USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1925 > Part 12
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79,847
Morrison & Sutherland, Swampscott
80,954
140
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
HEATING AND VENTILATING
R. T. Pender, Inc., Lynn
$13,980
Huey Bros., Inc., Boston
15,727
F. W. Zemier & Co., Boston
15,925
John F. Morgan & Son, Inc., Lynn
16,126
Acme Heating & Ventilating Co., Boston
16,984
Reardon Bros., Lynn
19,502
PLUMBING
R. T. Pender, Inc., Lynn
$3,420
Reardon Bros. Co., Lynn
3,888
John F. Morgan & Son, Inc., Lynn
3,893
Wm. H. Mitchell & Son Co., Boston
3,950
ELECTRIC
Reliance Electric Co., Lynn
$4,966
Kenworthy & Taylor, Everett
5,457
Federal Electric Supply Co., Boston
5,511
Horace M. Lobdell, Boston
6,385
J. A. Wilkinson & Co., Boston
6,477
M. B. Foster Electric Co., Boston
6,884
E. C. Lewis, Inc., Boston
7,489
The contract for the erection of the building was awarded to Ar- thur E. Steinert of Lawrence, the heating, plumbing and ventilating to R. T. Pender, Inc., of Lynn, and lighting to the Reliance Electric Co. of Lynn. Work was begun at once and at the close of the year the roof was on the building, and early in the year it is expected that the building will be completed. During the progress of the work, Frank L. Burk of Swampscott, has acted as inspector and representative of the committee and his appointment has, in the opinion of the committee, been a very wise one.
The committee recommends that the unexpended balance of $566.74 remaining from the amount borrowed for the addition to the Palmer school as authorized on April 13, 1922, be transferred to the Red- ington Street School Building Fund. The committee further recom- mends that the $500 appropriated in 1924 for the use of the com- mittee investigating the needs of the Hadley School district be also transferred to the Redington Street School Fund.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN VANNEVAR, H. W. LINSCOTT, HARRY E. HARDY, LOUIS H. KIMBALL, HENRY A. SADLER, Redington Street School Committee.
141
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH
1925]
Report of Board of Health
Organization
Loring Grimes, M.D., Chairman.
Harold H. Bartol.
John B. Cahoon.
Clarence W. Horton, Health Officer and Milk Inspector.
Barbara M. Morse, Clerk.
Mrs. Mary K. Hammond, R.N., Health Nurse.
Edward C. Phillips, Plumbing Inspector.
Frank B. Stratton, M.D.V., Inspector of Slaughtering.
Ralph D. Merritt, Special Clerk.
Charles Melvin, Special Agent.
To the Citizens of Swampscott:
The Board of Health herewith submits the following report for the year ending December 31, 1925.
The work of this department during the past few years has been steadily increasing. This increase has been due to the rapid devel- opment of the town and the passage of new laws affecting the work of the department. The bulk, if not all, of this extra work neces- sarily fell upon the health officer, with the result that it became nec- essary for him to spend the major portion of his time in office work, which greatly interfered with his outside duties. The board felt that he should be relieved of the clerical work and direct his atten- tion to the more important work of the department, therefore in accordance with the authority given them under Section 27, of Chap- ter 111, of the General Laws, employed a full time clerk to take over the clerical work of his office. We feel that this arrangement has added greatly to the efficiency of the department, as the office of the board is now open for the transaction of business at all hours during the day. This has been impossible heretofore, as it was nec- essary to close the office during the time the health officer was en- gaged upon other work outside the office.
Convincing evidence of the increasing work of the department will be found in the reports of our various officers hereto appended.
142
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
Contracts
As the contract for the collection of garbage expires on December 31, it became necessary for the board to advertise for new bids on this work.
On November 7th, the board advertised for bids for the collection of garbage from January 1, 1926, to December 31, 1928, said bids to be in accordance with specifications on file in the office of the board. On November 20th, three bids were received and found as follows:
Per Year
Herbert C. Brown
$6,800
Abram French Jean Le Bell
6,500
5,500
The board awarded the contract to Jean Le Bell, he being the low- est bidder.
