Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-05
Communicable Diseases Of Animals.

Communicable Diseases of Animals.
During the calendar year 1915 nine
teen dogs and five other animals were
reported to the health department as
rabid or suspected of being rabid. The
| dogs rabid or suspected of being rab1d
| bit seventeen persons and five domes-
tic animals. Nine persons were bitten
! by dogs and cats definitely shown ny
| post-mortem examination to be rabid.
| In view of the continued prevalence
| of rabies in the District of Columbia
| the Commissioners, August 3, 1918. is
sued proclamation requiring the muz-
cling of all dogs running at large, to
| take effect August 10, 1915. and to con-
| tinue for a period of one year.
| Administration.
| Organization.-In order to facilitate
the transaction of the business of the
| health department, through a simpler
and more effective provision for the
distribution of duties and responsible
tiles within the department, the work
| of the department was distributed dur
ing the year among five units desig-
mated as the bureau of administration.
| bureau of vital statistics, bureau of
sanitary inspection, bureau of food in
/
eases.
Bureau of preventable diseases.-The
work of the bureau of preventable dis
eases during the fiscal year 1916 is in
dicated in a general way by the fact
| that 7,412 cases of reportable diseases
were registered during the year. This
number was considerably in excess of
| the number of cases registered during
the preceding fiscal year, $3.50. The
increase was due to the annual preva-
lence of measles, reported cases rising
from 1,743 to 2,450, and to the increase
in the number of registered cases of
whooping cough from $50 to 1,131. The
reported cases of typhoid fever in
| creased from 319 to 1862. Registered
cases of diphtheria increased from 357
to SCI. and registered cases Of chicken
pox from sS2 to 1,044. Scarlet fever
was less prevalent. registered cases de-
creasing from 719 to 478 Cases of tu-
berculosis diminished from 1,135 to
1.045.
The smallpox hospital during the
year cared for eight patients, was in
! active service on eighty calendar days
and rendered Lightweight patient-days
service.
The quarantine station cared for
eIght inmates during the year, was open
liz days and rendered 1913 inmate-days
service
The ambulance for patients suffering
from so-called minor contagious dis
eases carried during the year 4s4 pa
a motor vehicle for the present horse
drawn ambulance would contribute ma
teriaiiy to the comfort of patients who
| must be carried in such conveyance
me lsolatins wards at Garfield Me-
| mortal Hospital rendered during the
! year s.o41 patient-days' service, of
which 6.5S2 were rendered to patients
| sent to the institution by the health
oincer Tor treatment at public expense
For such service the government Maid
$1,000, or s1.o6 per patient per day.
The isolating ward at Providence
Hospital rendered 3.795 patient-days'
service, of which 2.701 were rendered
10 patlents sent to the institution by
expense of the District. The cost per
patient per day at this institution was
s1.s5. "--'
There were disinfected during the
| nected with the bureau of preventabie
diseases 2.041 premises, and 1886 ar
ticles were removed from such prem
Uses to the disinfecting station for dis
| infection.
In the public crematorium there were
| burned during the year $50 bodies
$50 adults, 161 infants and 25s still
porn babies. The crematorium was in
act1Ve operation on 116 days. While the
total cost of maintenance and opera
ton during the year was s1s2417
there must be offset against this 1865
collected as fees for cremat tons at pri-
vate expense TIL net cost to the gov
eminent for the maintenance and on
GRAFTON of the crematory was, there
fore, ss59.17.
In the meteorological laboratory
there were examined during the year
1926 specimens. OF these 1a514 re-.
lated to diphtheria, 1851 to tubercn-
losis, 5S1 to typhoid fever and 207 to
malaria.
In connection with the food-control
service of the health department there
4 n v a
and cream. '
Bureau of food nspection-Grocerv
stores. commission houses markets
| bakeries. confectionery stores, restau-
rants, lunGhrooms, hucksters and other
places and persons vending foodstuffs
under the supervision of the health
department numbered at the close of
the year 1892. Of these esta bIishnents
4S,S16 Inspections were made
With view of procuring clea nliness
and decency with respect to certain of
the utensils used in restaurants. lunch
rooms, confectionery stores, drug siores
and other like places for the service of
FOODS and beverages to consumers the
Commissioners during the year nro-
mulgated certain regulations providinp
for approved methods of cleansing
such utensils SO as to prevent the
spread of communicable disea sas
through them.
Slaughterhouses in the District. not
under federal inspection, number 81
These were inspected 307 times during
the year.
The number of registered dairy farm.
producing milk for consumption or
manufacture in the District OF Column
bia numbered at the close of the year
!. 1855. Four thousand one hundred and
eiShty-three inspections of these farms
were made during the year.
Samples of milk, numbering 1904.
and Of cream. numbering BIG, were ex.
amined chemically during the wear.
Extraordinarily. 1912 samples of milk
We're examined.
or foods other than milk and cream
there were examined chemically during
the year 49, samples.
Bureau of sanitary ir approximations
plants acted on during the year num-
bered 1863. a daily average Of 229, and
DAILY average per inspector of 2S
The total number Of calls of all kinds
made by the sanitary inspectors was
36.191. Violations of sanitary laws and
regulations were found in 11,119 in
stances. but in 1868 the objectionable
i conditions were corrected prior to the
close of the year. Cases awaiting ac-
ton at the close Of the year numbered
| 42l. Special attention has been given
during the year to the inspection of
4 printing Offices.
Establishments coming within the
purview of the smoke law numbered
during the year S13 OF these estab-
lishments s.173 observations were made
Private hospitals and asylums hold
ing licenses from the Commissioners
numeber rty-six-twenty-si for hu-
man beings and ten for domestic ami
mails.
Eight-hour law for females-Estab-