Evening star., 1953-09-20
Medical Group
Sees Danger
ToCitY's Health
Says Budget Cutting
Shrinks Sanitary and
Rat Control Stuffs
A-12 THE SUNDAY STAR
** Washington, D. G.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1883

K0t Control St0ffS
Appalled, at the steady decline
in the number of Health Depart
ment sanitary inspectors and the
Districts fading rat control pro-
gram, a committee on public
health of the District Medical
Society last night said these con-
ditionS are endangering the
health of the community.
The statement was issued as
q result of meeting held last
week between members Of the
Society's committee and officials
Of the Health Department.
Staff May Be Cut to 22.
The committee pointed out the
gradual decrease in sanitary in
spectors from 40 in 1948 to IS
last year. The department now
has 20 inspectors.
There is at present only one
inspector more than there were
10 years ago." the committee
said, despite the increased need
for inspectors due to the rise in
population.
If the proposed cut in the
1855 budget is effective, it will
mean further decrease of san
1tary inspectors to o."
The committee said 81 inspec-
tors would be needed to carry
out an effective disease control
program here.
Conditions Defy Description
Living conditions in Slum areas
were said by the statement to
defy description" It said the
filthy condition in these areas
is caused by yard water faucets,
outside toilets, the overcrowding
use of facilities and too many
persons living in one room.
There are over 5000 dwellings
that are IN the slum category
and at least another 10000 are
being allowed to deteriorate
rapidly. An adequate bureau of
public health engineering could
control and improve this hor-
rible mess" the committee said.
The committee said that such
a filthy and disease producing
environment" increases the
amount of illness in a community
and the cost of the medical
care program as we'll"
The committee added that the
inhabitants of these slum areas
are in many cases food handlers
or domestic workers.
AN increase in the illness in
this segment of the population
could be a serious threat to the
entire community, the commit
tee said.
Rat Situation Out of Control.
The rat control program was
said to have been simply toyed"
with, due also to the yearly per-
sonnel cut in this field.
Only two men are now engaged
In Wiping out the rat population,
the committee said, and there is
no assurance their jobs will con-
tinue.
The committee said there are
about 100 cases of rat bites yearly
and undoubtedly large number
of unreported cases. Just how
much illness this is causing can
not be figured, the committee
added.
William H. Cary, chief santa
tion engineer, said the rat
population is on the increase.
I'VE had them cornered back
in 1940,' he said, but I think
they're getting a corner on us
now"
Due to budget cuts in the
health department as well as
Federal cuts, the number of rat
control men has been reduced
from 13 to two since 1910.
They Play With the Cats.
The committee said that in
some areas rats are even playing
with dogs and cats"
Mr.. Cary said that in the
Southwest area of Washington
residents as we'll as dogs and
cats were getting 80 used to see
ing rats they don't even think
about them any more. They just
get along with them"
In the first six months of 1858,
the committee said. there were
802 rodent complaints from citi-
Zens-almoSt 100 more than in
the same period last year.
1T is urged that Immediate
effective measures be used. not
merely to control, but to
promptly eradicate these unbe-
lievably bad conditions which
continue to be dangerous threat
to the health and welfare of
the community" the committee
said.
Educational Staff ShOrthanded.
The committee also stated that
there is a shortage of personnel
in the BiostatisticS and Health
Education branch of the Health
Department.
Established standards indi-
cate that a city the size of the
District should have 10 profess
Sional educators, together with
an adequate supportive staff and
funds for operation" the COM
mittee said.
There are two persons in the
Health Education department
now, the committee pointed out,
and only three additional per-
sons have been requested in the
1855 budget.