Report of the city of Somerville 1944, Part 19

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1944
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 492


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1944 > Part 19


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


1426


New registration during 1944


351


Average attendance during 1944


11


TUBERCULOSIS


Pulmonary Tuberculosis cases reported during 1944 65


Other Forms of Tuberculosis reported in 1944


9


Number of patients admitted to the Middlesex County Sanatorium at Waltham, Mass.


48


Xrays and examinations of patients and contacts are held every second and fourth Friday evenings of the month, at the Southern Middlesex Health Association, 379 Broadway, Som- erville.


308


ANNUAL REPORTS


TABLE SHOWING AGES AND SEX OF CASES REPORTED DURING 1944


Pulmonary Tuberculosis


-Sex-


Male


Female


Total


Under fifteen years of age


3


1


4


From fifteen to twenty years


1


1


2


From twenty to thirty years


8


9


17


From thirty to forty years


9


9


18


Over forty years


16


8


24


Totals


37


28


65


Other Forms of Tuberculosis


Sex-


Male


Female


Total


Under fifteen years of age


0


1


1


From fifteen to twenty years


1


1


2


From twenty to thirty years


2


0


2


From thirty to forty years


1


2


3


Over forty years


0


1


1


Totals


4


5


9


Miscellaneous


Typhoid Fever cases reported


0


Paratyphoid Fever cases reported


2


Recapitulation of Visits


Baby Hygiene


1932


Tuberculosis


1017


Miscellaneous


1589


Total visits


4538


Respectfully submitted,


GRACE E. PICKERING, R. N. MARY V. RYAN, R. N. MARGARET G. DONOVAN, R. N.


Health Nurses.


309


BOARD OF HEALTH


REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL INSPECTION


Somerville, Mass., January 2, 1945.


To the Board of Health, Somerville, Mass.


Gentlemen :


I herewith present the report of the Department of Medical Inspection for the year 1944, including statistics of the Con- tagious Hospital.


VISITS


SCARLET FEVER - Each case must be inspected before re- lease from quarantine to see that the condition of the patient is suitable for release


218


DIPHTHERIA - Before patients are released from quaran- tine two successive negative cultures must be obtained .


48


CONTAGIOUS HOSPITAL


366


Total number of visits


632


CONTAGIOUS DISEASE HOSPITAL


In Hospital Jan. 1, 1944


Admitted


Discharged Well or Improved


Dead


In Hospital Jan. 1, 1945


Disease


Diphtheria


5


44


44


0


5


Scarlet Fever


10


175


182


0


3


Miscellaneous


4


15


19


0


0


Daily average 14.10.


712 1/7 weeks treatment.


LABORATORY EXAMINATIONS Diphtheria


Negative


Positive


Total


January


55


25


80


February


81


48


129


March


73


29


102


April


34


5


39


May


40


28


68


June


29


22


51


July


17


11


28


August


6


2


8


September


11


8


19


October


73


18


91


November


107


51


158


December


131


61


192


Totals


657


308


965


310


ANNUAL REPORTS


Tuberculosis


Negative


Positive


Total


January


3


0


3


February


5


0


5


March


3


1


4


April


3


0


3


May


1


0


1


June


4


2


6


July


2


0


2


August


4


0


4


September


3


0


3


October


6


1


7


November


2


1


3


December


2


0


2


Total


38


5


43


Miscellaneous examinations


97


Total examinations


1105


TUBERCULOSIS


During 1944 there were nine deaths from pulmonary tuber- culosis. All patients ill with the disease coming to the atten- tion of the Board have either been supervised at their homes by the public health nurses, or have been placed in sanatoria when such treatment was needed.


DIPHTHERIA IMMUNIZATION


The department has continued the immunization of pre- school and school children up to the Junior High grade. The three doses of diphtheria toxoid was used.


Pamphlets in schools and advertisements in the local paper advising them of the clinics and where they could obtain the immunization were presented to the parents.


There were clinics held in the Hodgkins School on Holland Street, the Glines School on Jaques Street, the Prescott School corner of Pearl and Myrtle Streets and St. Joseph's Parochial School Union Square, and the Little Flower School on Frank- lin Street.


