Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-02-04
COUNCIL DECIDES TO
INVESTIGATE
CHARGES
Specific Complaints Made
Against City Physician
VIII Receive
Attention.
Or. CAIRNS REQUESTS
COMPLETE EXAMINATION
Smallpox and Matters in COnneC-
ton With Epidemic Take Up
Time of Aldermen Highland
erS Present Petition for
Fire Protection.

Charges against the city physician,
small poX and a detention hospital
were live subjects at last nights
meeting of the city fathers and the
end is not yet.
Prior to the meeting, Dr. earns,
| city physician. caused all of the early
arrivals at the meeting to secretly
decide to get vaccinated forthwith by
exhibiting a photograph of the wo-
1 man taken from the st. Claire hotel
and in the pest house now suffering
| from small pox. The picture showed
her face and hands to be mass of
scabs and the doctor stated that she
was the same from head TO foot. The
| city physician supplemented the eX-
| hibition of this picture by statement
that Of all the eighteen cases that
have come to his attention during the
| late epidemic, not one Of them had
been vaccinated. The city physician
also stated that the cases developing
last were more severe than the hrst
which he considered an indication
that the disease was taking a worse
and more dangerous form.
There are still three small poX
patients i'm the pest house, two men
and a woman.
Clancy Presents Petition.
The next chapter in the small pox
controversy was a petition presented
to the council by District Attorney
Clancy, setting forth figures aud CIV
ing names and street numbers in IN
stances where the city physician is
alleged to have charged more than the
lawful fees for fumigation. Accord
ing to Mr.. Clancy's Introductory talk,
the charges were there in such form
that they could be met by the city
physician and if without foundation
refuted by that officer. Mr.. Clancy
said that the streets were filled with
rumors, which if true, would indicate
that the city physician had been gull
ty of what appeared to be improper
conduct. This allegeu improper con-
duct was of such a character that 1t
deserved consideration of the council
and an investigation. Mr.. Clancy
suggested that the investigation be
made by a committee from the coun-
ell directly. Mr.. Clancy repeated this
suggestion as If he thought that
committee from the council would be
more thorough in making an inves-
tigation than the Board of Health tC
which other complaints Of the kind
had been left.
Mr.. Clancys petition in import
asked for an investigation of the city
physicians conduct and suggested a
new city ordinance governing the
duty of the city physician and provid-
ing for the payment of fumigatioT
fees.
/, Mr.. Clancys suggestion to the
: council that the investigation be
placed in the hands of a committee
from council was met by Alderman
Hanley, who made motion that the
. council sit in the matter as COM
mittee of the whole, and that the
/. persons having complaints to make
appear before a meeting to be held
, for the special purpose of making
the investigation. The motion in
cluded that each person whose name
appeared on the petition presented by
ar. Clancy be notified, The motor
passed. The time for this invesiga'
ton will be set by the mayor.
Mr.. Clancy's Petition.
The individual complaints set forth
in the petition authored by Mr.. Clanc!
are as follows:
Mrs. NJ +. Heindl, or the Hlgh'
land Roomlng house, has twenty
nine rooms for dodgers. For the tu'
migation of these premises January
I1O. 1908, she was charged $50 by the
city physician, who put the fumlgat,
! ing materials in one room only and
none I'm the twenty-eight others, bu'
7 put q number Of jars Of chemicals IN
the hall way only. \ deduction ol
SIS was made on account Of the bed
ding removed TO the pest house, leaN'
ing the charge SOS. 1t will be seer
that at the rate OF S1.75 per room
! II every room had been actually fumi'
gated the total proper under the or
, dinance. would have been S50.75, bu
IT cannot be said that all OF the rooms
were fumigated within the meaning
OF the ordinance. Mrs. Heindl was
compelled to pay this charge or sub
NIT to having her place quarantinec
for twenty-one days.
2 John Scofieck, Of I24 South
Second street, has fifteen rooms, and
was compelled to pay $35 in advance
when the charge for all the rooms II
all had been fumigated under the
ordinance. would have been only
S26.25, but, as matter of fact only
seven rooms We're fumigated. In seven
other rooms, no fumigating materia
was used, and one room was let'