Alexandria gazette. [volume], March 31, 1922, Page 10, Image 10

About Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

Department of Health
of Alexandria
Any city of the present day, is
largely judged by the kind of health j
protect/iva organization its citizens
are willing to spend their money to
maintain. And it is perfectly just and
logical that a city should he so rated
for what could be more important
than the protection of the lives and
health of its citizens? It is certainly
an imperative duty of the people of
any city to make it a safe place in
which to live!
The four principal questions asked
of a city at the present time are:
Have you a well organized and effi
cient Health Department? Have you
a competent and modernized Fire De- i
partement? Have you an efficient j
Police Department?
As this article deals with the Health
Department only, we will take up
the first question and answer it in j
some detail. i
In 1018, owing to certain conditions I
then existing, and to the fact that J
Alexandria was in the military zone
of Camp Humphrey, a Sanitary Unit
of the U. S. Public Health Service i
Dr. Louis E. Foulks
was assigned to the City, with a coin
missioned medical officer in charge.
This unit included Red Cross nurses,
.bacteriologist, sarjitary inspectors,
etc., and took full charge of all health
protective measures. On Jan. 1, lid9,
Ass't Surgeon General Clark, of the |
Public Health Service, assigned Dr. j
Louis E. Foulks, a medical officer i
who up to that time was attached to |
the Influenza Relief Headquarters,
U. S. Public Health Service as Chief
of the Division of Food Control and
Sanitary Inspection, Military Zone of
the District of Columbia to Alexan
dria as Clvef Sanitary Inspector,,
and ordered him to make a complete
sanitary survey of the city. This
survey was finished in March, and the
various maps, chart)?, and photo
graphs, together with the official re
port with suggestions made to correct
insanitary conditions found, were
brought to the attention of the Citv I
Councils by the commanding officer,
Dr. R P. Sandridge. It should be !
understood that prior to the Public
Health Service taking charge in 1!?18,
there was no regular health organi
zation in the city. A local physician
acted as health officer, with a local
veterinarian as an assistant. Both
gave only a portion of their time to
the work, and received a nominal
salary.
In an address before the City Coun
cils, Dr. Sandridge pointed out that
part time health work was practically
money wasted. He also called atten
tion to the fact that the Public Health
Service would withdraw its unit on
June 30th, and strongly urged Coun
cil to make provision for an efficient
full-time health department, with a
bacteriological laboratory and train
ed personnel. Realizing that the time
had come for serious action, they re
quested Dr. Sandridge to submit a
plan for the formation of a perma
nent, full-time health orginization,
to be effective July I, ll'UO. He did
so, the plan was promptly adopted
and an appropriation was made >
carry it into effect. The next step
was to secure a competent outside
man, who would bo entirely free from
and local tics or affiliations, to act as
health officer, and organize and carry
out the large and varied amount of
pioneer work the new department of
health would have to do. Dr. San
didge knowing the wide, practical ex
perience of Dr. Foulks. along the
lines of disease prevention and gener
al sanitary work: in both field and
laboratory; strongly urged that his
services be secured. Although Dr.
Poulks was offered the same position
in another city of more than twice
the size of Alexandria, and at twice
the salary, he gave the matter serious
thought, fie consulted with the Ass't
Surgeon General, who pointed out (he
fact that as he had made the sani
tary survey of the city, he knew more
about the conditions needing correc
tion than any other individual, tind
should be .'ihlo to do work of great
public benefit, far more so than in the
other Virginia city, that desired his
services This induced Dr. Foulks to
agree to accept the office for a period
of ons year. At a joint session of the
City Council, held in June TWO. Dr.
Foulks was unanimously elected
Health Officer. Lieut. R. S. Dear
styne was elected City Bacteriolo
gist and Miss Sallie Jeffries, R. N\,
Public Health Nurse. Immediately
after his election. Dr. Foulks appoint
ed Dr. James J. Garvey, Veterinarian,
to be Assistant Health Officer. This'
appointment was promptly confirmed
by Council. He also appointed Miss
M. A. Brock, as tleft.
On July 1st, 1919, the newly organ
ized, full-time Department of Health
;took official charge of the city, with
headquarters in the City Hall. This
is the history of the birth and organ
ization of the present Health Depart
ment of Alexandria.
