USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1881 > Part 12
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The time at which one who has been ill with scarlet fever may safely mingle with other people is usually placed by sanitarians at four weeks from the commencement of the illness.
The first principle of treatment is in isolation. The patient should be in a room as much separated from the rest of the house as possible, and communicate with no more members of the house- hold than is absolutely necessary. If an outward draught of air from the sick-room to the entry occurs, a curtain may be placed over and in front of the door, formed by a sheet which is soaked in some disinfectant. All unnecessary objects of every kind, espe- cially woollen, should be removed from the room. The discharges from the throat, nose, and mouth of the patient may be put in a vessel containing a strong solution of some disinfectant, which shall be frequently washed with hot water; they should not be received upon anything which is to be kept. Pieces of soft cloth, which should be at once burned, may be used in place of pocket-handker- chiefs. This board recommends the following as a good fluid with which to disinfect cloths and clothes, and to put into vessels which are to receive slops or the discharges of the patient, or to turn down water-closets or privies to destroy contagion : " Eight ounces of sulphate of zinc, one ounce of carbolic acid, three gallons of water "; clothes " should be soaked in this fluid for at least one hour, and then placed in boiling water for washing."
Attendants on the sick should be as few as possible, and should not communicate with other persons any more than can be helped. They
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should wear only such clothing as may be readily washed. Cloths used in the sick-room should be boiled before being worn elsewhere. Gargling or washing the mouth occasionally with a cleansing fluid is a useful measure for those who must be exposed to contagion ; and in washing the hands, a little Condy's Fluid* may be placed in the basin.
.After recovery, the patient should not mingle with other persons, use lounges, carriages, public rooms, etc., liable to be used by others, until all roughness of the skin has disappeared, and until he has taken warm baths for several days. After the sick-room is no longer needed as such, all clothing and other matters used in it that can be washed should be soaked in boiling water ; any articles of trifling value ought to be burned. The wall paper should be soaked with carbolic acid, removed, and burned. The ceiling should be washed with soap and hot water, or scraped. The room should then be closed as tight as possible, and as much sulphur burned in it as the air will allow (a pound is an abundant amount for an ordi- nary room) ; it should be kept closed from six to eight hours, and then opened for several days to the air and sunshine. The floor and wood-work should then be thoroughly washed with soap and hot water.
Should the sick person die, the body ought not to be removed from the sick-room until it has been sealed in the coffin, having first been properly disinfected. It is advisable that the funeral should be as private as possible, and not attended by children ..
The following sections in regard to isolation are from Chap. 26 of the General Statutes : -
"SECT. 47. - When a householder knows that a person within his family is taken sick of any disease dangerous to the public health, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the board of health in the town in which he dwells. If he refuses or neglects to give such notice, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars.
"SECT. 48. - When a physician knows that any person whom he is called to visit is infected with any disease dangerous to the public health, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Board of Health of the town; and if he refuses or neglects to give such notice, he shall forfeit for each offence a sum not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars."
* Made by adding two and a half drachms of permanganate of potash to one pint of cold water.
223
The Board of Health of Somerville at present requires small-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and typhoid fever to be reported to it. Children are especially liable to take and to spread scarlet fever ; and because schools afford a fine opportunity for this, -
It is hereby ordered :-
That no child from any house in which a case of this disease has occurred, or shall hereafter occur, shall, without a written permit from this board, attend any school in this city until the expiration of four weeks from the commencement of the last case in such family. Such length of time shall be certified in writing by a phy- sician or some responsible member of the family ; the certificate to be presented to the teacher of the school before the child is admitted.
REGULATIONS CONCERNING STABLES AND THE REMOVAL OF MANURE.
IN BOARD OF HEALTH OF THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE, Dec. 9, 1880.
Ordered, That the owners or occupants of livery or other sta- bles within the city of Somerville shall not wash or clean carriages or horses, or cause them to be washed or cleaned, in the streets or public ways ; they shall keep their stables and stable yards clean, and no manure shall be allowed to accumulate or remain uncov- ered outside of the stable building.
No person shall remove any manure, or cause or suffer the same to be removed, between the first day of May and the first day of November, except between twelve o'clock at night and two hours after sunrise, without a written permit from the Board of Health.
No manure shall be removed or carried through the streets of this city except in a tight canvas-covered vehicle, with the covering so secured to the sides and ends of the vehicle as to prevent the manure in process of removal from being dropped or left in any street or way of the city. No manure shall be loaded into a vehicle in or upon any street, lane, or passageway, nor upon or across any side- walk.
