New Britain herald., 1924-12-06

ton In New Britain by the detection and "cure" of diphtheria carriers Is arousing interest in nearly every home, because. in the majority of cases, the carriers are school children.
 It seems almost impossible to be- lieve that a person can carry germs in his throat without becoming ill., Yet this is true. A carrier Is a per son who has germs in his throat but does not have the disease. Although he may not become affected himself, he can spread the disease.
 A carrier gets the germs either from contact with a diphtheria suf- ferer or another carrier, When a carrier is discovered he Is immedi- ately isolated and treated so that the germs in his throat may be cleaned out. After period of isolation. cul- lures are taken. If two cultures taken 24 hours apart are found to be negative, the carrier is declared cured. It sometimes happens that germs again develop in the throat, but cases of this type are unusual.
 Health authorities consider the carrier of far greater danger than a person with all the symptoms Of diphther!a. The latter can be iden- tified and removed from contact with the public, but the former. uncon- scious that he Is a walking menace 10 the health of the community, may mingle with his fellowmen and cause an epidemic.
 People have been known to carry the germs of cerebro spinal nrenin- eitis and typhoid without being i'll. It is suspected that there are also scarlet fever carriers but this IS not known positively.
 Although winter has fixed nrm grin on this part of the country, we find the subject of mosquitoes one of the most absorbing Of the day be- cause of statistics which have been compiled by the Connecticut Anti ,, Mosquito association. It was news to us that there have been 100 mild cases of malaria in the town. or : Berlin this year, but Dr. Stanley Ii. J Osborn. state commissioner Of health, is authority for this state ment. He also says there were 80 cases in the town of Newington in f 1923.
 Dr. L. G. Sykes. medical director of a Hartford insurance company , estimates that the toll of human life . in Connecticut, from malaria, in the , past 50 years, has been S,244. Plac- ing a value of $5,000 on each vic tim the total loss was $1G,22o, ,OO0.-~ | In parts of the state where alti- $ tudes are highest, the malarlai :, deaths were comparatively few, as might be expected. The mortality In New Haven and Fairfield counties which have extensive littoral, was p highest, Hartford county stands in third place.
 The average person takes the mos quito as a joke whereas the pesl actually affects the death rate and il makes economic inroads in the state The ant-mosquito association dc. serves support as 1t contributes mol il only to the comfort of the common wealth but to it's prosperity as well r. For several years the Observer s has advocated the reduction Of the 0 common council to small group q and 1t is pleasing to note that the
 subject is being seriously consld'
 cred by the committee revising the
 charter. Several leaders in the
 council appear to favor the ppjec' but 1t is doubtful if it is adopted IF by that body until long discus
 sion has ensued. il At present the common counci
 consists of 30 members, four coun' n cilmen and one alderman from eacf
 of the six wards. The business o'
 the city would not be seriously al
 fected if this number were smaller
 two councilmen and one alderman
 from each ward, for example, l
 the advocates of large council in
 sisted on holding 10 their views
 The benefit would be greater, in th' l Observers opinion, If the sugges
 tion of Chairman Edward F. Hal
 of the charter revision committe h were adopted. This would proViu
 for two representatives, to b ,t known as aldermen, from eacl
 ward.
 There is some merit to the oo
 lection to reduction by Councilman
 Maerz. who called attention to th
 large amount of committee worl
 engaged in by members of the couh
 ci. There are meetings many eve Il. nings during the month and II
 doubtful whether a member of tn
 council would care to be burdene
 with membership on so many com
 mittees that he would be forced \
 spend the greater part of his tim
 at their sessions. ,g On. the whole however, the ad m vantage would be on the side
 the smaller council. A small bod
 would make for efficiency and st would not be so difficult to plac
 responsibility for misadministratio or or to reward those deserving Of H. no New England may be able
 claim the new secretary of agr g.
 about it. The two girls met tr
 other dav and Alice exclaimed: