Milford chronicle., 1931-08-07
HEALTH PLAN IS
WORKED OUT BY
HEALTH BODY
[C0nlinned from First Paqel

things which can be built of brick
and concrete, Mr.. Beckett states.
Mr. Beckett states that the most
immediate problem is to convince
the public not to eat oysters from
contaminated areas which receive
the sewage of various towns. Boot
Logging oysters he explains, contin-
ues from st. Jones River, Murder
kill, MispilliOn and Broadkiln which
receive respectively the sewage of
Dover, Milford and Lewes.
The obvious remedy Mr.. Beckett
states, for the reclamation of the
small oyster areas which heretofore
have served as a source of income
for a fairly considerable group of
people living adjacent to these wa
ters is to provide sewage treatment
plants to treat the sewage of Do
yer, Milford and LeWes.
Mr.. Beckett continues:
"Since the typhoid fever scare in
/ 1925, which was found to be due to
contaminated oysters the oyster in
dustry in this State has been COM
| pletely OVerhauled.
I'm no branch of sanitation has
| there been a greater improvement
until today the few oyster shucking
houses we have in this State COM
pare favOrably with any of those the
writer has had occasion to visit in
other States. The present problem is
to make cleanly methods second ma
ture to a group of employees who
have had heretofore only a speaking
acquaintance with such methods.
Physical examinations of the en-
ployees have been practiced for sew
eral years. This has been aided by
the strict requirement of the health
departments of the various cities to
which shucked oysters are sent"
Improvements and extensions to
the sewage plants of state institu-
tions are also discussed in Mr.. Bee
kett's plan.
The recommended improvements
needed in the State institutions over
the next five years are:
Brandywine Sanatorium-Enla
ment of existing sewage treatment
plant.
Ferris Industrial SchoOl-Rehabil-
itation of certain existing sanitary
facilities in the several buildings
and an adequate incinerator for de-
struction of rubbish and unconsum-
ed garbage.
Claymont Industrial School-En-
largement of existing sewage treat
ment plant.
Stockley-Sewage treatment plant
10
ulation to replace present individual
sewage treatment plants. Adequate
water supply with elevated steel
tank for fire protection.
To eliminate deaths from typhoid
fever, Mr. Beckett places great
hopes in convincing the public in the
use of safe milk. At the present time
about As per cent of the milk used
in the State including Wilmington is
Grade "a" Five years from now
should not be too soon to expect this
figure to jump to rs per cent, Mr..
Beckett says with an additional 20
to % per cent to be Grade "A' raw
milk.
Mr.. Beckett's view is that with the
continued progress of the past six
years it is not too much to hope
that practically all milk used will
be either Grade "a" raw or pasteur-
lied. The medical profession can be
a powerful factor in educating the
public to such a choice. We now
have 100 per cent tuberculin-tested
cows and do not aim at nothing less
than Grade "a" milk, preferably
pasteuriZed.
Beginning July l, two additional
were added enabling one
man to devote his entire time to col
lecting milk samples from all over
The State and the second inspector
to devote practically all his time to
the inspection of dairies. Hereto
'ore, with one man devoting part of
lis time during the week to the col
lection of milk samples and the re-
day or two to inspection
has resulted in our not keeping
lbreast of our milkmen who drop in
Ind out of the market. More fire.
luent inspections mean closer CO.
operation between the dairyman
ind the inspector with benefit to the
airyman and the public.
"Will Delaware be the first State
Without a single death from typhoid
ever?" Mr.. Beckett asks and then
lie answer, "To have the audacity to
SIX such a question shows that pro-
-ress has been made IN the last
wenty to thirty years. Then ty-
hold fever was as common as the
Orse drawn buggy. It's year by year
rop gives rise to the hope that in
he not distant future, Delaware may
ONE year pass through without a
Ingle death fro mtyphoid fever.
asst year a decided increase occur
ed as contrasted with the lowest
ate the State ever experienced as
-as true of 1920. However, our rate
, such that one or two deaths
lakes quite a difference. A glance
t the chart shows how progressive
as been the decline of typhoid fever
/ this State. Starting with the in
of chlorination and filtra-
on at the Wilmington Water Works
followed by pasteurization of a
rge proportion of the milk supply,
e death rate has dropped progress
vely from year to year until $780,"