The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-01-26
THE CITY'S HEALTH
A Disinfecting Machine That
Does Good Work.
Health Officer H0Ibro0k Recommends
Its Use to Check the Spread of
Consumption.

The following is the annual report or
Health Officer Hclbrook, made to the
council Friday:
I'm May the inspectors began their an
nual work of inspecting alleys. houses,
vaults, cespools. etc.. going carefully
over the entire city, giving careful at
tention to the things which would pro-
mote cleanliness and improve the sani-
tary conditions The results of their
work were very satisfactory, the peo-
pie responding very we'll to orders to
clean up.
''The garbage collector worked on
the same plan as last year, gathering
the kitchen refuse from buckets placed
on the alleys, and as whole did good
work. The. plan is as good or better
than that adopted in other cities of
equal size in the state.
early in the year there were three
deaths of diphtheria. Then for per.
iod of six months the city was practi-
cally free from contagious diseases. In
September, however, diphtheria was
introduced from town south of US,
and for little time the city was
threatened with an epidemic. Six
cases were traceable to one of the pri-
mary grades at the Union school
building and six severe cases to the Sec
ond room of the Catholic school. Three
of the latter were fatal. Fortunately,
the council had wisely purchased a
Formalin disinfector and its results
were so good that we haye yet to learn
of single instance of the disease de-
veloping either in the public schools or
dwellings. after the use of the genera
tor.
Whenever a case of contagious
disease was reported in the city. it was
Immediately quarantined, scarlet fever
for four to six weeks and diphtheria
four weeks, or if the microscopical ex-
aminations showed the threats free
from diphtheria germs. the quarantine
only lasted from two to three weeks
There are at present in the city no
contagious diseases, and we attribute
the warding off of an epidemic to the
prompt measures taken il the matter of
quarantine and proper disinfection
with the Formalin generator.
"In compliance with an order Of the
state board of health, pupils were re-
quired to have certificate of vaccina-
ton before September Goth. The order
was successfully carried ont. Though
small pox has existed in many of the
surrounding towns, it is a matter of con-
graduation that we have had no cases
here. Two persons exposed. who were
quarantined at Rochester, broke the
quarantine. however, and were under
observation here for two weeks.
cit is condition similar to that re-
ported last year about the sewage sys
tenn. Several have made connection
with the mains but there are still many
who should connect.
Your former health officer in his last
annual report called attention to the
inroads consumption is making in this
city, and wisely advised measures
toward limiting its spread. In 1895
there were ten deaths from the disease.
but in 1899 there were twenty two.
Since there is no longer any question as
to its contagious and infectious nature,
and that the dried sputum and hence
the dust of the houses where consump-
tives live contain the dangerous germs,
l suggest that the people be permitted
and advised to haYe the city's Formalin
disinfector used where a consumptive
has been taken from home by death or
change of residence, and thus lessen the
liability of the other members of the
family to the disease. The city can
we'll afford to have one of it's inspectors
do the disinfecting.
I'VE further recommend that the
license scavangers to clean vaults and
cesspools, etc., and place. them under
1
bonds for the proper performance of
the work, and allow only licensed men
to do the work. and they be permitted
to hold their license only so long as
they conform to the rules of the board
of health.
I'VE also recommend the building of
a platform, projecting over the river at
a suitable place for the use of the gar
bage men and scavengers, because of
the difficulty of getting teams into the
river during many of the summer
months
"Of the 1862 deaths during the year,
80 were males and 70 females; IS were
from Minnesota, 33 from the United
States, and Al foreign born, SS were
single, 90 married, and % widowed
Fourteen of the deaths were due to &C
cident. 10 to heart disease, IS to pneu-
monia. 2 to typhoid fever, and % to
consumption, There were 90 cases of
measles and one death; 10 cases of
scarlet fever and one death; 81 cases of
diphJheria and deaths, and 10 cases of
typhoid fever and deaths.
There were 1877 male births and 40