224
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH,
CITY HALL, SOMERVILLE, MASS., Dec. 13, 1878.
Voted, That this board considers small-pox, diphtheria, scar- let fever, and typhoid fever, diseases dangerous to the public health within the meaning of Chap. 26 of the General Statutes.
Voted, That the above vote, together with Sects. 47 and 48 of said Chap. 26, be published in two consecutive issues of the Som- erville Journal.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE HEALTH REGULATIONS.
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH,
CITY HALL, SOMERVILLE, MASS., Feb. 24, 1882.
Ordered, That the following regulations be and they are hereby adopted : -
1. PRIVY-VAULTS, CESSPOOLS, AND DRAINS. - If the owner, agent, or occupant of any premises where a privy-vault, cesspool, or drain may be situated, shall neglect or refuse to cleanse such vault, cesspool, or drain after being notified by the Chief of Police that the same has become offensive, he shall be liable to the penal- ties provided by law.
No privy-vault or cesspool shall be emptied except by such par- ties, in such manner, and at such time as shall be specially author- ized by the Board of Health. The owner, agent, or occupant of the premises where any privy-vault or cesspool may be situated shall always be liable for the expense of emptying the same.
2. HOUSE OFFAL. - All house offal and refuse animal or vege- table substances shall be placed in suitable vessels and kept in some convenient place, to be removed by the persons duly authorized for that purpose by the Board of Health. Such vessels shall be kept covered, and shall not be permitted to become offensive.
No person shall remove or carry in or through any street, avenue, square, court, lane, place, or alley, within the city, any house offal, or any offensive animal or vegetable substance, without a per- mit from the Board of Health, nor in any manner except such as shall be specified in such permit.
3. ASHES. - Ashes and house dirt to be removed by the city shall be kept entirely free and apart from offal and filth of any kind, and
225
shall be placed in barrels or other suitable vessels on the outer edge of the sidewalk, in the forenoon of the following-named days : In Ward One, on the first Wednesday of each month ; in Ward Two, on the second Wednesday of each month ; in Ward Three, on the third Wednesday of each month; in Ward Four, on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
4. NUISANCES. - No person shall deposit and leave exposed upon the surface of the ground, nor put into any body of water, in the city, any dead animal ; nor shall any person throw or put into or upon any public or private way, lot of land, or body of water, any slops, decayed vegetables, fish, or other offensive sub- stance whatsoever.
5. COLLECTING GREASE. - No person shall collect or remove from any dwelling-house or other place in the city, any grease, or refuse fatty matter, without first obtaining a permit so to do from the Board of Health, and in all respects complying with the condi- tions of such permit. All such permits shall expire on the first day of May, annually, and may be revoked at any time by the Board of Health ; and no person shall receive such a permit without first paying to the clerk of the Board of Health, for the use of the city, the sum of $2.00.
6. GOATS AND SWINE. - No person shall keep a goat or swine within the limits of the city, without first obtaining a permit so to do from the Board of Health, and in all respects complying with the conditions of such permit. All such permits shall expire on the first day of May, annually, and may be revoked at any time by the Board of Health ; and no person shall receive such a permit without first paying to the clerk of the Board of Health, for the use of the city, the sum of $1.00 for each goat or swine to be kept.
7. NIGHT-SOIL. - No person, unless specially authorized by the Board of Health, shall drive any cart, or other vehicle, contain- ing, or used for conveying, night-soil or other offensive matter, in any street of the city, between the hours of 4 A. M. and 10 P. M., during the months of April, May, June, July, August, and Septem- ber ; nor between the hours of 5 A. M. and 9 P. M., during the months of October, November, December, January, February, and March.
This regulation shall not be understood to conflict with the regu_
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226
lations adopted by this board Dec. 18, 1880, concerning " stables and the removal of manure."
8. AGENT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH. - The Chief of Police is hereby constituted an agent of this board, for the purpose of enfor- cing all health regulations that are now or may hereafter be in force. in this city.
9. DIPHTHERIA. - Whereas, diphtheria is a disease contagious and dangerous to the public health, the Board of Health issues the following order : -
No child from any house in which a case of the disease has occurred shall, without a written permit from this board, attend any school in this city until the expiration of two weeks from the commencement of the last case in such house ; such length of time shall be certified in writing by a physician or some responsible member of the family, the certificate to be presented to the teacher of the school before the child is admitted.
REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE RENDERING OF REFUSE ANIMAL MATTER.
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH,
CITY HALL, SOMERVILLE, May 31, 1878.