For several years and especially during the past two years the collection of ashes and waste material has caused the board consid- erable trouble. Much of our trouble has been caused by the low price of the contract, the quality of the labor employed, the closing of the places formerly used for the disposal of the material collected and our inability to procure new dumping places. The lack of dumps has made longer hauls from the place of collection to the place of disposal. This has naturally materially reduced the number of loads that could be collected during each day and consequently has very frequently resulted in some of the collections not being made on the day designated. This has resulted in the receipt of many complaints and a general expression of dissatisfaction from the citizens whose ashes were not collected on time. Considerable complaints and much criticism has also been directed at the board because of the condi- tions both on and surrounding the dumps.
We agree with those living in the vicinity of the dumping places that the conditions have been not only unsightly but unsanitary and should not be permitted to exist, but inasmuch as the property is privately owned, and open to the use of anyone who desired to dump there, and the town was forced to use the property for the disposal of its waste material, the board was not in a position to order the owner to abate the nuisance as such steps would have without doubt resulted in the town being prohibited from using the property for that purpose. While most of the complaints could and would have been eliminated by the employment of someone on the dump who would direct the place and manner in which the material was dis- posed of, the board was unable to do this, owing to the lack of funds. It is true, however, that the board has occasionally caused the dump on Forest avenue to be levelled and cleaned, but this was done in order that we might continue to use the property, as the owner had notified the board that it must keep the property in a clean and sightly condition if we wanted to continue using the same. Our efforts to keep this dump clean have not proved successful, as the
143
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH
1925]
private individuals and local merchants, who also dispose of their waste material there, have been unmindful as to its looks or con- dition, and have deposited their material promiscuously about the property.
Although the board has spent much time and carefully studied the situation relative to this work in an effort to improve the service and make it satisfactory to the citizens in general, it is our opinion that this will not be possible until the town provides a public dump and the work is done by employees of the town under proper super- vision, and sufficient funds are provided to enable those in charge to keep some one employed on the dump to direct the disposal and keep the place level and clean. With this in mind and with the idea of giving the citizens an opportunity to act on this matter the board caused two articles to be inserted in the warrant for the special town meeting held on October 6th, as follows:
Article 4. "To see if the town will appoint a committee consist- ing of the Board of Selectmen and Board of Health to investigate the acquisition by the town of locations for the disposal of its waste material, the report of the committee to be made at the next annual town meeting."
Article 5. "To see if the town will vote to have the collection of ashes and other waste material done by the Highway Department after January 1, 1926."
The vote of that meeting upon Article 4 was as follows:
"That the town appoint a committee consisting of the Board of Selectmen and Board of Health to investigate the acquisition by the town of locations for the disposal of its waste material, the report of the committee to be made at the next annual town meeting."
Under Article 5, it was voted to accept and adopt the report of the Finance Committee as follows:
"Under competitive bidding the lowest cost contract is obtained. The present rates of pay for this type of work are less than paid the town employees. The successful bidder can sell clear ashes for filling at the highest price obtainable, is financially interested to do this and figures on this income to reduce his bid. Private business of this nature is usually more efficient and less costly than public work, and the town is protected by bond. Under the contract sys- tem no expenditure for equipment is involved.
"We recommend that the Board of Health be instructed to pre- pare a contract for the town similar to the one now in effect, after proposals for contracts have been properly advertised, to provide for the collection of ashes and such other waste material as is now col- lected under the present contract, the new contract to run from Jan- uary 1, 1926, until April 30, 1926, and that when the town provides additional locations for the disposition of its waste material, or upon the refusal of the town to do so, the Board of Health shall
144
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
prepare a term contract similar to that now in effect, for this pur- pose."
While the board agrees with the Finance committee that it is pos- sible to obtain a low cost contract by competitive bidding, we do not agree with their statement that the work can be or has been more efficiently done than by the town. It has been our privilege to observe that the quality of the labor employed in work of this char- acter is not only unreliable but far inferior to town labor. It is our opinion that the citizens are as a whole interested in the service rather than the cost, but they cannot expect service without cost, whether it be the collection of ashes or some other work. However, it is for the citizens, and not the Board, to determine how the work shall be done. Still we feel that if the work is done in this manner and is not satisfactory the responsibility should not be ours.
