The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-11-04
Child Welfare Workers TO
Meet in WQShin0tOn

ject.
Miss Julia c. Lathrop, chief of the
children's bureau. Is the chairman OF
the executive committee to consider
vital and social statistics. but owing
to the fact that she is in Chicago
while recuperating from an attack of
paratyphoid fever. she will not be able
to attend the sessions. Her duties in
preparing the program and making
arrangements for the discussion have
been carried on by the secretary of
the committee. who Is Lewis Merriam.
assistant chief OF the children's hu.
reau. Child welfare experts consider
the problem OF keeping accurate birth
rate statistics one OF the most import-
ant features In the study of infant
mortality, because unless there ia NJ.
curate information on both the birth
and death rate Of infants, IL Is impos-
sible to get the fullest value out OF
the Investigations looking to the pre-
,ention Of high infant mortality. At
the present time only a few states
have adequae birth and infant NOR
tally records.
city's sewers provide the brown
rat, one OF the most dangerous men,
aces to public
Brown Rat health, with an
Menace. ideal subway sys-
TEN for rapid tran
sit from one place to another, accord
ing to Or. French Simpson. past as
sstant surgeon of the United States
public health service. who has lust
completed a study OF the ratproofing
OF sewers.
To considerable extent, says Or.
simpson, rats enter and follow this
highway In their migrations from
rouse 10 house, and the number pres
ent bears somewhat definite relation
10 the number living in nearby prem.
'ses. The ratproofng OF city sewers
Wouid not only reduce the danger OF
spread OF disease by rats, but would
reduce the number OF rats infesting
homes, and provide an important
means for their general control and
final elimination.
Or simpson has carried on a study
OF ratproofing OF city sewer systems
chief1y in San Francisco. where the
interest In ratproofng is greatest be-
cause OF the outbreaks of bubonic
prague which have broken out In the
racine coast city at various times.
ana which disease Is carried by the
hea-inie sted rats The study of rat.
PROBING of sewers Is made in connec-
ton with a study OF ratproofing OF
buildings completed by the public
health service some weeks ago. DR..
Simpson believes that little progress
can be made In the elimination Of
rats from the city until all sewers as
we'll as buildings are made practical
ly ratproof
Government health experts have
found a unique way OF constructing
, sewers so that 1t is impossible for
rats to escape from them and enter
nearby houses. They have measured
the jumping ability OF the ordinary
brown or sewer rat and have found
that the rodent cannot Jump upward
more than three feet. They have,
therefore. decided that thorough and
satisfactory drainage and proper rat
PROBING can be obtained when there
is distance OF at least three feet be.
tween the sewer inlet and outlet, so
that the rat cannot jump into the
street from the sewer basin, and
when the construction is such that
all sediment Is discharged quickly.
Sewers may not be a pleasant thing
for many people to think about. but
the government experts say that all
menaces to health originating in the
improper construction OF sewerage
! systems must be removed, to promote
the thorough sanitation of q city.
Many sewers not only harbor rats.
but they form ideal breeding places
| for mosquitoes. Unfortunately, "a
says DR.. Simpson, ''the water In sewer
traps has proved an ideal breeding
place for mosquitoes. In the invests
cation OF numerous mosquito COM
plants 1t has been found that in about
| 80 per cent Of all cases examined
the breeding OF such mosquitoes was
confined to corner catch basins alone.
In many instances. on lifting the
street grating, the basin was found
TO be swarming with mosquitoes,
while the water in the bottom con-
tanned thousands Of wrigglers. A
force of men in San Francisco. con-
stituting flying squad Is now en-
gagged. as expeditiously as possible. In
i. cleaning. flushing and oiling all such
breeding places