By virtue of the authority given in Chap. 26 of the General Statutes, the Board of Health of the city of Somerville hereby forbids the exercise, on or after June 15, 1878, of the trade or employment of rendering tallow (other than fresh tallow), lard, grease, fat, bones, or other refuse animal matter, within the limits of the city of Somerville, except at the factories of Charles H. North & Co., Medford Street, Joseph Boynton, Windsor Street, Charles O'Neil, Linden Street, or at such other place or places as may hereafter be assigned by said board ; such trade or employ- . ment being in the opinion of the board a nuisance, hurtful to the inhabitants, the exercise of which is attended by noisome and inju- rious odors.
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REGULATIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSE DRAINAGE.
IN BOARD OF HEALTH OF THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE, Dec. 9, 1880.
By virtue of the authority given to boards of health by Chap. 133 of the Acts of the General Court for the year 1877, the Board of Health of the city of Somerville hereby makes the following regulations for the construction of house drainage : -
SECTION 1. Materials. - Tbat portion of the house drain which is outside of the building and more than four feet from the founda- tion walls shall be constructed of iron pipe or the best quality of drain-pipe.
That portion of the house drain inside or under the building, and also that portion outside the building and within four feet of the foundation walls, together with the soil-pipe, shall be constructed of iron pipe with leaded joints.
The waste-pipes connecting with the conductors from the roofs, and all other pipes inside the building or outside and within four feet of the foundation walls, shall be constructed of lead or iron with leaded joints ..
SECT. 2. Grades. - The house drain and other pipes for the conveyance of sewage shall be laid with a uniform grade and a fall of not less than one inch in four feet, except in cases where the City Engineer may permit otherwise.
SECT. 3. Traps. - The house drain shall be provided with a trap which shall be located outside of all house connections.
Every pipe connecting a water-closet with a soil-pipe shall be trapped close to the connection with the water-closet.
All waste-pipes shall be trapped, each separately, and close to the connection with the bath, sink, bowl, or other fixture.
SECT. 4: Ventilation. - All soil-pipes shall be carried at their . full size through the roof, and left open. A provision shall also be made for admitting air to the house drain on the house side of the main trap.
SECT. 5. Workmanship. - The joints in the drain-pipe shall be carefully cemented under and around the pipe, and the joints in the iron pipe shall be run and calked with lead.
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All changes in direction shall be made with curved pipes, and all connections shall be made with Y branch pipes.
All joints and pipes shall be made air-tight.
The whole work to be executed by skilful mechanics in a thorough and workmanlike manner, and satisfactory to the Board of Health
SECT. 6. Plans. - Before proceeding to construct any portion of the drainage system of a hotel, tenement, or dwelling-house, the owner, builder, or person constructing the same shall file with the City Engineer a plan thereof, showing the whole drainage system from its connection with the common sewer to its terminus in the house, together with the location of all branches, traps, ventilating pipes, and fixtures.
SECT. 7. These regulations shall apply to all hotels, tenements, dwelling houses, and other buildings hereafter erected in the city of Somerville.
GEORGE A. KIMBALL, C. E. JOHN F. COUCH, M. D. GEO. C. SKILTON.
REPORT OF THE CITY PHYSICIAN.
CITY PHYSICIAN'S OFFICE, BOW STREET, Jan. 1, 1882.
To his Honor the Mayor and the City Council :
GENTLEMEN, - I have the honor to present the following report for the year ending Dec. 31, 1881 : -
I have made during the year 2,771 visits ; 2,260 of these were medical and 83 were surgical ; 28 were made to persons temporarily confined in the police station. I have attended 24 obstetric cases. I have vaccinated 46 persons, mainly children. Fourteen times dur- ing the year I was called to view dead bodies. In some cases the persons died suddenly, others after a lingering illness ; and a few were of children who died shortly after birth, their mother not be- ing attended by a physician. In all cases, after careful inquiry, certificates of the probable cause of death were signed. Two can- didates for the police force were examined and certificates given them. I examined during the year 11 persons who were supposed to be insane, and gave certificates in 7 cases. Thirty-six persons had teeth extracted in my office.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN F. COUCH, M. D., City Physician.
INDEX.
PAGE Alewife Brook.
200
Ashes
202, 224
City Physician's Report
229
Cholera Infantum
214
Dangerous Diseases ..
207
Death Rate, 1881 (at end of mortality table).
206
Deaths
204
Diphtheria
.208,226
Districts
214
Expenses 219
Goats
.201, 225
Grease
201, 225
House Offal
. 202, 224 Licenses 201
Map
219
Measles
213
Membership
197
Mystic Water
203
Night-Soil
.202, 225
Nuisances
197, 225
Organization 197
Privies
199, 224
Regulations
219
Scarlet Fever
207,220
Sewers.