As the contract for the collection of ashes and other waste ma- terial expires on December 31, this year, the Board in accordance with the recommendations of the Finance Committee and the vote of the town, advertised for new bids on November 7, the bids to be for the collections of ashes and waste material from January 1, 1926, to April 30, 1926, in accordance with the specifications on file in the office of the Board. On November 20th, three bids were re- ceived and found as follows:
Per Year From Jan. 1, 1926 to
Apr. 30, 1926
Abram French
$10,500 00
$3,500 00
Herbert C. Brown
.
7,800 00 2,600 00
M. J. Daley
1,819 00
The Board awarded the contract to M. J. Daley, he being the low- est bidder.
The Board recommends the following appropriations for the en- suing year:
Health and sanitation
$8,394 75
Refuse and garbage .
7,619 22
Cleaning beaches
1,261 00
Health nurse
1,450 00
Dental clinic
.
500 00
Respectfully submitted,
LORING GRIMES, HAROLD H. BARTOL, JOHN B. CAHOON,
Board of Health.
December 31, 1925.
145
HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT
1925]
Report of Health Officer
To the Board of Health :
Gentlemen :- I herewith submit the following report for the year ending December 31, 1925:
Constantly increasing laws and the rapid growth of the town have made additional demands upon this office. The addition of a full time clerk has not only relieved your health officer of a vast amount of clerical work and made it possible for him to devote more of his time to other important work of the department, but has greatly increased the efficiency of the office. Citizens are now able to obtain desired information, register complaints, and transact other business at all times during the day.
In spite of the increase in the number of communicable diseases reported during the year the general health of the town has been excellent. Sanitary conditions are continually improving. The ex- tension of the sewer into the "Shaw Estate" has eliminated many troublesome and undesirable cesspools.
Although there have been occasions when the collections of garbage have not been quite up to standard, the work as a whole has been generally satisfactory. This can not be said of the collections of ashes, however, as considerable difficulty has been experienced in procurring places for the disposal of the material collected.
Two cases of typhoid fever have been reported during the year. Investigation of these cases showed that one case had been con- tracted while the patient was travelling, while the history of the other case showed that the patient had eaten raw clams obtained from a roadside stand.
Evidence that the parents of the children in our public schools appreciate the value of the yearly physical examinations, which are now being made, is clearly shown in the results of the examinations made this year.
Through the efforts of the local chapter of the American Red Cross, a fully equipped dental clinic has been established at the Machon school. Its establishment fills a long felt want in our efforts to con- serve the health of our children. The benefits made possible in later life through the proper care of the teeth, especially during the school age, are of untold value. The continuance of the clinic is of the utmost importance to the health and education of the children and I sincerely hope and trust that nothing will be permitted to in- terfere with this humane work.
146
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
The following is a summary of the work of this office during the year:
Communicable Diseases
New cases reported
323
Cases placarded 217
Cases released 271
Cases investigated
392
Pupils excluded from school
205
Certificates to attend school
218
Cultures received for examination
8
Specimens received for examination
5.
Inspections
Number of complaints received
848
Number of inspections made 220
Verbal notices given
49
Written notices to abate
79
Legal notices to abate
5
Referred for legal action
5
Visits to dairies, milk plants, etc.
949
Conferences and Consultations
With physicians
93
With nurses, social workers, etc.
514
With school authorities
51
With parents and guardians
104
Clerical and General
Number of telephone calls
1778
Number of letters written 755
Number of special reports made
1160
Number of inquiries received
327
Number of inquiries answered
324
Miscellaneous
Number of school children examined
5879
Number of physical defects found 699
Number of notices sent to parents
142
Visits to hospitals, laboratories, etc.
4
Number of laboratory supplies furnished
142
Fumigation, disinfecting, books, rooms, etc.
1282
Number of building applications approved
284
Number not approved
8
Number of permits to construct cesspools and drains 25
Number of permits refused
4
1925]
HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT
147
Number of permits issued to keep fowl
218
Number of undertakers' permits granted 3
Number of permits to collect tallow and grease 2
Number of permits issued to collect garbage 1
The following licenses have been issued during the past year: To sell alcohol 16
To hawkers and peddlers 6
To manicure 6
To sell non-alcoholic beverages 1
The sum of $116 has been collected from licenses and the said amount has been paid to the Collector and his receipt obtained.
A Comparison Summary
The following summary will give an idea of the results of the examinations in comparison with those of the previous year:
Schools Year
Clarke 1924
1925
Hadley 1924
1925
1924
Jr. High 1925
1924
Machon 1925
Palmer 1924
1925
1924
1925.
