latimer
building was involved. II was decided TO
ask the council for an appropriation to
have the Occidental water analyged.
The annual report OF Health Officer
Palmer was read from beginning to end.
and after having been favorably acted
upon a vote of thanks was extended him
for the splendid manner In which he had
done his work. DR.. Horton hit the nail on
the head when he remarked. In his matter
of fact manner: People forget how Ynuch
hard work every enc OF those tables rep
resents."
Following Is Health Officer Palmer's re-
port for January: There were 81 deaths in
January. as compared with e during the
previous month. and as with IS in January,
1895. The death rate for the month was 7 20
per 1000 population. There were 90. births
reported. not including stilIhlrths. This
is quite an increase ia the number OF births
reported recently. There were cases of
scsrAtina reported. as compared with i2
during December. ISIS. Diphtheria made
Us appearance with 2 fatal cases. There
were reported l2 cases and ! death from
typhoid fever, as against cases with 2
deaths during the previous month.
The market inspector reported that he
had condemned ITO pounds OF veal shipped
by George KNAPP, OF Kent, to Frye Il
Bruhn- He inspected LOS gallons OF milk.
but did not find IL Necessary TO make any
condemnation.