The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-31
Says He Has Confidence in His
Health Board, but Wants to
See for Himself.
BOARD PULLS IN ITS HORNS
NO FURTHER ATTEMPT TO CLEAN
OR SWEEP THE STREETS.
DIR. j. ID. Cain the New Supcrintend-
emit Of the Dfspensary-Afairso of
the Municipality.

Mayor Hoffman will make a personal
investigation OF the condition OF the City
Hospital The mayor announced yesterday
afternoon that he is planning to accompany
the members Of the Board OF Health on
their trip of investigation to the City Hos
pital The investigation will be made early
next week. 1t is thought.
II shall accompany the members OF the
Board Of Heath when they go to the City
Hospital TO look into the condition of the in
stitution." said the mayor 'I want to
see for myself just how things are out there.
II must not be understood by this that I
haven't confidence in the board to take care
OF this matter by itself; but, you know, tho
mayor OF city must know personally about
some matters like this
Whether Mayor Hoffman believes the
City Hospital TO be in the condition II is
said to be in by the report of the Marion
county Board OF Charities he did not say.
Wait till we go out there" said the mayor.
Then we will be In position to discuss the
Board OF Charities report"
There are two cases of smallpox in IN
dianapolls- One was reported TO the Board
of Health yesterday and the other Thurs
day. The case reported yesterday is that OF
William Bristow. colored. Joe Allen, colored.
living at CSC Twelfth street. is the other vic
tim. One of the storehouse buildings at the
City Hospital has been improvised into n
temporary peSthouSe TO which Allen and
Bristow have been removed. DR.. NJ. j. Spen-
Ger. city sanitarian. says the men have
smallpox only in light form and he does
not fear an epidemic.
The Board of Health has taken every pre-
caution TO prevent spread of the disease.
The families of both victims have been vac
cinated. as we'll as all persons who have
been associating with the men whom the
board can get hold OF. The homes OF both
men have been quarantined.
Before these cases were reported Mayor
Hoffman said the building of a pesthouse
Is the most difficult matter now before the
new administra ton and one that would have
to be settled soon. Now that there is small
pox in the city the need of q pesthouse has
become more imperative and the mayor says
the site for the pesthouse must be selected
at once and the building erected with the
smallest amount of delay. The mayor and
the members of the Board OF Health prob
ably will hold a meeting to-day or early
next week TO take steps to select at once a
site for the peSthouSe-
The Board of Health has thus far been
unable TO check the spread of the measles
epidemic the South Side, Thirty-seven
new cases have been reported to the board
the last two days by the sanitary inspec-
of measles on the South Side The epidemic
started about two weeks ago. Officials OF
the Board of Health attribute the spread OF
the disease to the negligence of teachers
in the public schools in allowing children
VIII have been exposed to the disease in the
schools. The schools in the districts in
which the measles is most prevalent are the
Mckinley School on State street, the Abra-
ham Lincoln School on Palmer street, School
No 13 on Noble street, School No. 20 on
Spruce street and School No. 81 on Lincoln
avenue. The board hopes by giving teachers
In these schools and others on the South Side
rigid instructions that no child shall be al
lowed in school unless certificate from the
board Is shown to prevent further spread OF
the measles and TO wipe out the epidemic
in few weeks.