MYFBS, MAY(R - the Digital Library of Georgia

MAYOR'S ANNUAL REPORT. 171groes. The mortality was light—7 whites and 3 negroes.Many cases were of such a light nature thatthe disease attacked two or more children in thesame family before its true nature was discovered.Again the quarantine at certain houses was not maintainedas directed by the attending physician andthe disease was disseminated through carelessness.In this connection it may be stated that house quarantineis not such as it should be, and were it not forthe kind attention of the neighbors it would, in manycases, be worthless.Much damage has been done to* household effectson account of our lack of a steam chamber, whichcould be used for the disinfection of textile fabrics.With such a chamber citizens would be saved nearlyall of their household effects left in infected rooms.Your Health Officer obtained estimates on a steamcylindar, with pipings ready to be fitted to the boilerat the water works, and presented the same to theBoard of Sanitary Commissioners, but that body refusedto allow the work of disinfection to be carriedon when the water supply would be polluted. Howsuch pollution could occur is unknown to yourHealth Officer, no matter how clear it may be to othermembers of the Board.A steam chamber should be purchased, and if it cannotbe placed near enough to the water works to obtainsteam from the boiler as suggested by me, thenthe entire plant for the specific purpose of disinfectionshould be erected. True, such a plant wouldcost twice the amount in purchase and about thesame to run it than if it were placed where an engineer,fuel and steam were already available, but thesaving to the citizens warrants the expense.