No. examined
248
250
218
208
277
415
200
209
129
138
1072
1220
Defects
7
1
0
0
0
3
14
1
4
0
25
5
Adenoids
10
3
0
6
1
1
2
4
0
3
13
17
Feet and spine
12
0
2
2
3
1
6
0
1
0
24
3
Glands
0
6
0
2
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
17
Hearing
1
8
1
2
2
7
2
3
0
1
6
21
Heart
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
2
Lungs
0
0
0
0
0
3
16
2
1
0
17
5
Mentality
0
0
1
0
0
4
8
10
1
0
10
14
Nerves
13
6
5
9
3
12
11
8
2
7
34
42
Nutrition
21
7
15
16
12
15
29
23
2
9
79
70
Posture
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
2
1
0
1
4
Scalp
1
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
3
0
7
0
Skin
34
0
13
0
24
0
53
0
13
0
137
0
Teeth
-
0
27
0
31
0
50
0
57
0
18
0
183
Tonsils (Large)
0
9
0
7
0
4
0
10
0
7
0
37
Tonsils (Distended)
12
36
0
20
0
27
14
22
6
20
32
125
Vision
21
4
0
31
0
49
34
5
41
5
96
94
Weight
Totals
132
108
37
127
47
180
191
151
75
73
482
639
[Dec. 31
TOWN DOCUMENTS
148
Totals
149
HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT
1925]
The number of cases of poor teeth found have not been included in the above summary, as these examinations were made by the dentist connected with the new dental clinic and will without doubt be included in his report to the school department.
The number of physical defects found this year are considerably larger than those of 1924, but much of this increase is due to the fact that 143 more pupils have been examined. The inclusion of the enlarged tonsil cases has also caused some of the increase, as these cases were not included in last year's report.
Communicable Diseases
Scarlet fever in a mild form, that appeared late in 1924, continued through the first three months of the present year. Other con- tagious diseases, especially mumps and whooping cough, show a con- siderable increase over those reported for the previous year. Many of these cases could and would have been very materially reduced, if the parents had exercised proper care in observing quarantine.
During the year thirteen deaths occurred from communicable diseases, one from cerebro-spinal meningitis, two from encephalitis lethargica (sleeping sickness), one from diphtheria, two from scarlet fever, three from pulmonary tuberculosis, and four from lobar pneu- monia.
Of the seven new cases of tuberculosis reported to this office during the year, four were those of persons residing in town and three of persons residing elsewhere but having a settlement here. Five patients have been admitted to and five discharged from sana- toriums the past year.
At the present time there are six tubercular patients receiving institutional treatment and nine home treatment under the super- vision of this office.
The following is a list of the various diseases, reported to this office during the year:
150
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
DISEASES REPORTED
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Total
Anterior poliomyelitis
Cerebro spinal meningitis
0
Chicken pox
3
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2 0
0
1 3 2 10
Lobar pneumonia
3
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
9
6
Mumps
Ophthalmia neonatorum
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1 1|
0
0
0
0 0
0
Typhoid fever
1 0
0 0
0 1
0
0
0
0
0
0! 0
0
Whooping cough
0
0
9
1
1
5
6
2|
19 21 42 20
126
Total
28 23 22 36 23 20 15
8 22 24 57:45|
323
In concluding this report I desire to thank the members of the board, the members and officers of other departments, school phy- sicians and the various organizations, and citizens of the town for the assistance they have given me in the discharge of my duties during the past year.
Respectfully submitted,
CLARENCE W. HORTON,
Health Officer.
December 31, 1925.
