New Britain herald., 1915-10-05
Secretary-F. F. Hanford. Treasurer-J. F. Shorey.
Health, Officers Report.

Health Officers Report. The report of Health Officer George P. Durham, as printed in the annual town report follows: , ITO the Board of Selectmen and Citizens of Berlin
 "Gentlemen:-
 T respectfully submit the follow
 ing report of health officer of Berlin for the year 1914-15, together with such recommendations and sugges-
 tions as would seem advisable to best conserve the health and comfort of
 our citizens.
 Tn submitting this fifth annual re- port of the sanitary condition of the town during the year, the health off, Ger is pleased to note the continued satisfactory record of several years There has been no serious epidemic of disease. There was a threatened
 epidemic of scarlet fever in the Beck ! ley school but prompt isolation of the cases and thorough. disinfection of 1 the school promptly ended the dis | turbance.
 ! An increasing interest in sewage, 1 especially in connection with the sew l CT beds, the proper disposal of gar : bage brought into town, cleaning of UdCh ydluS Ol LfS proper l notification of nuisances, is evident. ] Scarlet fever and diphtheria seem i to occupy first place among the con- , tagious diseases. Since September 1,
 1914, nine cases of scarlet fever and i six of diphtheria were reported. All
 were of a mild type and no deaths 1 reported Two cases of tuberculosis
 with one death. These facts are es- pecially noteworthy, in vie wof our i large foreign population.
 There has been the regular col lection of milk samples during the i year. The reports from the state l laboratory show 8 marked improve 1 ment in all respects. The fat per-
 centage has gradually increased while i the percentage of clean milk has i greatly improved. Where we have 1 had samples as low as 40 per cent 1 clean in the lot of samples taken last
 year, during the present year only one i has fallen below so per cent. clean A record of 90 per cent clean is now 1 a regular feature. The average per cent. clean for 1914 was 73, while for ! the present year it is S5 per cent. ! These reports sho wthat the dairymen
 are alive to the fact that it pays to | produce and deliver clean milk. l -'During the year a few nuisances were reported and abated. No nui- l sance should occur in a civilized com l munIty. No person should allow a | carcass of animal, however small to remain unburied, nor refuse to be | deposited along the highway or along the less frequented roads. Sink drains 1 should be deeply covered and not all lowed to run into the highway. Old
 tin cans collect water which sub
 sequently become breeding places for mosquitoes.
 Tn regard to making complaints to 9 health officer, the man who is
 unwilling to sign his name to a com plaint generally has not much ground for his complaint As health officer,
 l do not assume the entire credit for the healthy condition of our town, but take into consideration the hearty cooperation of the people and the physicians of the community. Every
 man and woman in a community
 should act as an assistant health officer, at least so far as their C~vn
 property is concerned If this sug- gestion were carried out there would
 be fewer hysterical complaints against ! ones neighbors.
 Tn closing this report you are
 urged to carefully consider the ad- visibility of the medical inspection
 of school children. These are the days of preventive measures and no better prevention can be secured than
 the regular inspection of the school