The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-10-15
HARDNESS SUBMITS
MONTHLY REPORT
Says City's Health Can be I'M
proved by Precautions
SHOULD TEST ALL WATER
Diseases Which Can Be Prevented
Were Prevalent During the Sum-
mer-Streets Are Not
Kept Clean.
SHOULD TEST ALL WATER

In his monthly report to the Mayor and
Board of Aldermen. filed yesterday with
Mayor Ward, DR.. R. B. Hardness, city
health officer says that the city should
be able to prevent the appearance OF W
phoId fever. as it Is a disease that can
be prevented In addition to the micro
scopical laboratory that will be establish
ed in the city hall. DR.. Hardness says
all the water used for drinking purposes,
Including domestic and imported waters,
should be subjected to a chemical exam
nation. Dr. Hardness deplores the fact
that the streets are not kept freer from
waste paper and debris. He declares
the city ordinance in this respect is vio-
lated one hundred times every day. The
report is as follows
October 49, 1905.
Hon. Board of Mayor and Aldermen,
City.
"Gentlemen-It is well at this time to
look back over the closing summer period
and see If we cannot get some practical
lessons. At the beginning of the hot sea-
son we had an alarming mortality among
the infants from acute intestinal trou-
bles. Also at that time typhoid became
prevalent and has continued so through
out the season. This latter disease has
been placed on the list of unnecessary.
preventable diseases by the best OF au-
thorities on hygiene. The former very
probably ought to be in the same list.
Trouble Not Located.
"As we have been unable to say def
nitely just where the trouble has been,
1t behooves us to secure all the improve
ment possible along general lines before
the advent of another summer. Along
this line I will mention the following:
Our facilities for examining milk
should be expanded to such a degree that
we will be able to say more definitely
whether or not the milk supplied Is con-
tributing to the spread of any disease.
i am glad to say that we have micro
scopic laboratory in sight for this de-
partment which insures better service.
I'VE should by all means possess facil-
tiles for subjecting our water supply, city,
suburban and shipped, to rigid scrutiny
in first-class microscopical and chem
ical laboratory.
AT this time I would suggest to those
who use a great deal of imported water
that 1t might be very profitable to them
to have the source of such waters care.
fully examined.
Z Lessons Learned.
1--WE have learned from practical exper-
ience during the past summer that the
way to get rid of mosquitoes is to de-
prive them of breeding places by filling
or draining. Treating these pools with oil
will help as an emergency measure, but
community situated Birmingham is
should not have to depend on such meas
ures. Another matter that should be
considered seriously is the very poor pro-
gress that we have made in keeping our
streets free from paper and other debris.
Since receptacles have been placed at con-
venient intervals on our business blocks
there is no reason why our streets should
not be kept free from litter, except that
there has not been sufficient earnestness
displayed by our police officers in en-
forcing the law.
I'VE have an ordinance prohibiting the
throwing of anything whatsoever into our
streets, yet this ordinance is violated
hundreds Of times daily In the business
section of the city with no arrests follow
Ing. Respectfully submitted,
"R. B. HARDNESS,
Health Officer"