Evening star., 1909-03-14

ment is necessary--that the patient is
really suffering from measles. The health
officer quickly dispatches one of the doc
tors of the Office to make diagnosis OF
the case. and no time is lost in removing
the patient to a properly quarantined
ward If there Is danger of conta gion.
Another batch Of mail has been deliv-
cred to the health officer by this time, and
the first letter he opens says some un-
pleasant things about him. The writer
claims that the transcript of the record
OF a birth has the names spelled wrong
or first name wrong and the health
officer is blamed. An investigation Of
the complaint shows that the error was
made by the physician or midwife in re-
porting the birth and the transcript fur
nished the parents corresponds with the
report of the attending physician. To
straighten out the matter, the physician
Is called in In some cases. it is eX-
planned, clerical errors are made by the
clerk in charge of the vital statistics. and
in that case the health department
knowledges the blame and makes the
correction.
Another letter comes from the western
city and makes many inquiries regarding
practices of the health department in
pure food crusades, the prevalence of
contagious diseases in the District, the
manner Of keeping vital statistics and
matters of sanitation. Health Officer
Woodward answers these letters per-
sonally and In full, his stenographer be-
ing kept busy receiving dictation OF this
character.
a complaint against the sanitary or
food inspector is found at times in the
mail, the writer thinking that the in
spector has exceeded his authority, made
unnecessary criticisms or required unnec-
essary work on the part of the house
holder. Health Officer Woodward gives
such a complaint his personal attention,
and 1t IS a task which requires all Of his
acutest diplomatic powers. To the house
holder he explains that the inspectors
are required to do certain things and il
he does them no blame attaches. To the
inspector he explains that his duties re-
quire him to perform certain tasks, but
he must not exceed his authority or let
personal prejudice sway his action. 1t
is the duty of the health officer to keep
the inspectors in good repute in the COM
rnunity and yet do efficient work and not
be afraid TO take drastic measures when
necessary.
Another writer thinks that q sewer IS
needed in the street near his home and
wants the health officer to declare that
such an Improvement is necessary to pre-
serve the health of the particular section
i'll which the writer is interested. Health
Officer Woodward handles such pleas
with gloves.
He drops the letter to take up the tele-
phone receiver again Smith, who lives
out near the Soldiers Home, says that
there Is a cow browsing along the road
way showing a huge appetite for young
trees, and he thinks the COW ought to
be impounded. Police Intervention, with
the object of finding the owner. is usually
the first step advised by the health officer
in such cases
One of the inspectors OF the contagious
disease service rushes into the Office while
the call is being answered. He eXplaSoS
briefly that he has just returned from
Quarantining a scarlet fever patient and
his house ard discovered before he left
the house that while the people are shut
in the cupboard is bare of provisions.
The inmates cannot get out to get any
thing and the Doctors bill has taken all
the. ready money. Some arrangements
must be made by the health authorities to
get provisions to the patient and his fam
ily and the officials are not lax in their
humane duties. Frequently. says Health
officer Woodward, an inspector has
taken money from his own pocket to
give crust of bread to family that his
duty compelled him to place in quaran-
tine.
In fact, this is only one of the many
difficulties met by the health officer In his
work of preventing District residents from
exposure to contagious diseases. When
a disease rated as contagious Is dlScoV-
cred the health officer must see to 1t
promptly that the patient and those ex-
posed to the disease through him are
uuarantined he must see that there are
no violations Of the quarantine regula-
tions and when the patient has recovered
must provide for thorough disinfection
of the house. This work of quarantininS
and disinfecting is performed under the