The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-07


Other officials OF tho Board.
At last nights meeting OF the board
of health Or. w. f.. Allen, health OFF,
Ger, submitted comprehensive re-
port. evidently designed as part an
swer to recent criticism Of the board
i'm the estimates committee of councils.
The report follows:
| have the honor to submit the follow
ing report for the month of March: Forty
seven nuisances have been complained
of ana attended to. The general sani-
tary condition of the city is as good as
can possibly he attained at this season
Of the year with our present resources.
A number OF cases of Ccrcbro spinal
meningitis have been reported during the
past two months, and there has been
some alarm, especially among people VINO
remember the epedemic of 1877 ana 1864,
when il was so widespread and fatal,
being called at that time "back fever.
| have Inspected the premises where L
have seen some of these cases ana IN
variably have found the sanitary condi-
tiOnS as good as they ever are and have
been unable to discover any local cause.
Whils this disease is classified as in
fectious all authorities from the most
ancient to the very latest say that it is
not contagious. that is. not communicable
from one person to another, and Iior-
alto Wood says: "Its origin cannot be
traced to accumulation of filth or other
causes of ordinary fcbrile diseases" Hav-
ing had the experience of both the cpl
denies mentioned, | am positive of the
truth of the statement made by Professor
Wood, but at the same time | think SAN
itary precautions should always be care
fully observed whenever any disease is al
all prevalent.
REPLY TO CRITICS.
AS quite recently the board of health
has been made the subject of rather Sc
we're criticism. I think it only fair to
state for the benefit of many who are
not familiar with the work of the board
of health some of the things that have
been accomplished during the past ten
years.
one of the most important matters in
fact. the most important, to be consid-
cred I'm all cities, is a pure water supply.
All Of Providence and "a great part Of
Green Ridge are furnished with water
by the Providence Water company. There
are two reservoirs i'm South Abingdon
and Scott townships. the streams run
ming from both coming together at the
north end of Chinchila.
At the time of the first inspection OF
this water the stream ran directly
n
supply dam below and was piped from
there to Providence. At the upper end
of the village was slaughter house in
constant use, and all the ofal was
thrown directly into the brook. Nearly
all of the water closets Of the town were
directly over the stream and the drain
age Of the rest, together with the wash
from the turnpike, passed straight into
the reservoir. Every year typhoid and
gastric fevcrs were epidemic ana that
year one physician in Providence report
ed over 300 cases Of typhoid fever i'm his
own practice.
y bacterioloEical and microscopic ex-
animation of the water was made by the
chemist Of the state board Of health, who
pronounced the water unfit for drinking
or domestic purposes. i'm fact, the worst
he had ever aVamincd
Today the Providence water is as pure
as any in the state, and the cpidcmics
have ceased. The water is piped through
ChmChila, thoroughly filtered and acrat-
ed, and all drainage from the valley kept
out. This has cost a large amount Of
money and has been brought about by the
efforts of the board of health.
The Scranton Gas and Water company
have expended vast sums Of money and
have an ideal watershed, but there was
always a great source Of danger i'm the
tanncry at Elmhurst until the company
7 purchased the whole plant at great eX-
pcnsc and removed IT entirely. These
things may be considered trilng by some
people. but intelligent men know that a
vast saving of life and protection Of
health have been realized.
BAD WELLS CLOSED
old diseasc-brccdiug wells have been
closed and thousands OF discasc-brccd-
ing nuisances have been abatcd.
Small poN has shown itself twice dur
, ing the past ten years, ana has been,
through the board Of health, confined to
the houses in which it originated and
stamped out.
The garbage crematorv destroying
| thousands Of barrels Of filth every month
also stands to the credit of the board Of
health.
The Scranton board was the first to
institute the placarding of homes where
runstagiOus diseases exist, ana today ev-
cry city i'm the state, including philadel-
phia, has adopted our plan Dr. Lee, Sec
rctary of the state board of health, now
health officer of Philadelphia, has said
that "thc system and work Of the Snran-
ton board of health mas no superior in
the state"
II has been the custom TO DO every
thing in the most quiet manner and there
surely has been very littlo playing to the
galleries or blowing Of Iumphcts. but IL
! seems 90 be proper at this time that it
/ ~npulu Dt known mat the board OF health
Is OF some Importance.
\ quorum was not present and the
foregoing report, as well as the others
was read and referred FOR adoption at
/ the next meeting.
The excellence of the City'a present
milk supply was indicated in thiIty-
seven tests recently made by FoOC In
| spector Cullen and reported by him
last evening. Thirty-six tests aver
/ aged as follows: Specific gravity at
60 degrees, Fahrenheit, l,O32; per cent
Of solids, 12.76: per cent. of lutter fat
3S5; per cent. Of solids other than fat.
7 S9l; per cent. Of water, S72i The
| Pennsylvania standard is from O29 to
1893, specific gravity; total solids, not
less than 1880 per cent; water, not
more than $3.50 per cent, and butter
fat, not less than 3 per cent.
INSPECTOR CULLEN'S FORMULA.
The formula followed by Inspector
| Cullen was Hehner Il Richmonds.
| The table was that Of DIR. NJ. f. Nc
Donnell, Of the Pennsylvania state
| college. The formula does not vary
moIc than from one-tenth to two
tcnths Of one Ter cent, from the E.