The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-06
BOARD OF
HEALTH
REPORT
Last Year Compared FayorabIy
With Others In Amount Of
Sickness in the City.

At the next meeting OF the board OF
aldermen DR.. Chaplin. superintendent OF
health. will present the 2Oth annual report
of the health department giving the
work OF the department for the year 1872.
The report opens with an article on
nuisances in which II is shown that the
question OF cleanliness is not such an
important one on the subject OF health
as has been generally supposed. Only
certain kinds Of Nth. the report says,
under certain conditions cause disease
During the year IT'S complaints OF nut
sances were received. principally OF filthy
yards and bins. Garbage has been col
lected during the year by A. II. & J..
Barney at cost of s27.59O.N. A small
amount OF garbage is collected by farm
ers who have a special license.
DR.. Chaplin asserts that feeding gar
bage to swine will not cause disease. and
there is less nuisance from the hog farms
OF Providence. Worcester and Brockton
than from the crematorles OF Montreal
Trenton and Norfolk. or the reduction
works OF Boston and Buffalo. He does
recommend daily collection OF garbage In
hot weather.
The enclosed report of the inspector OF
provisions, William j. Geane. shows 10, ,Sy5
visits TO 500 stores and 1881 inspections or
peddlers' produce. The goods condem
ed included 2S,5s2 pounds OF meat and fish.
and 55 bushels OF vegetables. OF the
meat the largest item was 4s2 pounds OF
Twenty licenses were issued by the SUI
perintendent of health for the removal
OF night soil during the year. 4 his shows
number OF IS have been licensed. but the
largest number OF children in one house
was four.
~
houses and declares that they are a
moral md social evil and "A direct
menace TO health, very likely TO receive
Infection from other cities. and offering
an excellent opportunity for lis extern
sion here or the As cases OF smallpox
In this city last year 10 were in lodging
houses. There were eSS distinctions
since 1899 More than half OF these fol-
lowed cases OF diphtheria. The nurtber
OF persons vaccinated during the year
any previous year More foreign YES
sells were inspected last year than ever
before. The total number was 81 and
a. OF these were from the West Indies.
During the var l05 cass OF contagious
diseases were removed 20 the city ward
at the hnode Island hospital and the
eNpens OF caring for thm was tli42.is.
less tim for any previous year since 1899.
There were q case OF scarlet fever and
deaths. 30 cases OF dlphtheria and II
deaths, and one case OF measles. Whoop-
ing cough caused % deaths In 1872. and
there were six deaths from measles.
There were 3l7 deaths from diarrhoeal
diseases I'm 1907 or % less than In the
preceding year. There were seven deaths
from malarial disease IN 1902. while in
1901 there were two. There were 37i
deaths from phthisis in 1902 or 10 less
than I'm the preceding year.
Tho number OF deaths from scarlet
fever was nine the same as In 1901. There
were six deaths from smallpox, four more
than I'm 1901. Theye were 25 deaths from
typhoid fever. II lAss than In 1901. The
number of deaths from diphtheria was
G.. or five less than in the preced ng
year There were also six deaths from
memhranous Group.
/ The health department in 1902 cost tho
! elix- -S5A.7liS1, and the estimate for 1903.
l Including a deficit OF $1,000. is $4,000.