Evening journal., 1908-03-13
HEALTH OF CITY
REPORTED GOOD
Death Rate Only 1850
and Birth Rate
2O.SS
HEALTH SECRETARY SENDS
REPORT TO COUNCIL

Joseph Wigglesworth. Secretary OF the
Board OF Health, presented the annual
report OF the board to City Council last
night. The report showed some interesting
facts concerning the work OF the board
during the year ending December 81. Mr..
Wigglesworth says in part:
The year just closed has been one
OF the most satisfactory and encouraging
In the history Of the Health Department
and while the volume OF work has been
much greater than in former years. It
has been a matter Of congratulation that
we have had the helpful cooperation OF
our citizens and in but few instances was
1t necessary to resort TO legal process to
have the boards orders put into effect
"A total Of 1926 complaints was received
Upon investigation, III Of these complaints
We're found to be groundless and that the
nuisances complained Of were not iniur-
ious to health.
"Of the 900 complaints there was a total
OF 245 complaints that made It necessary
to serve notices on the owners or agents
OF 56S properties TO have the same connect
ed with the sewers before the nuisances
complained Of could be reported abated.
THE executive officers OF the depart
ment have been most faithful I'm the dis
charge Of their duties; they have shown
neither fear nor favor in their work ana IL
gives me great satisfaction to report that
every complaint investigates and inspec-
ton made by them has been properly at
tended TO. To them is undoubtedly due
the greater part Of the success OF the de-
partments work.
Collection of Garbage.
During the year iust ended the col
lection Of garbage and onal was under the
direct control Of the Board OF Health,
the first entire year it has had this super
vision since 1899. wonderful improve
ment was noticed in the service. a total
Of only 1924 complaints Of non-coilection
being made during the year as compared
with 49l5 complaints received in the pre-
ceding year.
''The establishment OF plggeries close to
the city had been a nuisance Of long
standing; within a quarter OF a mile OF
the Second ward alone more than a
thousand hogs were being fed with refuse
hauled from the city refuse that was al
most entirely collected in open wagons
or carts.
after number Of these collectors OF
refuse we're fined in the Municipal Court,
the owners OF the piggeries employed
counsel, and when one Of their number
had been fined a second time. an appeal
was taken to the Superior Court. This lat
ter tribunal sustained the finding OF the
City Court and I am now Of the opinion
that illegal garbage collecting and Of
I ufr he -.
are things Of the past.
Filth in Private Alleys.
"one OF the most difficult problems o.
the Board Is to keep clean the various
private alleys Of the city. They are most
ly unlighted at nights therefore the pro-
moters Of nuisances and the receptacles
OF all kinds OF dirt and filth.
1T was not only necessary for the
executive officers to serve A5 individual
notices. during the year. TO clean party
alleys but it was frequently necessary
for the officers to make second calls be-
fore their orders were carried into effect.
Decrease in Scarlet Fever.
There we're 80 cases Of scarlet fever re-
ported with / death for the year 1907 as
compared with "a cases and deaths for
the preceding year. This is the first time
that single death occurred from scarlet
fever, in any year, since 1899.
During the year los cases Of diphtheria
were reported with deaths, a percentage
OF Ss3. This is very gratifying when COM
pared with the year 1906 when there were
2s2 cases reported, with 80 deaths, a per-
centage Of 1883
Consumption Should be Reported.
Nothing new has been done during the
year in the way Of restricting this disease,
nor viii it be possible to add any new pre-
caution until we get a satisfactory ordi-
nance putting consumption in the list Of
notihable diseases The first thing neces-
sary for us in order to restrict a given dis
ease is to have record Of the cases. We