204
Small-Pox. 213
Stables 200, 223
Swine .201, 225
Typhoid Fever 210
Waverly Street Sewer Outlet. 199
Whooping-Cough 213
TABLES.
Diphtheria in 1881, Inspector's Report 212 a, b, c
Mortality in seventeen Massachusetts cities and towns, 1881. 207
66 in Somerville, 1881 205, 206 66 Rates of, in Districts, 1874 to 1881. 216
Nuisances Abated, 1881 .. 198
66 in Districts, 1881. 218
Principal Causes of Death, in Districts, 1881 217
Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, and Typhoid Fever, 1881 212
66
Death, 1877 to 1881 ..
212
66
66 in Districts, 1881. ...
217
REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON STREET LIGHTS.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF ALDERMEN, Dec. 30, 1881.
Report accepted and referred to the next city government, to be printed in the Annual Reports. Sent down for concurrence.
CHARLES E. GILMAN, Clerk.
Concurred in.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, Dec. 30, 1881. DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
SOMERVILLE, Dec. 30, 1881.
To the City Council of the City of Somerville :
Your Committee on Street Lights beg leave to make the follow- ing report : -
The whole number of street lights in the city is three hundred and seventy-five ; of this number, three hundred and twenty-nine burn gas, and forty-six naphtha. Six new lamps have been added during 1881.
During the year there has been a reduction in the price of gas effected with both the Cambridge and Charlestown gas companies. In 1880, the price of gas furnished by the Cambridge Gas Light Company was $2.75 per thousand; in 1881, $2.37 per thousand. The Charlestown Gas Company furnished gas in 1880 for $2.50 per thousand ; and in 1881 for $2.35 per thousand.
Your committee feel that they are under obligations to the Super- intendent of Street Lights for accepting a reduction in the price made with him at the beginning of the year, thus enabling them to keep very nearly within the appropriation ; but in view of the in- creasing demand for more light and additional lamps, the com- mittee feel that the appropriation has been rather too small, and that the department cannot be managed to the satisfaction of a large majority of our citizens without a larger expenditure.
Respectfully,
G. T. BURNHAM. E. C. CLARK. W. E. WELD. LEVI F. S. DAVIS. S. N. LOTHROP.
REPORT
OF
COMMITTEE ON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF ALDERMEN, Dec. 30, 1881.
Report accepted, and referred to the next city government, to be printed in the Annual Reports. Sent down for concurrence.
CHARLES E. GILMAN, Clerk.
Concurred in.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, Dec. 30, 1881. DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN, Dec. 23, 1881.
To his Hmor the Mayor, and the City Council :
GENTLEMEN, - Your committee beg leave to present the follow- ing report : -
Expenditures for the year, $22,128 00
Appropriation,
$21,500 00
Receipts,
237 40
21,737 40
Excess of expenditure, $390 60
Of the amount expended, $13,276 was paid for salaries ; $1,428 for Mystic water for use from hydrants; $900 for hose; and the balance for repairs on buildings and apparatus, and for miscellane- ous supplies.
Your committee has made alterations in the house of Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, and Hose Company No. 3, and the stalls in all the houses are now so placed that the horses come directly to the pole.
An entire change has been made by the introduction of the " swinging harness " in all our houses. Its advantages are, the prevention of breaking and wear of harnesses in the stalls, greater comfort to the horses, and the saving of time in hitching up.
A new heating boiler has been placed in the steamer's house, in lieu of an old one which had become unfit for use.
No complaints have been made to us of dereliction of duty on the part of any member of the department, and we cheerfully com- mend the promptness with which alarms have been answered and fires extinguished.
In conclusion, your committee would say that they have been constantly mindful of the interests of the department and the city.
J. L. NORCROSS, Chairman.
REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF ALDERMEN, Dec. 30, 1881.
Report accepted and referred to the next city government, to be printed with the city Reports for the year 1881. Sent down for concurrence.
CHARLES E. GILMAN, Clerk.
Concurred in.
. IN COMMON COUNCIL, Dec. 30, 1881.
DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, Dec. 30, 1881.
To the City Council of Somerville :
The Committee on Public Property have reported upon all mat ters that have been referred to them, and present the following statement of the accounts which have been managed by said com- mittee : -
POLICE-STATION INCIDENTALS.
Appropriation,
Received for rent of halls,
$2,300 00 353 00
$2,653 00
EXPENDED.
