USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1932 > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
Total amount committed by Assessors .. $15,136 77
Charge by Auditor 32 18
299 50
Amount abated during year 1932. $15,168 95
$14,869 45
Amount collected during year 1932. 4,490 36
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933 ..
$10,379 09
Sidewalk Apportionments of 1932
Total amount committed by Assessors .. $11,438 00
Amount abated during year 1932. 21 47
$11,416 53
Amount collected during year 1932.
3,820 03
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933. ... $7,596 50
Committed Interest on Sidewalk Apportionments of 1932
Total amount committed by Assessors .. $3,609 70
Amount abated during year 1932. 00
$3,603 70
Amount collected during year 1932.
1,151 57
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933 ....
$2,452 13
Gypsy Moth of 1932
Total amount committed by Assessors .. $1,650 92
Charge by Auditor 2 50
$1,653 42
Amount abated during year 1932.
15 00
$1,638 42
Amount collected during year 1932. 836 90
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933 ....
$801 52
12,591 98
4,490 36
3,820 03
1,151 57
836 90
115
REPORT OF COLLECTOR OF TAXES
Motor Excise Tax of 1929
Amount uncollected January 1, 1932 .... $5,957 32 Reconsideration of abatement by As-
sessors 1 48
Amount abated during year 1932. $5,958 80
2,800 52
Amount collected during year 1932 .. 709 51
709 51
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933 .... $2,448 77
Amount of interest collected 95 93
Motor Excise Tax of 1930
Amount uncollected January 1, 1932.
$11,275 11
Amount abated during year 1932. 4,212 67
$7,062 44
Amount collected during year 1932.
1,873 31
1,873 31
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933 .... $5,189 13
Amount of interest collected 174 85
Motor Excise Tax of 1931
Amount uncollected January 1, 1932 .... $33,314 05
Additional Warrant by Assessors .. 316 27
$33,630 32
Reconsideration of abatement by As-
sessors
1 85
$33,632 17
Charge by Auditor
543 84
$34,176 01
Amount abated during year 1932.
2,866 09
$31,309 92
Amount collected during year 1932.
20,273 04
20,273 04
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933 .... $11,036 88
Amount of interest collected
849 38
Motor Excise Tax of 1932
Total amount committed in 1932.
$133,259 96
Charge by Auditor 2,049 49
$135,309 45
Amount abated during year 1932.
6,191 26
$129,118 19
Amount abated during year 1932
99,193 10
99,193 10
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933. $29,925 09 Amount of interest collected 117 25
$3,158 28
116
CITY OF QUINCY
Sewers
Amount collected during year 1932 on sewer con- struction 4,981 25
Amount of interest collected 23 29
Permanent Sidewalks
Amount collected during year 1932 on permanent sidewalks 5,148 45
Amount of interest collected 32 88
Street Betterments
Amount collected during year 1932 on Street Bet- terments
13,503 65 134 18
Amount of interest collected
Old Age Assessment of 1931
Amount uncollected January 1, 1932 ....
$2,283 00
Additional Warrant by Assessors .. 363 00
$2,646 00
Charge by Auditor
20 00
$2,666 00
Credit allowed by State
1,206 00
$1,460 00
Amount collected during year 1932 ..
1,006 00
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933 ....
$454 00
Old Age Assessments of 1932
Total amount committed by Assessors .. $23,449 00
Credit allowed by State 547 00
$22,902 00
Amount collected during year 1932. ... 17,897 00
17,897 00
Amount uncollected January 1, 1933 .... $5,005 00
Costs collected during year 1932 ..
5,236 99
Bank interest collected during year 1932 208 20
Total amount of cash collected during year 1932 $3,844,118 86
JAMES B. WHITE,
Collector of Taxes.
1,006 00
117
REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
JANUARY 1, 1933.
HON. THOMAS J. MCGRATH, Mayor of Quincy, Massachusetts.
DEAR SIR : Despite the many hazards and drawbacks which all citizens are suffering through depression, the City of Quincy has carried on a hundred per cent during 1932 in all its health projects. This, of course, is the only safe policy and should continue, for to allow health to fail through lack of financial support will under- mine morale. Good morale is fundamental, and wtihout it neither the individual nor the community can prosper. Hence in the com- ing year we as a city should make many material sacrifices, do without luxuries, etc., and also endeavor to carry on our community health projects, so that when depression passes and prosperity returns we will have healthy citizens to enjoy it.
