The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-02

A feature of last nights meeting of
the board of health in the city hall was
the report of h. L. Pitfield, assistant
bacteriologist of the Pennsylvania
board of health on the condition of
Scranton's water supply which was
read for the benefit of the members.
On Sept. Is Mr.. Pitfield made an ex-
animation of the reservoirs hereabouts
and in his report eulogizes them in the
highest degree, speaking in particularly
high terms of the new reservoir of the
Scranton Gas and Water company,
known as Lake Scranton. He declares
the water supply to be singularly free
from bacteria and all manner of dis
ease germs.
Every member of the board was in
attendance at the meeting and after
the reading of the minutes, Miss
sweeney the secretary, read her report
for the month. The deaths were 1874,
eleven being from violence; twenty-one
deaths resulted from diphtheria, 157
cases of that disease being heard of
during the month. Thrty-nine mar
riages occurred and fifteen births The
report was accepted, as was Plumbing
Inspector O'Malley's. He reported sew
enteen water tests, twelve smoke tests,
| and inspections of six old buildings and
eight new ones, under construction.
Food and Milk Inspector Widmayer
reported that during the month he had
| destroyed 1,S00 pounds of beef, 1500
| pounds of pork, 460 pounds of sausage,
| 725 pounds of fish and 252 quarts OF
oysters, besides large quantities of
! fruit. He had also gathered evidence
| to prosecute for violation of the oleo-
margarine law and had placed it in the
| hands of United States Collector T. r.
Penman. DR.. Allen, board of health
| officer, gave the following report:
DIR. ALIENS REPORT.
To the Board of Health, Scranton, Pa.
| Gentlemen: | have the honor to sub
init the following report. During Oc-
| tober q nuisance were complained of and
| all attended to satisfGc torily; contagious
disease placGrds were placed on lSS
| houses.
The amount of dipktheria, or rather
the number nf cases reported to the
board of health, would be alarming il
| there had been a corresponding mortal
| ity. The South Side, West Side and
North Scranton have had more of The
disease than the central part of the city
|
a contagious disease, under certain con.
| ditions, very greatly so. Unlike typhoid
| fever 1t can hardly ever be attributed
| to the water used, and almost invariably
can be traced to direct contagion.
| With proper sanitary precautions
| which are not observed in this city, anC
| skullful, intelligent management of the
disease, which L am unhappy to say, is
praCticed by our physicians, there SHOULD
| ha trnI frAnn 1irht hatt Ia
in fact it should be stamped out. Tn,
rules of the board of health, If carried
| out, would cover the whole ground bu
public funerals are frequently held. Peo
pie of all ages, regardless of conse
quences, go in ard out of houses which
are placarded, and there is no certaint!
that all of the houses where the dseas,
has been are properly fumigated and dis
infected.
Now, under present conditions, thi
state of affairs cannot be avoided and
would respectfully suggest that the boar,
of health, If possible make some ar
rangement whereby a competent MAJ
may be employed during the winte
months, whose duty shall be to watcl
over infected houses, prevent public fu
ncrals, and properly fumigate with pre-
locality, where contagious diseases hav
been.
EXAMINED WATER SUPPLY.
Last week, accompanied by DR.. Rey
nolds and Dr. Rodham, 1 made the usua
fall inspection of the Providence Wate
companyS' system. We found the waite
very low in both reservoirs, though clea
and free from apparent impure matter
the bottom of each being hard and clean
There is a slaughter house near the out
let of the Griffin dam, the drainage froH
: which must of necessity reach the strear
} after the fall rains.
on the hills adjacent TO each pond
Z great many cattle are kept. We ais
found on the premises of "A prominer
, farmer, the stream running throug
what appeared to be a SOW yard in whic
there was "a pig pen, at least there was
beautiful piglet-clean and fat-the las
we were Informed of q numerous lite
The mother pig was not in sight, havin
probably stepped over to the next tow
ship to "A meeting of the sOweosis clul
| but there was evidence enough to cor
vince us that she lived there and was
home part OF the time. Surface watt
from cultivated fields always contain
organic matter which can only be +,
moved by thorough process of filtr;
tion which we do not find i'm this system
| hereby submit the analysis made |
the chemist and by the baCteriologist
5 the state board of health, of all the di
= ferent supplies. Very respectfully,
Y w. +. Allen, Health officer,
James Leyshon's, the superintendel
of crematory, report was acCepte
Various communications were the
read among them letter from Fran
: Silliman, jr, manager of the Scranto
Traction company, in which he state
; that it would be impracticable to con
ply with a request of the board
health, that waiting rooms be erecte