What Has The Health Department
Accomplished since its
Organization?
Since taking charge on July 1st,
1919, it has done a large amount of
important and constructive work in
making Alexandria a safer place in
which to live. It has greatly reduced
the number of cases, of such common
Jeable diseases as typhoid, scarlet
lever, diptheria, smallpox, etc. It has
rcduced the death rate of all forms
of communicable diseases, from 85 in
1919 to 64 in 1921. It has reduced the
death rate of typhoid over 65 per
cent! The total deaths from all causes
shows a steady decline during the
past three years. A Clinic for treat
ment of venereal disease has been con
ducted, also a general daily clinic
for treating the poor of the city
A special tuberculosis clinic is also
held. The department has, from time
to time drawn up and secured the
passage by City Council of many
important and comprehensive laws re
gulating the handling of all forms
of foods and drinks. The regulation
of restaurants, grocery stores, meat
markets, etc. The regulation of res
taurants. grocery stores, meat mar
kets, etc. The regulation of dairy
farms fixing the standard quality of
all rnilk sold within the city limits.
A law regulating the storage and col
lection of garbage, requiring it to be
stored in fly-tight metal cans. A
special law prohibiting the sale of un
wrapped bread.
This department has given special
attention to various unanswered sec
tion of the city, where the most dan
gerous unsanitary conditions existed.
In order to correct these conditions,
the department from time to time
prepared a total of 2G petitions for
sewer extensions, and presented them
to City Council. All of these were
granted and the extensions have been
constructed, the last section being
finished in February of this year. All
houses abuting upon these sewer ex
tensions, over 400 in number, have
been connected thereto, except those
upon the section finished last month, j
and these W;U be between now and |
April 1st. j
When the health department began \
its sanitary work in July 1919, it
was found that approximately 375
houses had been abuting upon - city j
sewers from Uo 7 years, yet had never |
been connected. This constituted a |
serious menace to the public health,
a menace the department was deter
mined to correct. As fast as these
houses were located and inspected, an
official notice was served upon the
owners, and if they failed to comply
with the order to connect their prop
critics to the city sewers, they were
summoned into Court. This made
some enemies for the health depart
ment, but as the health officer was
working for the public good, it did not
deter him from his work. At the
present time there arc no houses
abutting the city sewers, that are
not connected thereto, except the few
that have had their time extended to
April 1st.
A Few Facts and Figures Taken
from Official Records General
Food Inspection
From July 1st, 1919 to Dec. 31st,
1921, the department condemned and
destroyed a total of 28,805 lbs. of
tuberculosis meat. 3,216 cans of
spoiled fish. There is also a long list
of various stuff condemned that would
take too much space to list here, con
sisting of many hundreds of pounds
of chickens, turkeys, livers, pork,
lamb, mutton, barrels and crates of
fish, gallons of oysters, etc. All of
the thousands of pounds of diseased
beef and other food mentioned above,
would have been sold to the people
of Alexandria, but for the constant
inspection work of the health depart
ment.
All the restaurants and hotels arc
kept under almost daily inspection,
while other places such as meat mar
ik-jts, grocery stores, fish markets,
candy and ice cream stores, bakeries,
soft drink establishments, are, as far
as it is physically possible, inspected
once a week, and more frequently
when necessary.
