Evening star., 1901-08-28
THE HEALTH OFFICE
DR.. Woodward's Annual Estimates
for Maintenance of Service.
ASKS FOR APPROPRIATION OF Sal, ,os0
A Chief Inspector and an Addi-
tional Force Desired.
ADV nee IN SALARIES

DR.. w. G. Woodward today submitted to
the Commissioners the estimated cost of
running the health department of the Dis
trict for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1903 The total estimate amounts to $141,-
O90, and is compared with the appropria-
tfon of $S3 ,42O for the present fiscal year.
The increase of $57, $40 is accounted for
by the submission of estimates for the
necessity of a new pound and stable, to
cost $4,000 for site and buildings; the
same amount for site and buildings for an
isolation building for contagious diseases,
and 5000 for the establishment and main
tenance of meteorological laboratory. DR..
Woodward has also asked for the estab-
and deputy health officer, with a salary of
81 500, and of two more sanitary and food
inspectors. An increase from $1,000 to
5000 is asked in the appropriation for the
removal of weeds. Since the passage of
the act authorizing the District authorities
to remove weeds health precautiOn,
March /, 1899, the applications to have
this service performed have constantly in
creased. An increase in the salaries of the
chief clerk from 81 800 to $3.50 and the
sanitary and food inspector from 81, 200 to
81 800 is asked.
Health Officers Comment.
In commenting on his various estimates,
DR.. Woodward says:
with the growth Of the health depart
ment, it has been necessary to separate
more or less the inspection service from
the clerical work of the Office. 1t is de-
sired, therefore, that the officer in charge
of that service be designated as chief in
spector, in accordance with his; duties. and
De given salary commensurate with the
Importance of his position. 1t is desired
that he be designated as deputy health Off
GER, so that there may be responsible
head to the health department should both
the health officer and the chief clerk be
unavoidably absent from duty. If provis-
ion be made for chief inspector as above
recommended and for the enforcement of
the law requiring the removal Of weeds as
will be suggested hereafter. the number of
regular inspectors can he decreased to
thirteen; otherwise. fourteen should be pro-
Nlded, as at present.
New Pound Recommended.
In his recommendation for new pound
DR.. Woodward says:
1.-The pound is still located in the roadway
at the intersection of three streets, where
it was temporarily installed about twenty
years ago. Proper facilities are not rro-
vided for the service, but in view of the
dilapidated condition Of the present st1uc-
ture. and of it's location it is not deemed
advisable to recommend an appropriation
for its Improvement but rather one for
the erection of new pound Recent
changes in the grades of two of the streets
in the roadway of which the present struc-
ture is located have thrown it some dis
tance below the level of the surrounding
land, and rendered the abandonment of the
present. structure and site more urgent than
ever. before. In connection with any i'm
provements of this character, provision
should be made for accommodating the
horses used by the health department in
the inspection. contagious disease and
disinfecting services, which are now sta
bled ia rented quarters or in livery stables
An appropriation is asked for the purchase
of site and for the erection of buildings
for use as pound and as a stable for the
health department.
Isolation Building.
I'm connection with the management OF
outbreaks of contagious disease, especially
those of major type, it frequently becomes
necessary to hold suspects under observa-
ton for certain length of time pending
diagnosis, and to keep in quarantine those
who have been exposed to infection for a
period equal to the period of incubation of
the disease to which they have been ex-
posed. At times 1t becomes necessary to
remove persons from houses infected by
der to permit the infected premises to be
properly disinfected. During the past three
years accommodations for such purposes
have been maintained by rental They are
however, not well adapted to the purposes
for which they are used, and the expense
of rental is considerable. The need of SUIT
able buildings for the purposes above men,
toned has been increased during recent
years by the increase of the number of
people living in apartment houses, the
quarantining of suspects and others in
such buildings being fraught with danger
to the other inmates. The District should
construct suitable isolation buildings SO
that proper accommodations will always be
available. For the purchase of a site for
such buildings an estimate of 10000 and
for the erection and the equipment thereof
an estimate of $4,000 are submitted.
Need of a Laboratory.
1.-The District government Is at present
without facilities for making general bac-
THEOLOGICAL analyses. and in this respect
1t is behind most other cities of equal size
A archaeological laboratory is regarded by
generally as almost, If not
quite. as essential to a properly equipped
health department as is a laboratory for
chamical analyses. Such a laboratory
should be provided as to enable the
health department to perform properly the
duties which devolve upon it.
THE maintenance of the isolation wards
at Garfield Memorial and Providence Hos
pitals is included in the schedule submitted
by the health department in view of the
fact tnat tnese establlsnments are Chiefly
sanitary in their purpose. 1t is impossible
to make any accurate estimate of the an
nual cost Of treating patients In these insti-
tutions because no definite knowledge can
be obtained beforehand as to the extent to
which the diseases to be treated will pre-
vail. Neither does it appear practicable to
establish a per diem rate of compensation
In view Of the wide fluctuations In the
number of patients under treatment and
of the fact that the larger the number of
such patients the smaller the cost per diem.
1t is recommended that $4,000, or so much
thereof as may be necessary, be appro-
priated for each of these institutions, to be
used exclusively for the maintenance of the
isolation ward or wards"
Bathing Facilities Needed.
In concluding his report DIR. Woodward
pl esents the necessity for one or more pub
lie bathing houses. He says:
'I respectfully recommend that in the