New Britain herald., 1915-04-13
ABUSE CHIEF REWARD ;. OF SUPT. OF HEALTH
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 express their, opinion of our worth. And we have specimens from two Hncouth and degenerate minds that, were we timid, would cause us to seek police protection. However, we have persued that part of our work with fairness to all, giving extended time in which to complete the work or dered where financial conditions war ranted 1t. So far as I can recall We have favored no friend nor have we sought to distinguish one property from another.
 "As the work developed, due to the very important reinvestigations of the large number of tenements, it was found necessary to keep one man on the work almost exclusively, and, had we the means, we should keep two in spectors on tenement houses all the time.
 Work Increases Hundred Fold.
 "As the tenement house work en- larged, so did the laboratory work and the general Investigating of suspicious cases of contagion and infection. Also, due to the board of health's hay ing established offices and hours, the general complaint and assistance calls have increased a hundred fold. Six months after the offices had opened the various lines of work had ue- veloped so rapidly that it became real source of worry as to how so small a force should cope with so large work. And it came to an is- sue where we must either drop much which we had started or employ ad- ditional help The wiser course was chosen and we employed an additional inspector to look after yard and kindred nuisances, and welfare nurse to assist ip looking after exist ing and suspicious contagious and in fectious cases
 Communicable Diseases.
 The control of conta gious and in- fectious diseases has constituted a large part of the work of your super intendent The economic loss to the city, due to wage earners being de- prived of their work, and the loss by keeping children from school because of infectious and contagious diseases while the teachers salaries go on, is considerable. By means of the bacter- io1ogical laboratory and constant su- pervision of communicable diseases. if is hoped in time to prevent the un- due and unnecessary exposure of well people to such diseases.
 With but few exceptions it is no easy or pleasant duty to detect those who carry infectious germs. Invar- iably the guardians or patients resent being told that they are carriers and are, in many instances, all too prone to risk spreading contagion about rather than submit to proper supervision. Of course, we are bound to do our duty by the city when we find such cases, | and suffer the personal condemnation i we receive.
 Diphtheria.
 'There were 1 S1 cases of diphtheria | reported to, and found by, this of l flee during the year with four deaths. ] Last year there were ninetysix cases | reported with nine deaths. The in 1 creased number of cases reported this | year does not mean diphtheria was more prevalent but that due to bac- l astrological aid cases of mild diph- | theria were detected which hereto fore would have passed as 'sore throats." The small percentage of deaths is probably due to two causes viz: the early and free use of diph- theria antitoxin and to the rather mildly virulent type of diphtherla germ found during the year. Two O. the deaths were undoubtedly due to absence of treatment until the cases were beyond help.
 Scarlet Fever.
 There were twenty five cases of scarlet fever reported during the year with one death. Last year there were seventy-five cases, with one death.
 Typhoid Fever.
 Twenty-Five cases of typhoid fever. with one death, occurred during the past twelve months. This is an in crease over the previous year when ten cases were reported, with two deaths.
 Tuberculosis.
 We have made special effort to have all tuberculosis cases reported to this office. Report of 1O6 cases was received and thirty-two deaths were reported.
 The previous year sixty y-six cases were reported and forty-two deaths l recorded. From these figures it is ev- ident that such cases are either not 1 ecognized or are not reported.
 From May 1st, 1915, we shall have l the tuberculosis nurse in the employ | of this office. which will facilitate the | handling of this very real menace to 1 public health.
 There Is no question that every | dollar spent by the city in the control | of this disease is money we'll invested. l No. of school permits issued =. 533 | No. of fumigations ...... BOA |
 Infant Mortality.