There were 900 children completed the three inoculations.


The immunizations were completed without any effects as regards to abscesses or reaction.


311


BOARD OF HEALTH


The private physicians have also immunized many of the babies, an exact record of which is not submitted to us.


Respectfully submitted,


WILFRID C. MACDONALD, M.D., Medical Inspector.


312


ANNUAL REPORTS


REPORT OF THE INSPECTORS OF ANIMALS AND PROVISIONS


Somerville, Mass., January 2, 1945.


To the Board of Health, Somerville, Mass.


Gentlemen :


I submit the following as my report for the year ending December 31, 1944.


The word establishment may be construed as including all places coming within the board's jurisdiction.


Number of establishments visited


4863


Complaints investigated


1179


Venereal disease delinquents visited


36


Notices sent


148


All complaints were satisfactorily adjusted.


CONDEMNATIONS


Turkey


14 lbs. Bread 15 lvs.


Pork


75 lbs.


Dry Peas 39 1bs.


Frankforts


17 lbs.


Respectfully submitted,


HENRY T. MURRAY,


Chief Inspector.


313


BOARD OF HEALTH


REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS AND VETERINARIAN


Somerville, Mass., January 2, 1945.


To the Board of Health, Somerville, Mass.


Gentlemen :


The following is my report for the year ending December 31, 1944.


There were a total of 511 calls made in connection with dog bites during the year.


The inspection of the City Home farm animals was done by me as in past years.


Respectfully submitted,


BERTRAM S. KILLIAN, D. V. M.,


Inspector of Animals and Veterinarian.


314


ANNUAL REPORTS


REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DENTAL HYGIENE


Somerville, Mass., January 2, 1945.


To the Board of Health,


Somerville, Mass.


Gentlemen :


I herewith submit the report of the Department of Dental Hygiene for the year 1944 with the following statistics.


Respectfully submitted,


ANTHONY L. BIANCHI, D.M.D


Supervising School Dentist


-SCHOOL CHILDREN -


CLINIC CASES HOSPITAL


-WELFARE CASES ---


--- SOLDIERS' RELIEF CASES-)


Number Examined


Old


New


Cases


Cases


Total Number


of Patients


Number of


Number of


Extractions


Number of


Cleaning's


Number of


tificates Granted Number of Cer-


Number Given


Number Given


Number of


Patients


Extractions Number


Number of


Extractions Number of


Patients at Number of


Hospital


Ethyl Chloride Novocain or Number


Given Gas


Patients Number of


Extractions Number of


at Clinic


Number


Novocain or


Number


Given Gas


January


675


184


91


0 960


605


337


195


1334


133


217


0


0


0


14


28


14


0


12


2


0


0


0


0


0


0


February


529


125


78


0


732


449


255


173


1026


117


131


0


0


0


19.


59


17


2


11


00


1


1


1


0


O


1


March


732


227


107


0


1066


669


391


228


1486


162


277


0


0


0


68


23


2


14


11


0


0


0


0


0


0


April


413


114


52


0 569


306


222


156


768


96


143


4


4


14


16


24


16


0


16


0


0


0


0


0


0


0


May


523


220


96


0


839


380


398


201


1074


119


237


3


3


15


15


20


15


0


12


3


0


0


0


0


0


0


June


327


78


51


0


456


194


202


164


649


117


117


4


4


12


7


9


7


0


3


4


0


0


0


0


0


0


July


SCHOOL CLINICS CLOSED


14


33


14


0


10


4


1


1


1


0


1


0


August


SCHOOL CLINICS CLOSED


14


32


14


0


11


3


1


1


1


0


1


0


September


SCHOOL CLINICS CLOSED


5


16


5


0


5


0


0


0


0


0


0


0


October


9913


SCHOOL CLINICS CLOSED


1


1


5


4


15


4


0


3


1


0


0


0


0


0


0


November


535


322


82


0


939


571


471


173


1231


91


285


1


1


5


11


5


0


2


3


0


0


0


0


0


0


December


452


118


61


0


631


386


222


143


852


71


3


3


17


3


4


3


0


3


0


1


3


1


0


0


1


Total


4186


1388


618


0


6192


3560


2498


1433


8420


906


1530


16


16


66


141


319


137


4


102


39


A


00


IA


0


2


2


Surgery :- None


Patients


Patients


Emergency


Special


Fillings


Treatments


Novocain


Gas


Patients


Clinic


Number at.


