Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-03

spinal meningitis and typhoid fever; on
April 5. 1907. a regulation requiring the
propr1etors of places where food is sold
| or prepared for sale to register at the
| health Office so as to facilitate syste-
matte inspection of such places. On May
j, 1907, In view of a decision Of the Court
| OF Appeals. an amendment was promul-
| gated of the regulations issued on April
4, 1905, relative to the care and mainte-
| nance OF stables. the purpose being the
prevention of nuisance from such estau-
iishments. On May 81, 1907. regulations
were promulgated, requiring stores and
| other places where food Is sold or pre-
pared for sale to be screened so as to
| prevent, so far as may be practica ble ac-
cess OF nies and requiring the propr.etors
I OF such places to provide and to use
proper facilities .fcr effecting the cleanli-
| employed therein
The crematoriun. the erection of which
was authorized by the act to provide for
the establishment of a public cremato-
| rum, approved April 20. 1906, has not
yetsReen completed, but will probably be
ready for use some time during the cur
rent fiscal year
presentations were made during the
year by the Commissioners looking toward
| the establishment of a proper bacterio-
| logical laboratory in connection with the
L
maintenance of such a laboratory is in
keeping with the practice of nearly all
other large cities and of very many small
ones. The purpose of such a laboratory is
primarily to facilitate the supervision and
| control of the milk supply and to assist
in the supervision and control of COM
municable disease. Incidentally such a
laboratory. properly equipped, could be
made of material service in assisting the
| physicians to the Door in their duty of
caring for destitute patients and In the
general sanitary Investigations of the
health department. Recomme ndatfons
| looking toward the establishment of such
laboratory will be renewed by the Com
missioners during the present year
The condition of the pound requires
| serious consideration. The building was
erected many years ago in the roadway at
the intersection of three streets for tenn
porary use only. 1t has been maintained
until now by means of frequent more or
less extensive repairs for somewhat more
| than thirty years. A suitable site should
be provided. If for no other reason than
because of the present location of the
structure in the roadway. and a proper
the animals. the private property of our
citizens. that come into the custody Of the
poundmaster.
Typhoid Fever.
The report on the origin and prevalence
of typhoid fever in the District of Colum-
bia. prepared by the public health and
marine hospital service. in response to a
request from the Commissioners, was re-
ceived on March IA. 1907. This report,
while exhaustive. is In the nature of
statement of the results Of investigations
made up to the time of its issue, and, It
| is understood. does not represent the final
work of the service with respect to this
matter. Unfortunately. the investigation
did not disclose the cause or causes for
the undue prevalence Of typhoid fever in
the District of Columbia. and, therefore,
did not point way to definite measures
that could be adopted with a reasonable
certainty of diminishing the number of
cases of that disease. The Commission
ers have endeavored. however. as far as
practicable. to carry out the Recommended
lions made by the public health and
marine hospital service. and to that end
have directed that all shallow wells be
closed except few located in outlying
sections of the District where water sup
ply from other sources was not available.
The report issued during the year by
the United States geological survey on the
Potomac river basin contains a valuable
statement relative to the relation between
the prevalence Of typhoid fever in the Dis
trict of Columbia and occurrence Of that
disease in the basin of the Potomac river.
In view of the facts set forth. particularly
the detailed statement with respect to out
break of typhoid fever at Mount Savage.
Nd, and its possible effect on the preva-
Ience of the disease In the District Of
Columbia at that time. the community has
every reason to be glad that an efficient
slow sand filter stands between the COM
munity and pollution of the drainage area
from which its water supply is derived
With view to improving the milk sup
| ply Of the District the Commissioners on
March 80, 1907, called a conference of rep
resentative scientists and citizens to con-
| slider the subject and to advise them with
respect thereto. All interests, including
those of milk dealers and milk producers,
were represented. This conference has
done most valuable work, as is shown by
| the preliminary reports which it has sub
| mitted. These reports embody valuable
| Information relative to the sanitary re-
| lations of the milk supply and recommen-
dations for it's improvement. The commits
sion is now preparing a. draft of such
! legislation as is needed to Garry into effect
| it's recommendations. and when this has
| been prepared and put into proper form
it will be brought to the attention of Con-
| gress for appropriate action.
| Distribution of Supplies.
The expenditure of the government of
the District of Columbia for supplies
other than construction materials amounts
in round numbers to 100000 per year.
The diversity of these supplies Is shown
| by the fact that there are nearly 5000
items unQer contract, While many thou
| sand other articles have to be purchas ed
| during the course of the year to meet I'M
foreseen needs of the large number of in
| situations and departments of the District
government In the purchase of these
| supplies the District officials use the new
| forms provided by the accounting officers
| of the Treasury. but 1t should be stated
| that these new forms, owing to the COM
pick data which they require, greatly in
crease the labors of the office of the prop
| erty clerk. One requirement alone COM
| pels the writing Of more than 15.OO0 addi-
| tional sheets Of paper during each year.
There is no question, however of the fact
| that these new vouchers are in general an
improvement over the old forms, especially
as under the present system only one Of
| them Is receipted. which is great safe
! guard against the fraudulent use of the
duplicate copy formerly required.
| Bids for fuel to be furnished during the
| fiscal year 1908 were invited at the usual
time. but at the request of the national ad-
yisory board, bureau of the United
States geological survey. the Commis-
sloners recalled the blank forms of pro-
posals and invited new bids under which
the coal received would be paid for ac-
cording to its calorific value as deter
mined by chemical analysis. this method
being suggested as more equitable way
l of purchasing. When these bids were re-
| ceiyed, however. they were found to be
SO much In excess-about $7.500-over the
M "a.