The herald., 1897-09-14


school. upon receipt of information from
the health officer of any infectious or con-
tagious disease existing in a house or
place of habitation, shall Immediately
exclude from the schools or school any
person so infected. or any person or per-
sons residing in said house or place of
habitation, and no person or persons
shall be admitted to the school or schools
without permit from the health officer.
The report of the health officer as to
the r1umber of tests of milk made, the
number of arrests for violation of the
ordinances on that subject and the dis
position of the cases. was made This
report has heretofore been published
THE MEAT SUPPLY
Then came the startling part of the
proceedings. DIR. Cowles stated that
he did not desire to deprive any person
of the means Of making a living but
wher that living was made practically
at the cost of the lives of other persons
he was in favor of taking decisive action.
He said he referred to the meat supply
of the city and the manner in which
some Of 1t was prepared for the ma rket
He had visited certain slaughter
house in the city, the exact location he
would not give, as 1t will perhaps be a
matter for police investigation later
There he had found the carcass of a
sheep, and upon Inspecting the lungs
he had found unmistakable evidences
that the animal was afflicted with tuber-
culosis at the time of it's having been
slaughtered. 1t was in such a condi-
ton as to be positively dangerous to
persons to whom 1t might be sold for
food and used as such. He had not had
the means Of destroying the carcass,
but had notified the proprietor of the
place of the character of the meat At
another place he had found that dead
animals hauled off the streets of the
city were piled within one hundred feet
Of place where fresh beef was pre-
pared for market. These statements of
the doctor caused all of the members
present to remember what they had seen
and heard about the meat supply. Sew
eral instances of the sale of young
calves for food when they were wholly
unfit for such use were cited, but no
names were mentioned, as it was de-
sired to investigate the matter fully.
The health officer made the most start
ling statement when he stated that he
had been informed that calves unborn
at the time of the slaughter Of the COWS
had been disposed of in similar man
ner. Stories of slaughter houses reek-
ing with filth were recited until the
mayor asked why action had not been
taken on this subject before. He was
much exercised over the matter, upon
which he said the lives Of many people
depended and demanded that mediate
action be taken. A special committee,
consisting Of Drs. Cowles and Moore,
was appointed to report as soon as pos
sible an ordinance which will stop the
practices. This ordinance win provide
for the creation of the office of meat in
spector separate from the office of milk
Inspector and competent butcher will
be placed in the office IL the ordinance is
passed. He will be clothed with full au-
thority to make arrests and to prosecute
persons violating the meat ordinance,
and severe penalties will be provided for
furnishing diseased meats to the mar
kets dealers, restaurants or dwellings,
of the city.
SEWAGE IRRIGATION
The matter of the effect Of the sewage
of the city for irrigation purposes upon
the product raised on land thus irri-
gated was then taken up. All
the members of the board agreed
that such irrigation endangered the lives
of the persons using the vegetables
raised, and that the use Of strawberries
and lettuce so raised was especially in
furious. The question was then asked
how the water rights were disposed of,
and it was brought out that the city sells
the right through the superintendent of
the outfall sewer to the South Side Irri-
cation company. The president Of this
company was in attendance, and he
stated that south of the city there were
220O acres Of land under cultivation ir-
rigated with the sewage of the city.
Much of this is controlled by Chinese,
who are not very careful as to the clean
liness OF the produce they sell. Mayor
Snyder was asked II the matter could be
remedied, as the land was outside Of the
city. "Yes" said he, 1.-The city of Los
Angeles can keep out Of the business of
selling such water and If not that, it
can prohibit the sale Of such vegeta bles
as are grown there" The members of
the board agreed that the greatest dan
ger was from lettuce and strawberries,
and the health officer was directed to re-
port an ordinance recommending that
the city cease the sale of water for rails
ing such vegetables. The irrigation COM
pany will cooperate in any action taken
in the matter The meeting then ad-
journed until next Tuesday night.
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