Evening star., 1898-12-15
Is mot a blend, but the

date cannot be determined beyond the belief
that it has been such potential factor in
promoting the extension of the nuisance
as to necessitate the construction of an in
tercepting sewer along the western shore
of the river To the foot of New Jersey ave
nue.. which will carry the contents of the
Boundary intercepting sewer to deeper Wa
ter and more rapid current. Congress
during the last session made an appropria-
ton for "A preliminary survey with the
view to begin the reclamation of the Ana
costa flats.
80 much for drainage and sewerage san
itation. There is, however another phase
of municipal hygiene and preventive medi-
cine. l refer especially to the activities of
the medical profession in determining and
eradicating the causes of preventahie dis
eases. In the earlier decades there does not
seem to have been any organized effort. not
even in protest against legislation creating
and extending nuisanceS detrimental TO
health, much less in promotion of sanitary
reforms. 1t is true in 1897. in a popu-
lation of 1000, but seven deaths occurred
in this city Daring succeeding decades
however, fatal epdemics of bilious fever.
intermittent bilious fever and bilious dys-
entery' prevailed at intervals of one, two
and three years. and of smallpox at longer
intervals. In 1871. inoculation was first
practiced in this city. and in lsol vaccina-
ton was introduced by President jefferson.
In 1892 the first and only invasion of Asiat-
ic cholera occurred.
First Effort at Sanitation.
"The first organized effort at sanitation
was the appointment in 1919 of a health
officer charged with the duties of report
ing to the mayor all nuisances
which might endanger the health of the
citizens; all sources Of diseases, prevailing
epidemics and contagious Diseases with
recommendations of means to remove the
evils, restrain their progress and prevent
their recurrence. and to keep correct
stn of fIaar rhS In "a a.
abolished by the establishment of a board
of health, composed of one physician and
one layman from each of the six wards
into which the city was then divided. To
this board was granted the additional pow
er to formulate a code of regulations, re-
garding the preservation or restoration of
the health of the city, partic-
ularly in regard to pestilential or
ed to the adoption of resolutions and
submission of recommendations to the
mayor, without the authority to enforce
any declaration or condemnation of a nui-
Sance, but little if any progress made
in sanitation, until the cholera invasion
in 1S32 when the board asserted its au-
thority in the establishment of hospitals
under its direct and exclusive control, to-
gether with the adoption of such regula-
tons seemed best to limit the preva-
lence of the epidemic. During subsequent
years il seemed to have occupied itself
mainly in futile efforts to establish hos
pltil, untl 1914, When through It's influence
the Washington City lnfrmary, the first
public general hospital in this city. was
opened for the reception of patients. In
1916 DIR. Henry Hunt was succeeded in
the presidency of the board by DIR. Thomas
Miller. who. as the saying goes. took the
bit in his mouth and asserted with untirng
persistence and yigor the province of
board of health with sufficient authority
to enforce Its mandates. Additional powers
were, year by year. granted by the city
council, as it sought to extend and exc
cute its authority. The scope of its use
fulness enlarged. with power to con-
denim and abate as well as to declare nui-
sances detrimental to health, to make and
enforce regulations for the registration of
vital statistics and to provide medical care
for the INDECENT sick at their homes.
After the retirement of DR.. Miller. the
board continued to discharge its duties
along the line laid out by him, but with
less activity. until its reorganization and
transformation by the act of Congress of
February n, 1871, into political body
composed of three physicians and two lay
men, which occupied itself for the most
part in wrangling to the amusement of
newspaper reporters and chagrin of good
citizens 1t did, however, formulate some
health ordinances of practical value, which
remain in force today.
The Health Department..
''The abolition of this board and creation
of a health department under the direc-
gress of June IL, 1873. marks the begin
ming of an important era in the history
of sanitation of the city. The humdrum
course of the health department through
a series of years failed To awaken public
interest, and not until the Medical Society
of the District of Columbia asserted its
prerogatiVe in all matters pertaining to the
preservation of health and the appoint
ment in 1891 of the present health officer
did the department assume the full meas
ure of its RESPONSIBILITIES. and rise TO the
high standard of Intelligent and active
discharge of its duties To the public at
large. 1t must however. be stated that
since the Installation of the present form
of government in 1878, the board of com
miSsionerS has, with cOmmendable energy.
prosecuted many measures of municipal
sanitation, and in recent years co-operated
in every movement to promote and extend
the scope of preventive medicine in this
city.
In 1894 the society adopted and trans
mitted to Congress the report of Its COM
mittee appointed to Investigate the causes
of the undue prevalence of typhoid fever
in this city. which set forth the conclusions
of the society and certain recommenda-
tions.
These conclusions We're reaftirmed a year
later by Dr. George NJ. kobcr, special med
ical sanitary inspector, in the report OF his
Investigation of 500 cases of typhoid fever
selected at random from those occurring in
the District of Columbia between July l
and October II, 1873. again IN 1876. the
society formulated and transmitted 10 Con-
gress the propositions. which embody
complete and final statement of its recon-
mendations in regard to the subjects to
which they relate.
Some of the recommendations made
have been mace effective by later legisla-
ton and others are far advanced in
course of accomplishment as the time
elapsed since the enactment of the neces-
sary laws will permit. with favorable re-
suits. as shown by the dminution of the
number of pumps to 123, and compulsory
connections of houses witt the systems of
water supply and sewage disposal. to the
number of / ,1IS June 81. 1888. but more
distinctively by the extension of the water
mains to 346. "A miles, and of sewers to
3S2 So miles, to June 30 1888. and a conSe-
quent reduction of the death rate of ty-
phoid fever.
Comparative Illustration.
ITO demonstrate more completely the
beneficent effects of sanitary reforms. the
following comparative Illustration may he
cited In 1870 the cities of Berlin and
Washington We're alike in primitive and OBJ
jectionabie methods of sanitation. Without
an adequate water supply, the larger part