Number


Number Patients


Number Patients


at Hospital


Ethyl Chloride


-


123


25


315


BOARD OF HEALTH


REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF MILK AND VINEGAR


CHEMICAL AND BACTERIOLOGICAL LABORATORY


CITY HALL, SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS


Somerville, Mass., January 2, 1945.


To the Board of Health, Somerville, Mass.


Gentlemen :


During the year, four hundred and forty-seven stores were licensed to sell milk, sixty-six dealers were licensed to dis- tribute milk and seventy-three stores registered to sell oleo- margarine. Six pasteurizing plants located in Somerville were licensed to operate while forty-two plants in cities and towns outside Somerville, were under the supervision of this depart- ment. An average of 37,000 quarts of milk, and 1,000 quarts of cream were distributed daily in Somerville. Two hundred seventy-one stores were licensed to sell and nineteen dealers were licensed to manufacture frozen desserts.


The following tables 1, 2 and 3 are a summary of the work of the department for the year :


316


ANNUAL REPORTS


TABLE 1


Receipts


MONTH


License


Applications


License


Fees


Cash for


Analyses


Cash Paid City


Treasurer


Analyses on


Account


Total Income for


Department


January


5


$3.50


$0.00


$3.50


$196.00


$199.50


*February


41


497.50


0,00


497.50


267.00


764.00


+March


18


53.00


0.00


53.00


234.00


287.00


¿April


42


198.50


0.00


198.50


152.50


351.00


May


524


322.00


0.00


322.00


126.00


448.00


June


193


123.00


0.00


123.00


212.00


335.00


July


20


14.50


0.00


14.50


248.00


262.50


§August


14


19.00


0.00


19.00


222.50


241.50


·September


7


23.00


0.00


23.00


278.50


301.50


October


4


3.00


0.00


3.00


167.50


170.50


§November


10


16.00


0.00


16.00


240.00


256.00


December


3


1.50


0.00


1.50


235.00


236.50


Totals


881 $1,274.00


$0.00 $1,274.00 $2,579.00 $3,853.00


* 13 Applications Mfr. Frozen Desserts included


4 Applications Mfr. Frozen Desserts included


2 Applications Mfr. Frozen Desserts and 1 Pasteurizing App. included


1 Pasteurizing Application included.


2 Pasteurizing Applications included


TABLE 2


Examinations


MONTH


Chemical


Samples


Collected


Bacteria


Samples


Collected


Total


Collections


Sediment


Tests


Samples


Submitted


Microscopical


Examinations


Examinations


January


68


76


144


66


574


76


860


February


74


82


156


72


552


84


864


March


69


82


151


72


493


87


803


April


78


78


148


68


390


79


685


May


89


116


205


73


278


88


644


June


77


81


158


64


480


87


789


July


55


58


113


55


511


65


744


August


107


107


214


80


420


98


812


September


70


72


142


57


547


67


813


October


71


73


144


60


413


94


711


November


60


62


122


60


636


85


903


December


71


72


143


71


545


82


841


Totals


881


959


1840


798


5839


992


9469


Total


BOARD OF HEALTH


TABLE 3


Inspections


MONTH


Dairy, R.R.


Milk Stations,


Creameries


Milk and


Ice Cream


Plants


Restaurants


and Stores


Total


Inspections


January


2


38


22


62


February


2


22


36


60


March


2


41


11


54


April


4


55


20


79


May


8


17


32


57


June


2


62


126


190


July


5


36


31


72


August


4


42


14


60


September


5


36


21


62


October


7


39


18


64


November


5


42


12


59


December


0


32


10


42


Totals


46


462


353


861


This is the fourth year that this department has run rou- tine phosphatase tests on all pasteurized milks collected. Our experience compares with laboratories in other large cities, such as Springfield and Worcester, in that very few samples now fail to pass this test.


