New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1911-04-29
subscription $3.50 Per Apnum
OFFICIAL MINUTES ROARD
OF HEALTH.

| P'eAcut ana absent, to
wit. Messrs. Delahoussaye and
indest; Absent-Dr. w. f. Cars.
tens and Mr.. Il. i. Romero.
The minutes of the last meet
ing were read and approved on
motion of Mr.. Delahoussave, see
onded by Mr.. Indest and carried
DIR Young presented and read
the following report:
New Iberia, April 8. 1911.
To the Members of the CITY Board
of Health, New Iberia. La:
Gentlemen-I beg to read you
herewith my report since entering
on the duties Of Health Officer of
New Iberia. on September oath.
1909; at that time you know as
well as | do, the duties as usually
prac ticed by all Municipal Boards
throughout the State were more
nominal than anything else. The
laws that we have on the statute
books were there then. but had
not been executed by any Stat
Board prior to that of which DR.
Downing is now the head. This
Board, like the balance. was mere
ly guardian of the public against
epldemlcs of small pOX, yellow fe-
yer and scarlatina, etc. plus tn
collection Of a few vital statistics
1t had an Inspector who under a
very imperfect law, was only t.
make rounds at stated interval
and order the premises cleaned
and which were never cleaned
again until his return. with a re
suit that is obvious to all. With
this the pay has been in keepinq
with the work done; and here ]
will give a condensed summary Of
the infectious diseases which have
been reported to this Office. to-
gether with the methods of disiD
fection used and results which
will speak for themselves for the
efficiency of the same.
32 cases Of scarlet fever.
10 eases of diptheria.
II eases Of small pox.
These cases were reported tc
this Office by the physicians.
wherenp0n the places were ".post-1
ed" and the house disinfected with
Formaldehyde Gas, when the
physician reported the cases
ready for same. In not single
instance has there been a reinfec-
ton in the same house after our
disinfection. The small pox eases
are no longer sent to the pes
house. 1t is only tramps and per-
sons who have no homes who are
sent there. The others are all
handled at their own homes and
we have proven repeatedly that
they can be safely handled at their
own homes without any danger of
an outbreak. In these eases the
patient is isolated, premises post
ed and every person within rad
ius of 200 feet is vacinated. AT
the end Of sickness the Formalde-
hyde Gas disinfection is used as
for other infectious cases, and we
have not yet had single other
case to deal within the same house.
But now more is expected OF
this office and its assistants; it'll
now becomes pure food commits
sion for the City of New Iberia.
which will necessarily make it a |
busy place, and render it nee essary
to give it much more time. With
the dairies to look after, the
slaughter houses. meat markets,
meat carts. baker shops, baker
carts. grocery stores. fruit stands.
and even barber shops, besides the
work which we have already been
doing. It will become necessary
for the Board to back up ITS
Health Officer and Inspector, and
if YOU do. / assure you OF rigid
enforcement of all the municipal
and State public health laws.
| will read YOU copies of two
ordinances which | wish You tol
adopt which will speak for them
selve.
And now we come to the all i'm
norfant ouestion of sanitary
slaughter pens. and the slaughter
ing of healthy animals.
! find it almost impossible to]
have anything like sanitary
slaughter of animals under our ex-
listing laws.
The numerous slaughter houses
around the City are mere make
shifts as compared to what they
should be under the law; and
these cannot be made sanitary
without abolishing them entirely
and ordering new ones built, which
would be a hardship on most OF
the owners.
/ urge with all possible empha-
sis the establishment of a central
slaughter house under Municipal
control. and request you to look
into the matter and get plans and
for same with a
view of ascertaining the cost. and
to report to this Board at an early
date, when we will be prepared to
pass an ordinance requiring the
CITY to maintain the same. This
Board has full power in the prem
ises and we should go on record
for establishing this one essential
to the preservation of public
health. Yours truly,
WARREN G. YOUNG, NJ. D.
The chair appointed Messrs. In
dest and Delahoussaye . Commit