During the past year, as in previous years, our greatest and most important community health problem from a taxpayer's standpoint was tuberculosis.
Because of State law each city must assume the cost and care of its indigent tubercular citizens, consequently until the scourge is overcome the city and county tax will be considerable and our future costs will be in direct proportion to our zeal and preventive measures against the disease. At present thirty-three per cent of our health appropriation is used for tuberculosis.
Quincy's work in tuberculosis ranks as one of the best in the state and should so continue, for this is the best and most economi- cal plan to lower our future costs in this essential health problem.
Our regime in attacking tuberculosis in Quincy enables us to combat both the adult and childhood type of the disease. Each type has fifty-two clinics a year devoted to educational and diag- nostic efforts.
In the field work the two nurses go into the homes and teach hygiene and prevention and bring all contacts for diagnosis and classification to the clinic. In this way we quickly discover active tuberculosis and either segregate or hospitalize such cases and thus prevent the spread of the disease. Proper education in living, diet and hygiene, under the nurses' instructions, undoubtedly saves many contacts from being active cases of consumption.
During good times we have distributed over 4,000 quarts of milk during the year. Depression has temporarily deprived us of our milk fund appropriation-$400 a year by the City Council-but I trust later we can have this fund restored since it was a great help for the children infected with tuberculosis.
Much welfare work is done and all private organizations gen- erously help out with shoes, clothing, extra food, etc. The spirit and morale of those fighting tuberculosis in our city is splendid and receives very efficient cooperation from such organizations as the Norfolk County Health Association and kindred organizations. Hence it is very logical to expect success in overcoming the disease.
During the past year depression has emphasized the urgency of the tuberculosis problem by the marked increase of cases coming to the clinic for advice.
118
CITY OF QUINCY
Childhood Tuberculosis and Children's Contact Clinic
Another great help in prevention work in tuberculosis has been the yearly appropriation of $2,000 by the City Council for under- nourished children. This has been the yearly custom for several years and should continue. It arouses zeal and enthusiasm among the children who like camp life and makes their parents health minded. Thus the clinic attendance is greatly increased and health education can reach a far greater number.
This $2,000, together with $1,000 or $1,200 given by the Norfolk County Health Association, allows us to send some fifty children to Camp Norfolk for an eight weeks' intensive treatment for pre- tubercular children.
As it is now generally conceded that adult tuberculosis has its origin in the childhood type it naturally follows that voluntary ex- penditures for the children will be attacking pulmonary tubercu- losis at its source and thus save much of the taxpayers' money in the future. For if these same children are neglected now they will become subjects of pulmonary tuberculosis later in life and prob- ably through marriage be a source of infecting whole families, thus causing the city a far greater outlay of the taxpayers' money.
As in all health problems, prevention is the most economical and practical, and so Quincy is surely right in being so aggressive in the field of childhood type of tuberculosis.
State recognition of Quincy's good work in tuberculosis was made manifest last June at the annual meeting of the Norfolk County Health Association-some three hundred members being present-by Dr. Carl MacCorison, Director of the State Prevento- rium at Reading, when he publicly stated that Quincy was doing the best tuberculosis work in the State.
After several years' urging on the part of the Dispensary Physi- cian, the School Committee has adopted and authorized a "rest period class" to be started in the Pollard School at Quincy Point. These units or rest period classes are a standardized method of at- tacking pretubercular children during the school year and are very successful and economical in many of the larger cities of the East. Boston has had great success in this method since 1925.
Now that this method is adopted in Quincy we can increase these units throughout the city and in time much good will result and a far greater number of children will be under observation at one time. If these methods prevail and are adequately supported, Quincy can rightfully expect success in her fight against the white plague.
Food and Milk Control
During 1932, ninety-seven per cent of Quincy's milk supply was pasteurized. This was the same as in 1931 and both years repre- sent the highest record of pasteurization in the history of the city. This is as it should be, for diseases spread by milk are best con- trolled by pasteurization.
Our high efficiency in Quincy obtained through rigid dairy in- spection-and if this policy is continued, milk borne diseases will be kept under control.
This same policy of frequent and rigid inspection has given our citizens a high grade distribution of meats and provisions. The splendid cooperation of the dealers has made the work easy.
119
REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Venereal Disease Control
A remarkable increase in attendance resulted in both clinics during 1932. The total male attendance increased from 428 to 783, and the total femal attendance from 251 to 430.
