Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-01-23
DR.. ELANAGAN's LECTURE.
Large Gathering to Hear Lecture Of
Director of Inspections, State
Board of Health.

The rooms OF tue Chamber OF Conn
MERGE were filled last night to over
flowing with ladies and gentlemen TO
hear the lecture OF DR.. Roy K. Flana-
gan, Director OF Inspections, Board OF
Health of Virginia. Members OF the
City Council, School Board and other
city officials, public school teachers,
members OF the Tuberculosis Society,
Civic League and other representative
people OF the city were present. Tue
Chamber OF Commerce, under whose
auspices the lecture was delivered, was
also well represented, as was the Retail
Merchants's Association.
DIR. Flanagan was Introduced 10y
Robert S. Jones, president OF the Cham
Der Of Commerce. The doctors ad'
dress was brief but to the point, and he
went over considerable ground during
the time he spoke. He began by
showing the Importance OF preventing
the appearance and spread OF diseases
in a community, and made many prac-
teal suggestions concerning the means
which should be resorted to in order to
accomplish this result. He dwelt for
time upon the necessity OF COMPEL
ing householders to tap sewers and
thus prevent infection from surface
drainage. He also showed the danger
| incident TO the furnishing OF milk by
thoughtles> or unsanitary dalrynen
who did not observe proper hygiene
laws in preparing milk for customers.
The speaker alluded to the terrible
mortality among infants from this
cause. Meat with tuberculosis germs
in it was also referred to. The doctor
dwell for time upon the danger COM
munities are exposed to from this
source. The speaker, after portraylng
the menaces 10 the health OF commu-
mites from unSanitary procedures. es-
pecialIy IN those appertalning to the
furnishing OF food, said all communI.
ties should have health laws to cover
ali causes OF disease, in order that
| when au infectious disease appeared 1t
can oe nipped in the bud and not al.
lowed to spread aud die out OF its own
accord. The health departments oil
cities, he said. should be reorganized
on modern principles and health OF,
Ulcers selected aud paid salaries com
mensurate with the duties required oil
them. In short, their lpay should be
sufficient to enable them to devote
their entire time to the duties OF the
office. They should also be furnished
with clerks to act as auxiiarles. The
speaker referred to the fact that mis-
tresses of houses were IN sense, mu
nicipal agents i'll the matter Of health,
and that they could do much towards
accelerating sanitary conditions IN
every city. The doctor said be had
made an informal inspection OF condl'
tons IN Alexandria and, so far As his
observation had gone. this city pre-
sented no worse appearance than other
places in the commonwealth. He said
the present health officer was capable
and energetic and performed consider
able labor for the small salary he re-
ceivnd. The doctor thought the move
menl towards better health condition:
should be launched by doctors in com
munities.
At the conclusion OF DR.. Flanagan 5
address, he said he would be pleased to
hear any questions which might be
propounded on health lines. He called
especial attention to the Antl-Tubercu'
losis Society OF this city, which he said,
was an effective ally OF the authorities
At this juncturc DR.. G. I. klipstein
OF this city. arose and said the Medical
Association OF Alexandria had some
time ago prepared suitable health resu'
lations covering substantially everything
that had been mentioned by DR.. Flana'
gan, but that the measure had never
become law DIR. klipstcin referred to
the fact that recently about one-ha|f oil
herd OF eighty cattle which had been
slaughtered near Alexandria had been