Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1915-03-10
STEPS TAKEN To
APPOINT PUBLIC
HEALTH NURSE
This Action is Initial Step in
"Baby Saving" Campaign
of Health BOard-Nurse is
to Get $65 a Month.

Determined to reduce the rate OF
infant mortality and to improve the
healthfulness of the city by promot-
ing hygiene surroundings and giving
proper instruction in the care of
babes, the Board of Health, In regu-
lar session last night, decided to ap-
point pubic health nurse at the
salary OF sos month. Pursuant to
taking this step the board went into
executive session to consider the
various applications received for the
position and at its close Messrs.
Dinesen, Dilts and Smith were ap-
pointed a special committee to make
further investigation and to recon-
mend the appointment of nurse at
the next meeting of the board.
This action, the initial step in the
baby saving campaign of the
health board, who believe that
health nurse there may be preven-
ton of infants deaths and Infants
diseases, as well as a general better
ment of conditions throughout Perth
Amboy. ThJ duties of the nurse will
be subject to the instruction of the
health department, and will not sole
ly pertain to maternity work.
During the past month there were
three cases of chickenpox; eighteen
cases of diphtheria; fourteen cases of
measles; six cases of scarlet fever,
and five cases of tuberculosis.
Inspections made by the health Of
ficials of places where food is pre-
pared and sold included thirty-two at
the abbatoir; seven at the public
market; eighty-one at meat markets;
forty-six of groceries; six bakeries;
two restaurants; seven milk depots.
and one fish market. At the abbatoir
seventy-one COWS were slaughtered;
sixty-three and a-three-feaYths were
passed. and eight and one-fourth
condemned. Fifty-nine calves were
slaughtered and passed inspection, as
did thirty-five pigs and one horse.
The condemned parts included four
cows's heads, five livers and fourteen
lungs.
The report of Analyst Carl Heg-
strom shows that during the month
there have been forty hree cultures
examined for diphtheiAa; two speci-
mems of blood for, suspected typhoid
fever, two specimens of sputum for
suspected tuberculosis, six miscella-
neous specimens, twenty-seven cam
pies of milk, three samples of vine
gar, and three samples of water.
There were fifty inspections OF
privies, manure piles, etc; eighteen
nuisances reported, and six abate-
ments. Twenty-four disease cases
were investigated and thirty-fve
fumigations made.
The report of vital statistics shows
that during the month of February
there were thirty-five marriages.;
ninety-four births; four still births,
and forty-eight deaths.
Willsey Makes Report.
In his report to the commissioners
for the month of February, Health
officer Willsey said:
1T is with a great deal of satisfac-
tion that we note marked decrease
in the number of diphtheria cases
reported during the month as COM
pared with the number reported in
January. The report shows,
that there was a slight in
crease in the number of all kinds of
communicable diseases reported, over
the number reported for the same
period in 1914, which is largely due
to the recurrence of measles, a dis
ease to which we have given little or
no attention, for the reason that
while measles are one of the most
contagious diseases known, it has
long been looked upon as one of the
necessary ills incident to childhood,
and there are comparatively few
deaths reported where measles are
given as the cause of death.
There are, however, many deaths
from pneumonia, disease whicn
follows an attack of
measles, and there are other compli- !
cations resulting from measles which |
are serious enough to warrant our
.aking steps to prevent the spread of
his disease is far as possible, and
believe that one of the best methods |
would be to placard the dwelling. Il
10 not consider this method to be of |
much value only as warning to |
people who desire to protect them
elves, but it would probably be more |
,ffectual in preventing the spread of ,
measles than any other disease,
wing to the fact that frequently all |
he younger and sometimes the older
members of the family are affected /
S the infectious period is during the
atarrhal stage and before the rash
ppears, so that new cases may be
eveloping in the family when the
erson first affected is recovering"