It is agreed by Health Sanitarians that this test is the most important index which has ever been placed in the hands of the milk analyst.


Respectfully submitted,


WILLIAM H. WALLIS, Inspector of Milk and Vinegar


This report, a summary of the work performed in the sev- cral sub-divisions of the Board of Health, is respectfully sub- mitted by


DR. WALTER E. WHITTAKER, Chairman JOSEPH H. McSWEENEY, M. D. ANTHONY F. COTA


Board of Health


.


317


318


ANNUAL REPORTS


REPORT OF THE RECREATION COMMISSION 1944


E. STUART ROGERS, Chairman


MEMBERS


Term Expires January


Wallace A. Blair 1945


Eugene W. Driscoll


1946


Joseph D. Filadoro 1946


Mrs. Rose M. Glendon 1945


Mrs. Harriet M. Hurlburt 1946


Mrs. Lillian F. Keefe 1945


Mrs. Clara R. Moore 1945


Rev. Nazareno Properzi 1946


E. Stuart Rogers


1946


Harry D. Stanchfield


1945


Secretary To The Commission : Francis J. Mahoney


319


RECREATION COMMISSION


December 30, 1944


To The Honorable, The Mayor and The Board of Aldermen:


Eight of the ten members of the Recreation Commission, making this Annual Report, are in their first year as members. For clearness, then, it is proper to recall the essential features of the situation inherited at the beginning of 1944 from another regime. That situation was generally recognized to be critical ; and the 1944 effort has been mainly toward reorganizing and revitalizing the whole municipal Recreation enterprise in Som- erville after a ten year period marked by the deterioration described in detail, one year ago, in the Annual Report received by this Commission from the Superintendent, who had been identified with the Recreation Service from its inception and through all the stages of its life.


In beginning its work the attitude of the present Commis- sion was one of INQUIRY, INVESTIGATION, AND ANALY- SIS; based on


(1) information available chiefly through the compre- hensive, thorough, outspoken 1943 Annual Report of the Superintendent - executive and advisory agent of the Commission - and the expressions of the two members who had served for fourteen and eighteen years previous to 1944, and


(2) the recommendations contained in the same Annual Report of the Superintendent.


Through such inquiry, investigation and analysis the Com- mission soon came to unanimous conviction that the Superin- tendent's summary, estimate, and recordings were accurate, sound and valuable as aid to the Commission in its approach to its work and problems. And the Commission soon arrived at fairly unanimous concurrence in those policies, methods and objectives which were expressed through the RECOMMENDA- TIONS carried in the Superintendent's Report for 1943.


320


ANNUAL REPORTS


That particular report of the Superintendent regarded De- cember 1943 as the end, not merely of a year, but of a ten-year period comprising one of four distinct divisions of the whole life of the Commission's service. It reviewed the life of the service and its problems and difficulties and achievements, and culminating in an outspoken analysis of the existing crisis, beckoned to a "reorganizing and revitalizing of the whole mu- nicipal Recreation enterprise, as the means to dissolve the ex- isting crisis and meet the future needs, immediate and remote". Now, at the end of 1944, this Commission believes that a fifth distinct period in the life of the Recreation service, progress- ive and promising, actually did begin early in 1944. This pre- sent Annual Report attempts to summarize the developments on which its belief is based.


That same 1943 Report of the Superintendent "urgently and emphatically recommends" - as one of the means towards reorganizing and revitalizing-that the Commission "use every resource and every energy. .. to enlist the intelligent under- standing and active effort of the appropriating authorities and the executive Departments which control 'tools' of Recreation" in connection with their share of the responsibility. And the Commission very early began to do exactly that. Indeed, the "intelligent understanding and active co-operation of the ap- propriating authorities" and the Departments which control grounds, buildings, etc., are among the chief reasons why - even so early as now, and even in the face of extreme war-time difficulties and obstacles-this Commission can report progress and promise, for the first time in ten years. Restoration of normal appropriation of funds, upon initiative of His Honor Mayor G. Edward Bradley and con- currence of The Board of Aldermen; restoration of the limited use of public buildings where necessary to the opera- tion of community Recreation activities ; and return towards recognition of the Recreation Commission's function to co-or- dinate -- for Recreation purposes-the thinking within those (non-Recreational) Departments that control "tools" of Re- creation (Public Buildings Department, City Engineer's De- partment, etc.) have been features of the year 1944; and they are the basis of the progress towards revitalization and expansion of the service. The Commission hereby acknowledges respect- fully and with great appreciation the co-operation and support of Mayor Bradley, The Board of Aldermen, and the Public Buildings and City Engineer's Departments.