This was due to two reasons. First, the Health Commissioner's individual appeal to all practising physicians to send their indigent cases to the clinic. Second, to the earnest effort on the part of the field workers in their persistent appeals and visits to patients to keep up their treatments.
By continuing this policy we can rightfully hope to control the havoc caused by the spread of venereal disease and neuro syphilis.
Communicable Disease Control
According to statistics offered by Deputy State Commissioner, Dr. Anderson during his visit to the Health Department in the fall of 1932, Quincy ranks as one of the three highest cities in the State in its diphtheria immunization control.
Despite this good record, 26 cases of diphtheria were reported during 1932; fortunately, there were no deaths. I would suggest an intensive educational drive this year to stimulate cooperation on the part of the parents for toxin-antitoxin treatment for these children still unprotected.
Scarlet Fever
A basic change in the quarantine period can now be adopted and I believe it would lead to better reporting of cases; also I would suggest the city provide for the collection of convalescent serum and thus materially save expense at the Brighton Contagious Hos- pital.
Maternity Hygiene
This new department has now finished its second year and is doing high grade work. During the past year the commissioner established a central weekly clinic at the city dispensary, thus sav- ing many expectant mothers the walk up the hospital hill. This clinic has also been a great help during depression for many worthy citizens suffering financial reverses.
Sanitation
During the past two years the cooperation of the police and fire chiefs mutually benefited all departments and response to and dis- position of all complaints were most readily accomplished.
Our only regret during the year was the unfortunate loss by the death of our very efficient inspector, Mr. Ray Cramond, genial and at all times willing; the solution of each new complaint seemed but to gain him another friend. Bowing to Providence, in his passing, both the City and Health Department suffer the loss of an upright citizen and a valued public servant.
Child Welfare
During the latter part of last year, the efficiency of these clinics has been hampered by the attendance of too many sick babies. Depression, of course, is the explanation, but some solution of this problem is essential. Otherwise the increase of communicable dis-
120
CITY OF QUINCY
eases would be disastrous. These clinics are primarily established for their educational value to well children and their scope should not be handicapped.
Mental Hygiene
This valuable clinic is now firmly established in Quincy and its importance is more thoroughly understood and much better patron- ized by the public.
We must ever realize that education is both costly and essential, also that children's "repeating" costs double.
This clinic primarily corrects mentally deficient children and hence prevents "repeoting." Thus both the taxpayer and the child profit.
What's more important, these same mentally deficient children- who do not receive competent clinic treatment later-often become a total loss through mental disease. Whole-hearted support and encouragement of this mental hygiene project is important for the taxpayer and essential for the school child.
Heart Disease Control
As in previous years, I still believe we should have an industrial clinic for heart disease control. Both the morbidity and mortality from heart disease are enormous and naturally a similar economic loss results. Focal infectious diseases could be combined in this clinic.
Focal infections of dental origin should be under the control of municipal dentistry. It is my belief that the pendulum during the past few years in the City of Quincy has swung too much to the side of preventive dentistry.
Vital Statistics
Our health statistics for the past two years have been efficient and accurately tabulated. With the cooperation of the Engineer's Department, many beautiful graphs were furnished and thus our health statistics were presented in rather an outstanding manner. This year the very recent illness of Mr. Pactovis may delay this feature of the health report.
Sincerely yours,
C. J. LYNCH, M.D., Health Commissioner.
121
REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT
DECEMBER 31, 1932.
DR. CORNELIUS J. LYNCH, Health Commissioner.
DEAR SIR :- I hereby submit my annual report for the year end- ing December 31, 1932.
The personnel of the department is as follows:
Commissioner of Health and Inspector of Milk
Dr. Cornelius J. Lynch
Superintendent
Thomas G. Smith
Statistician
Abraham S. Pactovis
Clerk Verna M. Kelley
Sanitary Inspector Roy W. Cramond
Plumbing Inspector Jeremiah J. Keniley
Assistant Inspector of Milk James O'Dowd
Inspector of Meats and Provisions .Howard Rogers
Child Welfare Physician
Dr. Rachel L. Hardwick
Venereal Disease Physician
Dr. E. E. Smith
Bacteriologist Dr. E. E. Smith
Tuberculosis Nurse Gertrude T. Russell, R.N.
Tuberculosis Nurse Mary E. Keeley, R.N.
Contagious Disease Nurse
Catherine F. Coleman, R.N.
Child Welfare Nurse Nettie D. Fowler, R.N.
