The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-04

The number of cases of diphtheria and
scarlet fever reported has not been d.
minished. though the mortality has not
increas cd. Every effort In the power of
the board of health has been made to pre-
vent the spread of these Diseases but it
It Is not necessary to remark that the
power Of the board of health under ex-
listing circumstances is not what could
he desired or what 1t should be. There
has been, naturally enough. some criti-
| cism and fault finding and as health Of
ficer l have been In constant receipt of
advice and instruction as to the proper
| method of stamping out these diseases
and information as to how wisely some
smaller cities manage such emergencies
| and insisting that all public schools
| be Immediately closed, etc.
IL the people referred to understood
| more fully the act OF assembly under
which we arc working and the real diff
| ficulties by which we are Handicapped,
our earnest efforts might possibly be
! thought less lightly of.
| 1t is "A fact that these diseases are pre-
valent In every direction and our rectrd
as to the number of cases and mortality
percentage is lower according to popula-
| tion than that Of many other cities and
boroughs. The question of closing the
| public schools has more than one side. II
| 1t can be shown that many cases or any
case of diphtheria or scarletna can be
traced to any school building, then that
should be closed. fdmigated and disln-
fected by the board Of health and kept
closed Il proper length of time, but 1t
would be manifestly unfair to the board
| Of control and to the community to or
der school buildings closed from which
no cases have been repC Crtcd.
| AS matter of fact l believe the pre-
valence of these diseases is due as It
1 elA.
| to the thoughtlessness and almost GRIM
inal negligence Of parents. If one child
who is i'll is kept in bed. five or six more
who are not allowed to attend school,
| roam the streets, visit their friends, have
| a fine time and scatter the disease broad
| cast and their parents wonder why the
board of health does rot take more ac-
tive measures to control this terrible
| epidemic.
This is not an exaggerated, but a very
modest statement of facts. I would re-
| spectfuiIy request that the board CT
health instruct the board of control to
| forbid all pupils returning to school with
out a. certificate from the attending phy-
sician stating that the case has been
fully recovered the house disinfected and
that ten weeks have passed since con-
| valescence was established.
No 35 school was disnfected with for
maldolryde gas. 33 and 16 will be fumt-
| gated tomorrow and all will be closed a
, sufficient length of time.
This is 1900 of the Christian era and 1t
is to be hoped that before the year 1893
cities CT the third class in Pennsylvania
" ill be able to give their boards Of health
authority to do what they consider neces-
sary for the public health.
| Yours respectfully.
| W. e. Allen, NJ. D., Health Officer.
THE OTHER REPORTS.
The secretary's report for the month
of December was as follows: Actual
city mortality. 172: deaths from acci-
dent, 10: total. 1S2: total mortality for
the year, 1897; births. SO, as follows.
males. %. females. 2S: marriages, II:
cases of contagious diseases reported,
1923. classified as follows: Diphtheria,
IFS; typhoid fever, /: measles, 2; scar
let fever. 1872; chicken poy, 2: men,
braneOus Group S. deaths from con-
tagious diseases, AZ.
The annual reports of Food Inspector
| Widmayer and Plumbing Inspector
OMalley We're also ready to be pre-
sented to the board last evening. The
report of the food inspector is given
below and Is very interesting one,
showing as 1t does the enormous guam
tty of food products condemned and
destroyed in this city in one year:
Number of store and market inspec
tions, 7,1S0; number OF milk inspec-
tions. lactcmeter, 2,G65; pumpcr of milk
inspections, Babcock, $50; average per
cent. total solids, 1885; average per
cent. butter fat, 4.40. The following
food areticles were destroyed: beef,
Bill pounds, pork. 1,33. pounds veal,
1875 pounds. hams. 10 pounds: sausage,
2,6l2 pounds: spare ribs. o52 pounds;
poultry, 3,153 pounds: fish, 1892
pounds; clans, 1,S50; shell oysters, w
barrels; tub oysters, G5a quarts; pota :
toes. 3 bushels: turnips. 90 bushels;
muskmelons. 14,7E7: tomatoes, 40 bas-
kets; cucumhers, l20 baskets: beans,
40 baskets. spinach. 12 baskets: onions.
25 punches; pineapples. S15; strawber-
ries. 924 baskets; celery, 10 lunches;
bananas. $40 punches. radishes. 1880
bunches; watercress. 80 lunches; cab.
bagc, Az barrels; lima beans, I6 bas-
kets: cauliflower, * heads: peas, 30i
baskets; beets 80 lunches carrots, 4
punches: rabbits. 1872, eegs. 30 dozen;
dead hogs. 0; milk, 52' quarts
The yearly report of the plumbing
inspector is as follows: Water tests
2oI. smoke tests, 253. plumbing Jobs
re-modeling In old buildings. 55; build
ings re-inspccted, 81, plans approved,
80: visits to new buildings, 3d.
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