Evening journal., 1910-10-12
HOW TO REDUCE
THE DEATH RATE
DR.. CIeaver Points Out Some
Remedies to Prevent
Disease in City

Much interest was taken in the fig
ures which appeared in THE EVEN
ING JOURNAL Monday afternoon,
relatives to the high death rate in
Wilmington, which were prepared by
DR.. II. A. Cleaver. a member of the
Board Of Health.
In a statement made in conjunc-
tion with the figures submitted. Dr.
Cleaver said that the abstracts show
ed Wilmington, by comparison with
other cities, i'm an unfavorable light
Dr. Cleaver presents as some reme-
dies to prevent disease in Wilmington
the following.
THE screening laws as passed by
the Board Of Health, and objected to
by some; the city streets, especially
those used for markets should be
swept and flushed oftener and more
thoroughly, as far as possible at
night; veterinarians TO be appointed
as chief meat and milk inspectors.
having for their assistants other vet
erinarians or experienced butchers.
Such inspection should apply not
only TO the city but TO the State, in
spectiOns TO occur not at stated
periods, but frequently, and without
warning No meat should be ex-
posed for sale unless IL has been
slaughtered In sanitary slaughter
houses under the control of the city
inspectors above mentioned or unless
n bear the government stamp and
has been passed by the city inspec-
tors. No slaughtering should take
place except at such hours as may be
determined by law and at such times
when the inspecting force may over
see the work This should apply to
the killing of poultry as we'll as that
Of animals. The city of Lynn. Mass,
has a special slaughter house erected
for the killing Of poultry, and only
such poultry as has been killed there
may be exposed for sale. Only drawn
poultry or live poultry should be ex-
posed for sale.
Some Other Laws Needed.
"All houses should be connected
with sewers. no cesspools be allowed
within the limits of the city. Rigid
enforcement of garbage collections be
made at night in modern ga bage
carts, and more frequently, espec-
tally in hot weather. Unsanitary
dwellings should be made sanitary or
done away with, and smoke nui-
sances abolished. All street cars
should be clean and kept cleaned, to
b0 properly ventilated and crowding
forbidden. This last is not only un-
comfortable but markedly helpful in
the spreading of disease by reason of
the close personal contact, but inde-
cent All manure piles should re-
ceive daily a covering Of land plas-
ter, such a covering preserves the
ferttllzing nitrogen values and
kills the fly grubs. Rigid quarantine
with heavy penalties alike for those
physicians who fail to report their
cases and those patients or theii
/ friends who violate the regulations
Market houses of modern sanitar,
construction. with protecting glass
cases for the meats, cts. supplied
with cold air currents from central
lied blast fans should be provided
Such a course is recommended b.
butchers as well as health boards az
being superior to all other forms o
]
tions which have been made, while
numerous. are not unreasonable o.
novelties. In support of this state
ment reference IS made to the meth
DDS of street cleaning In Denver, Col,
the sanitary slaughter house for poul
try In Lynn, Mass; the clean an,
we'll ventilated trolley cars of In
diana, New York and Massachusetts
Even were these things not so II
other cities there is no reason VIII.
we should hesitate to improve Ou
conditions. nor is there any good rea
son why Wilmington should not Leaf
in cleanliness the seven cities who's
lists have been given, instead of head
ing the death rate column. Again Z
return, cities have a composite indi
viduality as we'll as persons. Let tn
people of Wilmington make tn
most marked characteristics Of its in
dividuality to secure health for tn
people and healthy growth for tn
city"