Again, the 1943 Annual Report of the Superintendent to the Commission urged-as another of the important means towards


321


RECREATION COMMISSION


revitalization-that the Commission accept the responsibility of "leading the great body of Somerville citizens (who are well aware of the need) to organized interest, sustained alertness and active participation" as to community Recreation. In this respect, too, the Commission, as newly constituted, has arrived at conviction that the Superintendent's evaluation was correct :- that the citizens ARE well aware of the multiplying needs as to restoration and expansion of community Recreation services, ready and eager to participate wherever possibilities are afforded, and decidedly alert whenever and wherever the Commission exercises its function to inform them, interest them, and lead them. And this alert interest and ready co-op- eration by so many citizens of all ages throughout Somerville has been another of the major factors in successfully laying, in 1944, foundation for progressive developments. Gratefully and respectfully the Commission acknowledges this public support, interest and participation.


The restoration of uses of public buildings, which was not appreciable in the earlier part of 1944 (Budgetary and fiscal problems were not sufficiently solved at that time to insure a "green light" to the long-awaited developments in Recreation, and the annual appropriations were not enacted till March.), and which does not affect the late Spring and the Summer seasons, did not have tangible effects, of course, until late in the calendar year. Hence the greatest value from this pro- gressive step is its promise for the ensuing year and the years ahead. But already the favorable effects upon the life of the Boys' and Girls' Clubs are noteworthy.


Results from the more nearly adequate appropriation of funds to the Commission for 1944 include


(1) a nearer approach to reasonable salaries for employ- es of the Commission, though the salaries are still low by comparison with other fields :


(2) the employment of a secretarial worker; whereby a long-standing serious need has been met in part: and


(3) procurement of certain major items of equipment; the beneficial effects of which upon Recreation programs will be manifested in many ways in the im- mediate future and for a long time ahead.


The same frugality of expenditure which had character- ized the management of the service under the Commission from


322


ANNUAL REPORTS


the beginning and through the years, has been practiced in 1944 to the best of the Commission's ability earnestly applied. Even though faced with obligation to provide, in this unusual high-cost period, very necessary equipment and supplies in un- precedented quantity to offset ten years of non-replacement and non-replenishment (Appropriations from 1934 to 1943 had varied from 23% to 63% of normal.); and even though faced with need to replace-under conditions of unprecedented, war-time wage-and-salary levels-a trained corps of profes- sional Recreation leaders, which had been depleted to an alarm- ing degree through enlistment and conscription into the Armed Forces and through demoralizing disparagement and discour- agement and absurdly low salary schedules during the years of drastically reduced appropriations; the Commission has been able to return as unexpended, to the City Treasury, about $3,383 of the funds appropriated to it, in (a) the unexpended balance in its accounts at the close of this year, and in (b) De- cember 21 transfer of $965 from the Commission's accounts to those of another Department. This is a return of about 9% of the amounts appropriated for the year. This does not, how- ever, indicate an over-estimate by the Commission in its earlier estimates of funds needed for 1944. Rather it reflects (1) the necessity to delay operation of certain important and desir- able recreational programs and units because of the difficulty, during 1944, of obtaining services of men and women properly equipped for certain kinds of leaders' and directors' positions ; and (2) the impossibility of procuring certain major items of equipment and materials for equipment because of war-time Federal .restrictions and "priorities"; and (3) the careful, fru- gal management of the Commission's finances. In respect to this economy in financial management the Commission expres- ses recognition and commendation of the services and methods of the Superintendent as its executive agent.