For janitor's salary,
$700 00
" gas,
293 45
" coal and wood,
382 17
" oil for carburetter,
158 00
"' water,
68 00
6 insurance,
20 00
repairs,
187 63
66 sundry small expenses,
71 53
1,880 78
Balance unexpended,
$772 22
PUBLIC-PARK MAINTENANCE.
Appropriation, Received for grass, 9 00
$1,200 00
Amount carried forward,
$1,209 00
244
Amount brought forward,
$1,209 00
EXPENDED.
For pay of foreman,
$720 00
" additional labor,
345 87
" painting fence, 245 00
" lighting and cleaning lamps,
60 00
" filling, sods, loam, manure, and team- ing, 83 54
45 00
" oil for lamps, tools, etc.,
50 50
1,549 91
Excess of expenses,
$340 91
SCHOOL-HOUSE REPAIRS.
Appropriation,
$7,000 00
Received for rent of halls,
558 00
66 " articles sold,
64 50
$7,622 50
EXPENDED.
For general repairs, alterations, and fur- niture,
$4,829 57
" rent,
550 00
" insurance, 906 55
gas, 186 96
" emptying vaults,
83 50
trees, loam, and care of grounds, 61 50
assessments for sewer and sidewalk, 47 21
6,665 29
Balance unexpended, $957 21
SCHOOL-HOUSE ON HIGHLAND AVENUE.
Appropriation,
$18,000 00
Appropriation for 1880, balance unex-
pended, 7,166 72
Amount carried forward,
$25,166 72
" plants,
245
Amount brought forward,
$25,166 72
EXPENDED.
For mason's part, as per contract,
$11,004 00
extra work, 455 08
" carpenter's part, as per contract,
11,425 00
60
66 extra work, 39 60
66 heating apparatus, as per contract, 925 00
66 extra work, 51 90
furniture,
644 60
66 architect's services,
618 00
66 additional carpentering, 177 31
" filling and grading,
285 27
emptying temporary privy, 3 50
25,629 26
Excess of expenses,
$462 54
The total cost of this school-house and lot is as follows : - Items above stated,
$25,629 26
Paid in 1880 : -
For 23,260 ft. land at 18c., 4,186 80
66 advertising and postal cards,
25 13
66 water-service pipe,
38 15
" mason's part, as per contract,
2,470 00
" architect's services, 300 00
Total cost,
$32,649 34
SCHOOL-HOUSE (LINCOLN) ON CLARENDON HILL.
Appropriation,
$3,000 00
EXPENDED.
For moving and refitting, as per contract, $2,296 00
" 17,662 feet land, at 7 cents,
1,236 34
" carpentering,
89 25
66 sewer assessment, 108 80
66 water-service pipes, 40 25
Amounts carried forward, $3,770 64
$3,000 00
246
Amounts brought forward,
$3,770 64 $3,000 00
For grading,
37 00
" blackboards,
14 88
" cleaning,
17 00
66 advertising,
8 00
66 architect's services, 50 00
3,897 52
Excess of expenses,
$897 52
SUMMARY.
OVERDRAWN.
BALANCE.
$772 22
For Police-Station Inci- dentals,
" Public-Park Mainte- nance, $340 91
" School-House Re- pairs, 957 21
" School-House on Highland Avenue, 462 54
" School-House (Lin- coln) on Claren-
don Hill, 897 52
Totals,
$1,700 97
$1,729 43
Excess of balances, $28 46
Your committee have also expended from
Miscellaneous Account : - For City Hall expenses,
Gas, $304 17
Water,
50 00
Coal and wood,
65 21
Repairs and altera- tions, etc.,
715 29
Furniture, etc.,
315 19
Amount carried forward, $1,449 86
247
Amount brought forward, $1,449 86 For rent and care of halls
for caucuses and elections, 48 00
" hoisting and lower-
ing flag-staffs, 48 00
" ringing bells,
2 00
Total,
$1,547 86
For the committee, E. C. CLARK, Chairman. GEO. I. VINCENT, Clerk.
REPORT
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF ALDERMEN, Dec. 30, 1881.
Report accepted and referred to the next city government, to be printed with the city Reports for the year 1881. Sent down for concurrence.
CHARLES E. GILMAN, City Clerk.
Concurred in.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, Dec. 30, 1881. DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS, Dec. 28, 1881.
To the City Council of Somerville :
The Committee on Claims present herewith the Report of the City Solicitor for the year 1881.
By order of the committee,
GEO. I. VINCENT, Clerk.
REPORT OF THE CITY SOLICITOR.
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