Child Welfare Nurse
Mary E. Marr, R.N.
Inspector of Animals and Slaughtering .. Dr. E. A. de Varennes
We have again this year had the usual number of complaints as in previous years. Each complaint had the personal attention of the Acting Sanitary Inspector. We had the cooperation of the state as regards smoke nuisance.
I wish to thank Mr. Tupper of the Public Works Department and Chief Sands of the Fire Department for their hearty cooperation in all matters pertaining to this department.
Owing to the long continued illness of the Sanitary Inspector, Mr. Roy Cramond, no report of his work is available.
It is also unfortunate that because of a severe illness of Mr. Pactovis, the Statistician, that we have little or no material avail- able for his report.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS G. SMITH, Superintendent.
122
CITY OF QUINCY
REPORT OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASE NURSE
DECEMBER 31, 1932.
Dr. C. J. LYNCH, Health Commissioner.
DEAR DOCTOR :- I herewith submit my annual report of conta- gious disease nurse for the year ending 1932.
Eight hundred and thirty-four cases of notifiable disease were reported as follows :-
Scarlet fever
211
Measles
106
Mumps
167
Chickenpox
134
Whooping cough
70
Lobar pneumonia
38
Diphtheria
26
Dog bite
62
Anterior poliomyelitis
2
Influenza
4
Typhoid fever
4
Septic sore throat
2
Conjunctivitis
2
German measles
6
Cerebro spinal meningitis
2
Encephalitis lethargica
1
Trachoma
1
Total visits
1,802
Nursing visits
1,743
By other nurses
59
Scarlet fever
1,111
Measles
241
Diphtheria (cultures 149)
180
Whooping cough
107
Venereal disease
71
Typhoid fever
18
Chickenpox
4
Anterior poliomyelitis
3
Septic sore throat
3
Conjunctivitis
1
Impetigo
2
Ophthalmia
1
Scarlet Fever
Although of a mild type, this disease was not as prevalent as in 1931. Of the 211 cases reported, 40 were cared for at the Haynes Memorial Hospital in Brighton. One death occurred at home.
Diphtheria
There were 26 cases reported-nearly three times as many as in the previous year. Seven cases were hospitalized. No deaths occurred.
As in previous years, this department cooperated with the school department in the Diphtheria Prevention Work. During the month
123
REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
of May 748 children of school age were immunized. In June 211 pre-school children received the three treatments, making a total of 959 complete immunizations.
Measles
This was one of the important diseases which showed a decided decrease. About half as many cases were reported.
Typhoid Fever
Four cases reported, two of which were cared for in hospital, other two cases placarded at home.
Whooping Cough
Not as many cases reported. There were two deaths which oc- curred from this disease.
One hundred and twenty-nine various clinics were attended dur- ing the year.
In the follow up work, 1,802 visits have been made, including checking up of quarantine rules, taking of cultures, examination of contacts and releases from quarantine.
Office hours were held daily from 9-9.30 and 1-1.30.
Respectfully submitted,
CATHERINE F. COLEMAN, R.N., Contagious Disease Nurse.
124
CITY OF QUINCY
REPORT OF THE VENEREOLOGIST
JANUARY 1, 1933.
DR. C. J. LYNCH, Health Commissioner.
DEAR SIR :- In submitting my annual report I beg to suggest that the clinic hours be changed to coincide with the regular City Hall working hours to the double purpose (1) of ending the con- troversy on overtime pay in these clinics and (2) making it less convenient for those who are regularly employed to avail them- selves of this form of city aid, which it is my belief should only be extended to the really indigent. This would relieve the congestion in our limited parking space, and should work no hardship on the car owners, as with the present influx of physicians to this city it should not be difficult for them to make satisfactory financial ar- rangements with local doctors for their treatment.
The figures for attendance are double those of 1931.
Male Clinic
Treatment for gonorrhoea 22
Re-examinations (old cases) and contacts
20
Visits by treated gonorrhoea cases 251
Discharged cured gonorrhoea cases
8
Remaining under treatment 5
Treated for syphilis
23
Visits for antisyphilitic treatment
496
Cases of syphilis remaining under treatment 17
Total number of visits to clinic
783
Female Clinic
Treated for gonorrhoea
4
Re-examination (old cases) and contacts
20
Treated for syphilis
23
Discharged cured
2
Remaining under treatment
13
Total visits to clinics
430
One hundred and twenty-six (126) specimens of blood and spinal fluid were taken in the two clinics for Wasserman tests; also fifty- nine smears for gonococci. Intracisternal Swift-Ellis serum for neurosyphilis was given once in the clinic, and eight (8) times at the City Hospital.