The foregoing expressions of optimism and statements of progress are not intended to convey impression that the Commission is satisfied with the state of its service, its quan- tity or its extent. Rather they record merely a BEGINNING of that "new deal" (to use again the language of the 1943 re- port of the Superintendent) which had been declared, a year ago, to be absolutely necessary to "rescue the service from the inevitable effects of ten difficult years and the menace of war- time Selective Service conditions and the general man-power problem. Indeed, the developments are only commensurate with the brief period since the "new deal" was inaugurated, and they


323


RECREATION COMMISSION


are in inverse proportion to the extreme degree of the unfav- orable conditions to be overcome.


The retardation of progress by the man-power conditions and other war-time factors has been so serious as to offset largely the favorable developments indicated above. The employed staff is very far from adequate in number; a majority of pre- sent employes are either very "new" to their assignments or relatively inexperienced : a majority are overworked and thus less efficient than their conscientious efforts would otherwise find them. Important key positions, necessary to the launch- ing of new programs and restoration of activities discontinued during the ten years of inadequate finances and closed build- ings, remain unfilled for lack of appropriate persons with the special qualifications required.


The Summer Playgrounds leadership suffered very seri- ously in quality and efficiency through inadequate supervision over the workers and through inexperience, in comparison by standards of pre-war years. Only 55% of the normal number of male workers could be employed. Forty-two per cent of the entire staff was made up of novices to the work; only about 20% was of more than one season's experience; about 25% of the workers were of ages normally considered to be too young or too old for employment in the positions to which they were assigned ; the position of Supervisor for Inter-Play- ground Athletics was altogether unfilled; two other positions of Special Supervisors for Folk Dancing and Handcraft were filled by persons new to playground work and both enlisted on the very eve of the season's opening, so that the staff-in-general did not have the opportunity for the pre-season training these two positions should provide ; the general supervision, normally a responsible and burdensome work for three incumbents, was carried on by one man-new to that particular assignment- who also had to assume the duties of a maintenance worker. The pre-season period of training for workers new to the ser- vice and for the organization of the staff was greatly reduced in length because of the delay in enlisting even the smaller staff. (These abnormalities were caused, of course, by the war-time conditions.) During the season three vacancies oc- curred abruptly because of Selective Service circumstances. Substitutes and replacements were only rarely possible. Many kinds of games supplies and other equipment were unavailable. And, finally, the hottest and most oppressive weather condi-


324


ANNUAL REPORTS


tions experienced, in this region, in scores of years, persisted through the greater part of the season.


Similar difficulties in similar degree have attended other seasons, programs, and activities.


(The Commission believes that the prime factor in the partial offset to these extreme difficulties has been the combin- ation of resourcefulness, energy, over-time industry, sacrifice, and patient persistence of the Superintendent, Mr. Francis J. Mahoney, and the small group of veteran employes now in service -- notably Mr. John H. McCarthy and Miss Helen G. Brown. Omission of this official and public recognition of de- voted service by these and other employes would be unjusti- fiable, the Commission believes.


The Superintendent, in addition to the burdensome and varied duties of administration and those of Secretary to The Commission, and in addition to the work of training staff workers, has carried also the supervisory and semi-administra- tive duties normally and customarily delegated to workers of intermediate rank and the organizational work usually dele- gated to the same intermediate-rank workers-all but one of whom have been temporarily or permanently withdrawn from the service and not replaceable.)


Working conditions at the office of the Commission-in cluding the condition of the building, lack of accommodations, lack of furniture and elementary equipment-have continued in 1944, as hitherto, to be indescribably bad and discouraging.


Notwithstanding these handicaps there has in recent months been considerable progress in the work of the Boys' and Girls' Clubs-though this had not been true in the earlier part of 1944; the Saturday Playgrounds have had two successful (Spring and Fall) seasons; there is at present repetition of the 1942-43 success in Model Aircraft activities among boys (Somerville Young Aircrafters) ; a new venture in the form of boxing instruction for boys has been launched with fair success as to number of participants and good results other- wise ; and the general morale of the leadership staff is judged to be higher than at any time in the past three years-and ris- ing.




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.