The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-06
MANY CASES OF MEASLES
City May Be Called Upon TO Take Ex.
treme Measures to Prevent the
Spread Of the Disease.

If what DIR. Allen reported last night
a the board of health meeting 1t right
and there is no reason to doubt but
what he knows-this city will ere long
be called upon to take extreme meas
ures to allay the measles epidemic.
During the month there were 52S
cases of the disease reported to the
board and, Or. Allen says, not one in
ten of the cases that exist are heard
of by the authorities. Some families,
when the disease first enters their
home, call in a physician and in con-
sequence the house Is placarded. May
be the physician Will not be called to
attend the four or five other members
of the family who may contract the
disease and these cases as a result do
not reach the ears of tne board. The
neighbors children take the disease
possibly, but Mrs. Smith tells Mrs.
Jones there is no need of sending for
the doctor; that the children have the
prevalent measles; that DR.. So and So
says there is no danger and here again
there will be a half dozen other cases
that will not be reported.
In this and other ways DR.. Allen ar
rives at the figures he gave to the board
last night. He is firmly of the opinion
that there were over 5000 cases of
measles in this city during April; that
there is an even greater number af-
fected at the present time, and that
unless some extreme measures are
adopted the epidemic will not abate.
He said 1t would be necessary to close
the schools as a first step, but the
board thought inasmuch as the disease
was virtually non-fatal this measure
would not be adopted. or at least not
| until it was established that ii was i'm
| possible to bring about the result by
/ strict enforcement of the laws regard
| ing isolation of contagious diseases.
| Renewed efforts will be made along
| this line and of the returns show that
| these efforts are not successful the ex-
| treme measure will be considered.
The board was called upon to deal
with a rather delicate matter. Con-
molly & Wallace appeared personally
with a complaint against Carr's meat
boiling establishment. which they say
| fills their store with such an offensive
odor that customers frequently leave,
unable to bear 1t, and clerks oftentimes
ere made so sick that they have to go
home. The case was referred to. the
| health officer with instructions to ad-
! just the IHdlleI as DtSl ne COulU
| A communication was received from
II. j. Gunster and John Schneider, a
committee of the Master Plumbers
association, setting forth that the
| building inspector on account of his
manifold duties cannot enforce COM
pliance with the new plumbing code,
and urging that the board of health,
out of consideration for the conscien-
tious plumbers, insist upon the imme-
diate appointment of a plumbing in
spector. The board directed Secretary
| Briggs to transmit the communication
to councils with the boards recon-
mendation that the office be created
forthwith.
The frightfully unsanitary condition
! of Luzerne street in the Bellevue dis
trict was reported upon by Sanitary
| officer Burke and the board resolved
to send to councils a communication
urging the immediate passage of the
ordinance for the sewering of that ter
ritory.
Secretary Briggs report for the
month Of April showed 1888 deaths, which
exceeds by 2l any preceding month of
this year. There were 16S birth, 81
males and SO females. The number of
contagious diseases reported was 500, OF
which measles numbered 52S scarlet
fever 9. whooping cough 6, diphtheria
%, typhoid fever 2, membraneous crour
/, chicken-poX l. There were 13 deaths
from measles, 6 from membraneous
Group and from diphtheria. Only SO
marriages were reported, the Lenten
period having had a depressing effect
| on the hymenal market.