Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-04-15
Health Officers Report.
Of the City Council

Gentlemen Of the City Council:
The expense account Of the health
office to tht city during the past month
was nothing. gave Of my time. outside
Of Office work. exactly 80 hours to the
work of the Office. Besides these hours
there has been considerable Office work,
and some time given to looking after
quarantine matters.
Measles is the only contagious diseases
occurring during the month. OF this
disease SO cases were reported. The
spread Of the disease has in almost
every instance been through the schools
or Sunday schools. It would have been
well to have closed one or two rooms Of
the schools at the first outbreak. In the
future, under the same circumstances, |
should SO act.
There has been no quarantine Of cases
outside Of the city limits. and this has
hindersd the efficiency Of the quarantine
under our jurisdiction. There has been
some opposition to the quarantine. A
few citizens have said it Is useless. "The
children must have measles sometime"
they say. "and just as well now Is ever"
Not SO. All contagious diseases. all germ
diseases, are preventable. And It is the
duty Of every parent. physician and
board Of health to do all possible to pre-
vent such diseases. l understand that
one death has occurred ia the vicinity of
Rocky Ford. This was one unnecessary
death.
Contrast the spread Of measles and
scarlet fever. There were more deaths
in the United States last year from
measles than from scarlet fever. The
reason Is this-ths latter is by everybody
recognized as dangerous disease. hence
everybody is alert to prevent its spread.
Health officers have no difficulty IN en-
forcing a quarantine against scarlet
fever. Wnen public sentiment is as
strong in support Of quarantine against
measles as It now is against scarlet
fever. then will measles bs rare dis
ease and deaths from it almost unknown.
That time is coming.
The so hours Of undivided time l gave
the city last month were spent in inspect
ing alleys. back yards. eorrals. ETC.. and
IN advising and urging the cleaning Of
such places. Much has been done. There
is a good deal yet to Be done before We
can claim to bs = "spotlsss town.
Gentleman, we have reason for con-
graduation that there has been little or
no typhoid fever in Rocky Ford during
the past year. But want to say TO you
that the town is not yet safe against that
disease. Two things are yet needed. Ono
Of these is weekly cleanup ordnance.
such as | have asked for. With this
ordinance and the corporation Of the
citizens we can lessen the plague Of flies
by 80 or 90 per cent. According to
some Of our best sanitary authorities.
fiios are the carriers Of one half the cases
Of typhoid fever in the land. besides
being the cause Of diarrhosal and other
diseases.
The other measure needed to prevent
the spread Of typhoid. 10 sewerage con-
neesion. most urgently recommend
that the city begin At once to COMPEL Is
rapidly as possible sewerage connection
throughout the sewer district: and the
sewers should bs kept eo-sxtsnsivs with
the city limits.
With these two measures enforced
Rocky Ford would be one Of the very
healthiest spots on earth.
l. p. BARBOUR. M. D..
| Health Officer.