0
0200
000
AHO 4
8 0800 0
-100
1
0
0 0000 0
2
0
1
Encephalitis lethargica
Gonorrhea
Influenza
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0
0 2
Measles
0
1
3
8
2
0
0
2
0
0
0 0 0 1
0 0 0 4
0 0 1 5
30 41 2 4 57 0 2
Pulmonary tuberculosis
0 0
0
0
0
0
2
Scarlet fever
18|10 4
4
8
4
0
0
0
Syphilis
0 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 1
Diphtheria
1
1
0
0
0
3
0
0
0000 0
0
0
0
2
10 40 3
1
9
5 14
9
0 1
0
151
MILK INSPECTOR'S REPORT
1925]
Report of Milk Inspector
To the Board of Health:
Gentlemen :- I herewith submit the following report for the year ending December 31, 1925:
Number of samples taken and analyzed 149
Number of samples that passed bacteria test 147
Number of samples low in solids 16
Number of samples low in butter fat 19
Number of samples of cream taken and analyzed 30
Number of samples of cream that passed test 24
Number of samples of ice cream taken and analyzed 24
Number of samples of ice cream that passed test 24 Number of samples of vinegar taken and analyzed 32
Number of samples low in acetic acid 0
Licenses
Number of stores licensed to sell milk 58
Number of dealers licensed to sell milk 23
Number of stores issued permits to sell ice cream 38
Number of permits issued to manufacture ice cream 7
Number of stores licensed to sell oleomargarine 6
The milk supply still continues to be of the same excellent quality as that of previous years despite the fact that the number of samples found to be low in solids and butter fat are somewhat larger than those found during the year 1924.
It might be well to state that nearly all of these low samples were the result of an inspection and examination of the dairy and milk of a nearby producer who desired to obtain a permit to produce Grade A milk. Although inspection of this dairy showed that the sanitary conditions were excellent, examination of the milk showed that something was wrong. A careful study was made of the methods employed both during and after milking but nothing was found that gave any reason to believe that the milk was not being properly handled. Attention was then directed to cows and samples were taken from the milk of a number of them immediately after milking. Upon examination of those samples it was found that the trouble existed among the cows. It was therefore decided to have the Federal and State departments test the animals. This was done, with the result that twenty-five (25) of the twenty-eight (28) cows comprising the herd, were found to re-act to the tuberculin test and they were ordered destroyed within thirty (30) days.
152
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
Milk Inspection
Milk inspection for many years dealt only with the adulteration of milk. Milk inspection today deals not only with adulteration but with its purity. The science of bacteriology has given birth to modern sanitary science and has disclosed dangers lurking in the milk supply. This science has shown that dirty milk may be dan- gerous milk; that associated with dirt are organisms that may cause digestive disturbances, and there disturbances may be fatal where digestion is weak, as in the case of infants and invalids. Bacteria increases very rapidly when milk is not properly cooled and may be present in old milk in objectionable numbers. It is apparently an established fact that bovine tuberculosis may be transmitted to human beings, especially to children, by means of the milk supply and that special contagious fevers and other diseases may be spread by means of milk. Special attention has been paid to the bacterial content of the milk supply and it has been very interesting to note that only two of the samples taken during the past year did not pass the test despite the fact that the rules and regulations of this department limit the amount of permissible bacteria to 150,000 while the limit of the majority of the cities and towns is 300,000.
Pasteurization
From the standpoint of public health, proper pasteurization of milk insures an additional element of safety under any conditions. Pasteurization is recognized as necessary unless there is special as- surance that the milk has been so produced and handled that there can be no danger from its use. Constant supervision, however, is necessary to insure that the milk is properly pasteurized, for if it is not, it is very apt to be in a worse condition than it was before treat- ment. The word "pasteurized" on the milk bottles should be a uniform guarantee to the purchaser that the product has been heated and held at such a temperature that all disease bacteria have been destroyed; that the original physical and chemical properties of the milk have not been altered so as to affect its appearance and taste, or render it less digestible and that it has been cooled and bottled in a sanitary manner so as to avoid recontamination. Frequent plant inspections have been made during the year to insure that proper pasteurization was being maintained.
Tuberculin Test
Tuberculosis probably is the most dangerous and widespread disease of cattle that can endanger the milk supply. The presence of the disease in dairy cows, especially when the udder is affected, may be the cause of the disease in human beings. Most of the tuberculosis that is found in children is of the bones, joints and digestive tract. This has led to the theory that milk may be one of the chief causa- tive agents. Cows should be tested for tuberculosis at least once a year by a competent veterinarian, and if the disease is found the test should be made twice a year. All cows that react should be removed
153
MILK INSPECTOR'S REPORT
1925]
from the herd and the stable and premises thoroughly cleansed. Some cities and towns have by regulations endeavored to compel this examination, but the fact that the requirement has not been universal has made the producers indifferent, and they have refrained from having their cows tested as long as they are able to dispose of their supply in communities where the test is not required.
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