The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-03-05
The CITY'S heal TIL
Inspector Benjamin Tells
tie Advantage Of Gar
bage Heaps.
THERE ARE FEWER EUISANCES
Health Board Has Decreased
the Cases Of Contagious
Diseases.

Diseases.
The annual report of Health Inspector
D. W. Benjamin to the Jersey City
Board of Health is an interesting docu-
ment. He submits recommendations tor
the consideration of the Board that II
adopted by it, he believes will result in
betterment of existing sanitary conditions
and maintain Jersey City's reputation as
a healthy city, as shown by the health
records.
The total number of complaints receiv-
ed against nuisances of all kinds was
| 2,S47, and nearly all of these were invests
| gated by the sanitary officers and when
well founded notices to abate the same
| were sent to owners or occupants OF
premises. Attachments to the number Of
! 2,255 were thus secured. The report states
| there were only few instances in which
| it was necessary for the inspector to have
summons issued.
| Complaints about cesspools and waste
water are growing less and less eacn
year. the inspector declares, as the city's
sewerage system is extended Thus, what
| he terms vile and dangerous nuisance
| is being done away with. He finds that
| the majority of the complaints against de-
| fective plumbing come from the older
parts of the city, where the work was
| done prior to the boards adoption OF the
/ plumbing code.
"The enforcement of the rules of this
/ code,'' claims the inspector, has contrib
! uted largely to reduce the number OF
| cases of contagious diseases and has pre-
vented much sickness from inhalation of
! sewer gas"
Speaking of garbage complaints he says
| that most of them arise from the failure
| of owners to provide tenants with prop
| er receptacle for refuse and the careless
| and ignorant habits of tenants.
ssThe cellars and yards of apartment
houses, he goes on to state, where there
| is no janitor are often found Uttered with
all kinds of refuse and menace to health.
The garbage dumps for our city refuse
are more of an annoyance than nuisance
to residents in their vicinity, and in the
! future will prove a benefit to all by gradu-
ally filling up the low and unhealthy
meadow land
He says that the dumping of offensive
matter in exposed places is not done as
much as formerly, because of the watch
kept by sanitary officers for offenders who
deposit decayed fish, vegetables and
butchers refuse where it will be null
sance Comparatively few complaints of
stable nuisances were received and the
sunken lot nuisance will be a thing of the
| past in a year or two Complaints against
| streets and sewers have been promptly at
tended to by Street Superintendent Con-
! don.
| Inspector Benjamin mentions the in
spection of the public schools made by
4 him and Plumbing Inspector James F.
Blackshaw last summer, and the recon-
mendation made in regard to plumbing
| heating, ventllating and lighting.
my recommendations have been adopt
1 ed where it was possible by the Board," !"
! declares Mr.. Benjamin, ''and great cred
/ it is due President John J. Mulvaney and
Superintendent Henry Snyder for their
cooperation. The efforts of the Board of
I Health have been directed towards secur-
4 ing better Sites the construction of bet
4 ter buildings and more space inside and
| out of school houses. Considerable inn
| provement has been made but there are
/ still some badly ventilated schools
The report emphasizes the remarkable
decrease Of contagious diseases as COM
| pared with the previous year.
| 81 find, according to our records" states
i the inspector, "a total decrease of 500
| cases of contagious diseases under 1898.
In cases of diphtheria we have 145 less,
| which consider very remarkable. can
account for it in no other way than that
the use of anti-toxin is getting to be
/ universal. The decrease in other diseases
| is:-Scarlet fever, 257 cases; typhoid fever,
81 membraneous Group, Z. Measles alone
/ shows an increase, that of 1874 cases.
'sThis splendid record may be considered
| a matter of luck but / attribute 1t main
/ " to the Board of Health and their sumo
| cessful control of such diseases and the
| disease breeding nuisances which are pri-
/ narily the cause of them. We must also
recognize the efficient services of our city
/ physicians and the doctors of the city gen.
orally. We must also give credit to the
4 nrincipals and teachers of our schools,
both public and parochial. and the under
takers for the carrying out of the sani-
i tary regulations of this Board All have
rendered valuable service and contributed
i largely toward the excellent healthy con-
dition of our city
/ .tWemust not fail to recognize the help
/ full work in cleaning our streets and gut
ters done by the Good Government and
Woman's Clubs. Mrs. Hudspeth- Benson,
! ably assisted by many other good. public
spirited ladies, has, by her energetic
4 treatment of this subject, been the means
of securing great and lasting improve
ments in the streets throughout the city.
They have been successful in awakening
the pride of people in crowded localities
and created desire among them to be
cleanly and observe healthful habits. In
fact they have interested the whole city
in the subject and through the efforts
of these clubs the Street and Water Com
missioners have directed more frequent
4 cleaning of the streets by the contractor"
Inspector Benjamin reports the total
amount of cash received from all sources
as 50, ,46495, showing "a loss of $15L30 over
4 last year He says that the receipts
would be much larger if the department.
had a working force large enough to
thoroughly inspect the city. The total
amount of expenses for all purposes was
81 ,525 SO, a material decrease over the rrev
ia,rc wear