Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-07

|
the meeting Monday night, the city
health offieer, DR.. N, B. Lewis, made
| the following Recommendations:
That the culvert at Comstoek pond
| be completed.
Turner pond acquired and culvert
| constructed through it.
| Rose place completed.
| Garfield avenue should be accepted
| as a public street.
Large sewer should be laid through
nue..
Sherman street near Canada bridge
| should be severed.
The outlet of Market street should
be changed.
Short sewer should be built in
Golden street.
Health Report.
The following was the report OF the
health officer:
Every year throughout the state and
nation renewed efforts are being made
| for the prevention Of disease, especially
in infants and young children. For the
past eleven years I have distributed
every year to mothers of young chill
dren pamphlets on the care of infants
and young children. Almost all of the
deaths in infants during the summer
from the several hot weather diseases
arose from carelesSneSS, ignorance or
accident. 1t therefore follows that the
instruction of mothers is the surest
way to save the infants. The same
| may be said of larger children and
adults, that some knowledge in sani-
tation and the prevention of disease is
| essential to health, and that health is
| essential to the happiness and pros
perity of the people. During the past
year about the usual number of mis-
celIaneous nuisances have been re-
| Of scarlet fever; more minor COM
municable diseases; less pneumonia;
less malaria, and fewer diseases of
children.
It has not been possible during my
term as health officer, with the small
appropriation made for expenses. to
maintain an office devoted solely to
health work or to keep extensive files
of statistics for future reference.
While all these improvements are now
| maintained by the majority of cities
at cost of from $4,000 to $4,000 year
| ", we have managed to obtain excel
| lent results, improved the sanitary
condition of the city, avoided severe
epidemics and have been exempt from
smallpox for eleven and a half years.
The clerical work in this department
has increased very much during the
past few years, and extra work has
| been added by new laws, both state
and national, so that 1t would seem
necessary in the near future that an
| Office be established solely for health
| work.
Communicable Diseases-Typheid.
During September two cases of ty-
| phoid fever were reported in the city.
| Every effort was made to trace the
origin Of the disease, but without re-
| suit.
Scarlet Fever.
Only two cases of scarlet fever oc-
Cured in the city until September,
when five cases were reported in the
county home. The children were re-
moved to the hospital as soon as pos
S3ble after the disease was recognized.
but other children were necessarily
Fexposed to the disease, and before the
epidemic was finally checked 20 cases
occurred in the county home. AS soon
as possible after the outbreak of the
| Tactic vaccine with the intention of
vaccinating the children in the coun-
| ty home and checking the epidemic,
| but the superintendent Of the county
| home refused to have the vaccine used
| and the children continued to have the
| disease. During the fall and winter
several cases of scarlet fever have oe-
Cured in large families and the vac
cine has been used with success in
every case but one. where on account
the attending physician the vaccine
kwas not used until three days of ex
posture had elapsed, and the Ave other
children in the family consequently
| contracted LlG disease. mo Ill 0lOCLS
| arise from the vaccine and several
| large families Of children have been
qrarantined with only the single case
| of scarlet fever. In November one
case occurred in the Hobart avenue
school, and the school was closed at
once. Several other cases occurred,
| with one death. The school was not
opened until January, after all the
cases had subsidized and the school
building had been fumigated and
grade in the Bridge district was closed
for three weeks on account of a case
| of scarlet fever, and this room was
thoroughly renovated before opening.
A case of scarlet fever occurred in a
pupil Of st. Mary's school the last of
February. This school was closed for
three weeks. Only one other case oc-
Cured in this school. Fifty-two cases
of scarlet fever occurred in the city
during the year.
Diphtheria.
Twenty-one cases, of diphtheria oc-
Cured during the year, with five
deaths; Isl, 900 units of antitox1n were
state, and $4,000 units have been used
since the state supply was exhausted.
Measles and Minor Contagious Dis
eases. 81
Very few cases of measles have &C.
measles. mumps and chickenpox have
been prevalent. Whooping cough has
been present during the year among
the smaller children. Whooping cough
serum has been used with success in
some of the more severe cases.
Tuhereulosis.
Forty-four cases Of pulmonary tu-
berculosis were reported during the
year. There were 81 deaths from the
disease, four less than in 1913. Forty
of these deaths occurred at the sana-
torium.
Rabies.
In October case of rabies occurred
in dog at Thamesxille and several
other dogs were bitten. Later another
occurred on Roosevelt avenue and two
men were bitten. These men were
taken to the Pasteur institute in New
York city and given the Pasteur
treatment as the law directs. No
i'll effects resulted from the
cites.
Sanitation.
Aboue the usual number of nuisances
were reported during the year. 1195