The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-29
I ADVANCE PUBLIC HEALTH

thirty-seven deaths, most If the deaths no
peI c,enp occurring In the winter az 1000
Disinfection has been highly satisfsctorv
there having been very few rccnrr,,s
In any given house, The usual precou+inns
were practiced by this department unon Az
SSoIsIS 81 every new case: the patient Wis
Immediately removed to the pesfhnuse sn5
exposed persons. whether previouslv vsc
cinatcd or not. were vaecinated and ten+
under surveillance for twcntv-one davs
~, hme mouse, more especially the room where
Tue patient was confined. was tborourni,,
ulslnfccted with formadehydc COS n nrs
sioic 10 make the room air tight othcrvla
the walls were washed down 1900 blchlor
lue solution, and the floor scrubbed with tbe
same. Occasionally sulphur Was nsed 70
fumigate the house with, hut this 10 oS
1ectional In that It damages the contouts
OF the room.
With other contagious diseases the honse
mas been placardcd, and tho inmates fI,r
nlshed with printed and oral insrr,ictIons
as TO quarantine. disintection, etc and
then thrown on their honor to obey.
Malaria.
This is disease, which. with nrons-
municipal precautions. could he largely.
II not wholly, prevented. Malaria. beyond
reasonable doubt. is caused solely bv tho
bite Of certain mosquito CAnopheles,. ANA
is species that breeds principally m low.
shady marshes. and usually hide out during
The day, hut at nightfall manage to NM,
up iof lost time, aud are very rayeut.is
often biting through the clothes rAtbrr
than ny few inches awav where the cnti-
cue ~ exposed. or all mosquitoes this is
possibly the easiest eradicated from, .be
fact Of their preference for swampy pI;ices
which, In city the size Of Houston Ought
not to exist.
BuHalo bayou is so filthy and oil-bepr,p,ed
tnat the larvae Of the mfsuuitn cnn n :
exist There; so to iii In or drain tae low.
places about town, pour kerosene on sII
Standing water, cover ciSterns with cauze,
etc'' Is tne only solution Of the problem.
Milk and Food Inspection.
Your veterinary surgeon and meat in.
spector, DR.. Noble has been as careful and
thorough as possible, yet I am frank to
confess that at best, under prevailing con
ditions. the meat IS very superhcialiy in
! spected 1t is impossible for one inspector
| to examine each animal before and after
slaughter, as well as inspect the meat
which is brought in ready dressed by the
! producers. Resides the above mentioned
service, much of his time was consumed in
making professional visits to the sick and
| disabled live stock belonging 10 the city.
! The slaughter pens, most Of which are
| lust outside the city limits, are all IN any
/
| be condemned ana closed at once The
| Houston Packing company is the only Que
| that makes any pretense toward keeping
| abreast OF the times I'm sanitary way.
! am " favor of not allowing auy of tho for
! mer 10 do business In the city until they
| build floors that can he washed with a hose
and properly drain their premises SO as moi
10 have a veritable hog PEN instead OF
| slaughter pens
| 1t is possible to have an efficient meal
| inspection system, and ] nope YOU win go
NJ to give me a capable inspector 10 be-
placed At the above packing house which
/ rs sufficiently large to accommodate al
| the butchers within the incorporate limits
This mans whole time should be taken N
there In ante and post norton inspections
There is no compromise on meat inspection
and It should he enforced to tue letter, 10
| just So long as enforced ia n careless, hap
hazard manner, just SO long will diseased
animals be slaughtered and their carcasse,
| used for human food Our law Is a mos
| excellent one, but how can yonr health de
partmeut be expected IN enforce the pro
visions ot the law unless we he allowed
sufficient number of men TO do the inspec
ton,
Ky referring 10 the mortality tables 70,
viii see that We have an unusual numbe
of deaths under years of age. Over Q
per cent of the total death rate. total O
l63 lover l6 per cent? are recorded as beiu
under l year Of age 1t should he under
stood that two-thrds Of all chideu unde
/ year of age have to be artiicialy fed
ton, typhoid fever, diphtheria and othe
diseases are communicated TO the huma
family through the milk supply. | think
is of paramount importance that more tim
he devoted 10 this work, which Is impoSsi
BILE with our present limited force.