Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-01-27
determined. If a scholar is absent


I or some member, sof lbs Sr.shes
ssffanily is suffering RON .a5g
communicable disease, the Health
department is at once notified Of
1.-THE fact. BY this method ,wo are
enabled to maintain a constant
check up on all the scholars, as
well as their families. and thus
lprevent the spread of any seri-
Gus communicable disease, Miss
Monroe, our school nurse, is a
highly campetant woman, and.
could hardly be replaced.
4 Yencreal Diseases
I am sorry to say that ] nave
to, submit some very unpleasant
data regarding vencreal diseases
in our city. 1t is true that our
city is no worse in this regard,
then any other city of its size,
and these stats tics simply show
the activity of your Health De-
partrnent in making a practice OF
examining all suspected persons,
particularly all those who work
! in restaurants, meat markets,
grocery stores and other food and
drink handling establishments, as
we'll as cliildrens nurses and
cooks working in private houses.
This work is conducted seq
reilly, and in no case do VIC open
our records to public inspection.
lit is all done for the protection
OF the public health.
Year 1919, so cases of syphi-
Ills; 1913 gonorrhea; 5 chancroid;
| 1888 total. 1920, 81 cases of syphi-
lis; 113 gonorrhea; 4 chancroid;
Isl total. 1921, SO syphilis; 1873
gonorrhea; 10 chancroid; total
235. 1922, 81 syphilis, 11S gonor-
rhsa; 1 chancroid; total 216.
Prior to July 1st, 1919, when
took charge as Health Officer,
there was no reporting OF vcner-
cal diseases.
! During 1922, we examined 90
gonorrhea smears, made 1888 Was
sernaan tests, and gave a total
'Ibf 1891 treatments in our Hener-
Zeal clinic. in
II, will be seen from the above
data, that the Health Department
has done q large amount OF
work in protecting the public
! from highly infectious and mos
destructive venereal diseases. -
Out of quite a number Sf dogs
that were, killed. during 1922
on account Of their suspicious
actions, or because they had bit
; ten some person, six were found
to be infected with rabies when
their heads were examined IN
. the laboratory. Ten children and
adults were bitten by these mad
, dogs. We give the Pasteur treat
ment to nine of them, the other
+ being treated by 4 local doctor.
We gave total of 225 doses
Of this treatment. Some Of these
people were very badly bitten
three being small children. Up tc
, this writing, all are doing well
Drastic steps have been take
to rid our city Of the many worth.
.ess ours that roam our streets
Any dog worth having, is .wortl
taking care of, and others should
not be permitted to exist and ds
, menace to the public. S.
Interesting smallpox data from
January /, 1919 TO December 81,
1922:
1918, nine cases; 1919 from
January J., to June 80, II; July
of that year to December, which
health department was organized
no cases; 1929 four eases; 1921
one case; 1922 two cases.
None of above cases resulted in
death.
1t will be noted from the above
that during the three and half
; years the present Health De-
, partment has been in charge, we
have had only seven cases of
, smallpox within our city limits.
1t should also be noted that in
the year and a half before our
; organization, they had a total of
, rs cases.
Since July 1st, 1919, this de-
partment has vaccinated over l.
: 300 adults and school children.
No child is permitted to enter
, oar schools unless he or she has
beeh successfully vaccinated. His
+ tory proves that an unyaccinatcd
person constitutes public dan
ger. Of the seven cases above
noted, not one had ever been vac
cinated even in childhood.
| might state as an interesting
fact, that we never had a second
case develop from any OF these
: seven isolated cases. Prompt di-
agnosis and strict quarantine with
= vaccination Of all possible con-
facts, arc The methods We use to
prevent the spread of this dis
ease, and they have been proved
;, h. III. Ln-n..Ar..o.a4 q L. 49,.