Respectfully submitted,
EDWIN E. SMITH, M.D.
125
REPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
REPORT OF DISPENSARY PHYSICIAN
JANUARY 1, 1933.
To His Honor the Mayor and Members of the City Council.
DEAR SIRS :- Through the unfortunate death of Dr. Michael Sweeney the position of Dispensary Physician has been officially vacant since June, 1931, but with the approval of the City Council I carried on without compensation.
With much extra work and splendid cooperation of the two clinic nurses, Miss Russell and Miss Keeley, the tuberculosis clinics- both adult and childhood-continued, and, in some respects bet- tered their excellent work of previous years.
The adult attendance at the Tuesday night clinics increased to three hundred and seventy-three (373) from two hundred and forty-eight (248) during the past year. Registration in adult clinic increased from sixty (60) to one hundred and thirty-three (133). This great increase in one year is partly due to the current depression-its consequent financial stress in the homes forcing cases to seek outside aid-and also was materially due to alertness on the part of the dispensary nurses always seeking new cases and contacts. The general practitioner is also referring more cases to the dispensary for care and disposition. The National Tuberculosis slogan-"One case comes from another-find the other"-has also been the slogan of the dispenasary for several years.
Finally a larger car-furnished by the Council during the past year-permitting more passengers per trip-also enhanced the work. Naturally with the great increase of the work during the past year-X-rays and T. B. skin tests correspondingly increased. Even depression aided the efficiency of the clinic this past year- in making it much easier to send active cases to the sanatorium and thus stopping spread of disease.
However, we must also realize that this same depression harbors a potential increase of tuberculosis in the immediate future through undermining morale and nutrition.
Our zeal in the fight against the menace of tuberculosis must. ever be continued, for this is the only way to benefit the health of the community.
Undernourished and Contact Children's Clinic
Despite the fact that we held only fifty-three (53) clinics in 1932 and seventy-five (75) in 1931, still the past year must be con- sidered the most outstanding since the beginning of the work some ten years ago-attendance increased to 1,940 in 1932 from 1,512 in 1931. Registration increased to 453 in 1932 from 382 in 1931.
In the fight against T. B. this is our most important clinic for it is a clinic of prevention-and from a taxpayer's standpoint pre- vention is the cheapest and most practical way to overcome the cost of any disease.
As T. B. is our most costly municipal health problem today, nat- urally a clinic of this sort should be fostered and developed to its utmost capacity. For the past several years I have aggressively urged its extension to the school department to be incorporated an essential part of their health program. After several conferences with the School Committee, school physician and superintendent of schools, including a group visit to Boston, to study their system, "the rest periods for undernourished children" have been accepted and adopted by the School Committee and a unit at the Govern- ment School is to be started. This should prove to be a most bene-
126
CITY OF QUINCY
ficial and advanced step in preventive work again T. B. These "rest period classes" can be extended throughout the city-grouped about our five splendid school cafeteria-where noon meals can be provided. Thus you will be able to adopt the so-called eight weeks' intensive treatment at a summer camp for 50 children, and apply it to hundreds of similar cases for nine consecutive months at much less expense and for greater benefit. Further, in these same classes, children with remediable defects, mental defects and faulty behavior problems can be quickly isolated and placed in proper channels for correction.
Camp Norfolk
The camp children, 50 in number, were given rather an impres- sive start this year for their eight weeks' intensive treatment. After participating in a group picture, honored by the Mayor, members of the City Council, dispensary nurses, delegates from the Norfolk County Health Association, delegates from Quincy Rotarians and editors of both the Quincy newspapers, a large East- ern Mass. Street Railway bus conveyed them to Camp Norfolk. The usual good results obtained for this group after eight weeks' camp life, average gains of 9-10 lbs., with some individual gains of 20 lbs., were recorded at the end of the camp period.
As in previous years, all these children had all focal infection defects, whether from tonsils or teeth, corrected before going to camp in order that they might obtain full benefit from their stay at Camp Norfolk.
In closing, I wish to extend thanks to the Spanish War Veterans for loaning their quarters and their entire cooking equipment for the nutrition classes, where mothers were taught to prepare various diets in the least expensive manner, yet adequately nutritious by the Home Demonstrating Agent from the Norfolk Agricultural School.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.