Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-31


headquarters in the City Hall. This
is the history OF the birth and organ
ization of the present Health Depart
ment of Alexandria.
What Has The Health Department
Accomplished since its
Organization?
| Since taking charge on July lst,
1919, it has done a large amount OF
| important and constructive work IN
making Alexandria safer place IN
which to live. 1t has greatly reduced
the number of cases of such common
,cable diseases as typhoid, scarlet
fever, diptheria, smallpox, etc. 1t has
reduced the death rate of all forms
of communicable diseases, from So IN
1919 to Sd in 1921. 1t has reduced the
death rate Of typhoid over % per
cent! The total deaths from all causes
shows steady decline during the
past three years. A Clinic Tor treat
mcnt of venereal disease has been con-
Quoted, also general daily clinic
| for treating the poor of the city
| A special tuberculosis clinic is also
held. The department has, from time
| to time drawn up and secured the
passage by City Council of many
| important and comprehensive laws re-
gulating the handling OF all forms
Of foods and drinks. The regulation,
Of restaurants. grocery stores, meat
markets, etc. The regulation OF res
taurants. grocery stores, meat mar
lets. etc. The regulation OF dairy
farms fixing the standard quality OF
| al milk sold within the city limits
A law regulating the storage and col
lection of garbage, requiring it to be
stored in fy-tight metal cans. a
special law prohibiting the sale OF uh-
wrapped bread.
This department has given special
attention TO various unanswered sec
ton of the city, where the most can
carous unsanitary conditions existed.
In order to correct these conditions,
the department from time to tlme
prepared total of 20 petitions 1or
sewer extensions, and presented them
20 City Council. All of these were
granted and the extensions have beeh
constructed. the last section beng
finished in February of this year. All
houses abuting upon these sewer eX-
tensions, over 400 in number, nave
been connected thereto, except those
upon the section finished last month,
and these will be between now and
April LIST.
When the health department began
;+s sanitary work in July 1919, it
was found that approximately $40
houses had been abuting upon city
sewers from Ito years, yet had never
been connected. This constituted a
serious mcnare to the public health,
menace the department was deter
mined to correct. As fast as these
houses were located and inspected, an
official notice was served upon the
owners, and if they failed to comply
with the order to connect their prop
critics to the city sewers, they we're
summoned into Court. This made
some enemies for the health depart
mcnt, but as the health officer was
working for the public good, it did not
deter him from his work. At the
present time there are no houses
abutting the city sewers, that are
not connected thereto. except the few
that have had their time extended to
April 1st.
A Few Facts and Figures Taken
from Official Records General
Food Inspection
From July 1st, 1919 to Dec. 31st,
1921, the department condemned and
DESTROYED a total of 2S,S05 lbs. Of
tuberculosis meat. 3,216 cans Of
spoiled fish. There is also long list
Of various stuff condemned that would
take too much space to list here, con-
sisting of many hundreds of pounds
of chickens, turkeys, livers, pork,
lamb, mutton, barrels and crates of
fish, gallons of oysters, etc. All OF
the thousands of pounds Of diseased
beef and other food mentioned above,
would have been sold to the people
of Alexandria, but for the constant
inspection work of the health depart
ment.
All the restaurants and hotels arc
kept under almost daily inspection,
while other places such as meat mar
kots, grocery stores, fish markets,
candy and ice cream stores, bakeries
SOFT drink establishments, are, as far
as it is physically possible, inspected
once a week, and more frequently
when necessary.
Dairy and Milk Inspection
When the health department be-
gan its work in 1919, it found the milk
situation far from satisfactory. Many
of the dairy farms supplying milk to
this city, were found to be in an un-
sanitary condition and without suf-
ficicnt or modern equipment to en-
able them to produce milk of stand
ard safe quality. Some had no milk
houses and the milk was bottled under
unsafe conditions, while others hav-
ing milk houses had made no provl-
sions for heating water to wash bot
ties and dairy utensils. These con-
ditions and many others have been
changed for the better. All COWS FUR
niShing milk to this city, must be
tuberculin tested at least once each
year. Every dairyman must secure
a permit from the health department.