The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-03
HEALTH BOARD MEETS
Agitation Started by Herald Bears
Good Fruit.
LAW MUST BE ENFORCED
MEMBERS WILL NOT TOLERATE
BAD CONDITIONS.
First Meeting of the Board of Health
That Has Been Held Under This
Administration - Inspector Ure
Explains Why Conditions Were
Bad-Keogh's Laboratory.

Explains Why Conditions Were
Bad-Keogh's Laboratory.
The board of health finally got
together yesterday to consider the
sanitary conditions of the city
The meeting was held in the health Of
flee yesterday morning, and is the first
meeting Of the kind held since the pres
ent administration came into power.
There were present all the members
OF the board, Mayo: Clark. Health
Commissioner Keogn, DR.. r. w. Fisher,
Charles p. Brooks and Z. A POLAND.
clerk. Sanitary Inspector Ure was also
present.
The reports and discussions that took
place proved every statement made by
this paper in its campaign thus Tar Ter
the welfare of the city.
The matter of sewer connections was
discussed quite freely at the meeting,
Turing which it transpired that in dis
trict No. l, the business district d
number Of property owners have never
paid their sewer tax. Because of this
the city engineer refused to allow them
TO connect with the sewer, and many
closets were in use in the heart of the
city, a menace not only to the owners
but also to their neighborS who were
connected with the sewers and paying
high taxes to be freed from such nuis-
ances. The remedy for this evil rests
with the city council, as the board of
health has no power to compel citizens
10 make sewer connections. The city
engineer was instructed to report to the
board all connections that should be
made.
Dr.. Keogh's Laboratory.
The subject of a laboratory was next
discussed. DR.. Keogh had asked the
council for an appropriation of $500 for
a laboratory. He explained that he
wished this to be used in the bacter-
biological department of the work, and
expressed absolute confidence in his
ability Ia make all required analyses III
contagious diseases, as well as quanti-
tative and qualitative analyses of water.
In the opinion of other members of the
board, what the city needs is "A good
chemical laboratory, to be operated ny
a trained and practical chemist. Not
one physician in a hundred has this
training, because it is outside of their
profession. But DR.. Keogh reiterated
his ability to make all required analY
ses and calculations and would as
sumo all responsibility. In addition to
that. the Nelden-Judson chemist had
agreed to assist DIR. Keogh whenever
assistance was necessary. 1t is under
stood that this offer is made on condi-
ton that the laboratory be purchased
from the Nelden-Judson firm. II this
agreement failed, il might be necessary
10 make other arrangements for an as
sistant. This matter was referred back
TO the city council.
Quarantine Complaints.
that of quarantine. Cases of scarlet |
fever have been reported from as far
south as Sandy, and there is no line I!
defined for the quarantine district. It |
is thought unjust to the city to be sub |
jected to these menaces from the out |
side when such heavy expenses are be- |
ing incurred to guard against an cpl |
Gemic. In some of these outlying dis |
tricts sanitary regulations are neglected |
and diseased people come in and mingle |
with the people in the city. There is |
no right or power in this city. either |
to enforce regulations at Fort Douglas i
and yet the children from there attend |
The city schools. The opinion was eX- |
pressed that these children should be |
excluded, and a request made on the |
medical authorities at the fort to i'm |
mediately notify the board of health of |
all cases of contagious diseases. The |
fort receives many concessions from the |
city, and ii was stated that IT could |
well afford to reciprocate in this re- !
spect. 1t is the sense of those most !
deeply interested in this matter that |
the city. the county and the fort should |
cooperate for the benefit of all.
To the charge of favoritism in en- /
forcing quarantine regulations. il was |
answered that in the case Of some poor |
bread winners license had been given to i
go to work. But the scarlet fever cases
and the people who were allowed ID |
pass in and out never came in contact
with them. y pledge to this effect had
been exacted from these people.
1t was also charged that the flag had |
In some instances been placed on
rear door of the house, but this was
emphatically denied.
No Assistant Physician.
The question of assistant city physi-
clan was also taken up and the board
was emphatic in stating that no other
but the city physician has power to or
der eases to the hospital, except those
taken from the city Jail. and as to the
cases ordered by DR.. Witcher TO be
taken to the hospital the city would
not be held responsible for the bills.
Il Iranspired that Dr. Witcher was
LED TO believe that he was acting in
the capacity Of assistant city physician
ana would IN due time ME his bill
against the city for performing some
of the duties of the city physician In
fact il was understood that DIR. Keogh
was prepared tn file these bills az this
but refrained from doing So
1t was made clear that DR.. Witcher is
not assistant city physician; there is
no such Office and no one is authorized
to create one, not even the health com
missioner.
Judge HaTett made connlaint
through his agent. T.. Is. Wicks. that
the city was dumping night soil on his
property across the Jordan. The city
engineer was instructed TO make a sur
vey of the ground that this injustice
might be righted.
The sanitary plumbing inspector was
to examine all school buildings
previous TO the resumption of school
IN the fail.
Sanitary Inspectors Report.
Sanitary Inspector IRE reported the
city to be in a Clearly condition. COM
He explained the foul con-
ditions found by The Herald reporter
recently by saying that there was fric-
ton between the men who haul the
ashes and the men who haul the gar
bage. The stuff was mixed in the bar
rels, neither functionary would haul it
off and The Herald man happened
around just at a time when this I'M
fortunate condition existed. The citi- 4
gems are all urged to follow the rules in
these matters The city. Mr.. IRE an
is in better sanitary condition
today than it has been for years.
1t may not be out of place to recall