Dairy and Milk Inspection
When the health department be
! tran its work in 1919, it found the milk
situation far from satisfactory. Many
of the dairy farms supplying milk to
this city, were found to be in an un
sanitary condition and without suf
ficient or modern equipment to en
able them to produce milk of a stand
ard safe quality. Some had no milk
houses and the milk was bottled under
unsafe conditions, while others hav
ir:g milk houses had made no provi
sions for heating water to wash bot
tles and dairy utensils. These con
ditions and many others have been
changed for the better. All cows fur
nishing milk to this city, must be
tuberculin tested at least once eaeh
year. Every dairyman must secure
a permit from the health department,
before he can sell milk within the city
limits, and this permit, is only issued
after his cows have been tested, his
barns and equipment, inspected and
passed upon by the veterinarian and
dairy inspector, Dr. Garvey, who is
the Assistant health officer. To state
it in a few words, the health depart
ment has revolutionized the whole
situation to such an extent, that to
day Alexandria is getting as good
a grade of milk and as free from con
tamination. as any other city in this
section of the country.
Medical Inspection
The Medical Department assists the
Board of Education in the medical
examination of school children. The
.jepartment nurse also assists, the
school nurse in daily inspection work.
Over a thousand school children have
brcn vaccinated since this department
was organized. Any scholar who has
been excluded from school on account
of having symptoms of a communica
ble disease, or where such a disease
cxitsts in the family, cannot return
until examined by the Health Offi
cer and given a written order by him.
The employees of all restaurants
are kept under constant observation
by the Health Officer, and when deem
ed necessary by him, must submit to
a full medical examination and labo
ratory tests to insure his or her free
dom from communicable diseaese.
The Health Department does a very
large amount of medical examination
work, in order to prevent the spread
of the various forms of communica
ble diseases. This is all done in such
a quiet, tactful way, that few people
know it is being done. It is none the
less very important work.
Venereal Clinic
This clinic was established Octo
ber 1st, 1919. and is conducted joint
ly by the Federal Goverment, the
State of Virginia and the Health De
partment, with Dr. W. Clyde West, a
specialist in genito-urinary diseases,
as clinician.
The official records of the clinic
show that from Oct. 1st. 1919, to
Dec. 31st, 1921, a total of 970 patients
were treated for veneral diseases and
8,160 treatments were given! This
will give some idea of the extent of
the work done by this section of the
Health Department in not only pro
tecting the health of the present gen
eration, but of future generations as
well, from the most destructive and
widely extended diseases known to
medical science.
General Clinic For The City Poor
This Clinic was started September
1920, and from that date up to Dec.
31st, 1921, it has treated 345 patients
and given a total of 1,013 treatments.
The Clinician also visits the City
Alms House and looks after the in
mates requiring- medical attention.
He also looks after the inmates of
the Anne Lee Memorial Home. When
the case requires, the Health Depart
ment nurse visits the poor patients
in their homes. This will show that
the poor of our city need never suffer
for j lack of medical attention.
The Labarotory
The Health Department laboratory
has modern equipment, and is con
ducted along thoroughly up-to-date
scientific lines. The official reports
show that the average monthly work
accomplished is greater than that
done in the laboratory of any other
city of twice the size of Alexandria,
from which records have been com
pared.
From July 1st 1919 to December
31st, 1921, the laboratory has made
10,508 examinations and tests! This
does not include daily routine work
of making up stains, reageants, cul
ture media, etc. All of this work re
fluives a high degree of technical
skill and wide knowledge of bacter
iology and laboratory diagnosis.
Daily tests are made of the city wat
er supply, and weekly tests of milk
from the various dealers.
Public Health Nurse
The Health Department nurse has
duties that are wide and varied. She
looks after cases of contagious dis
ease and instructs the family in pre
ventive measures. She keeps tht
Health Officer fully informed of the
condition of each case under quaran
tine, and fumigates the house when
quarantine is raised. She assists the
school nurse in her school inspection
work; helps in vaccinating children;
makes nursing, instructive and child
welfare visits; assists at the daily
venereal and general clinics, and per
forms the various other duties as
signed to. her by the Health Officor.
Her work is important and her time
fully occupied.
Some Plans for the Future
Besides improving and extending
the various sections of the work now
being conducted, the Health Depart
ment expects to establish a ehilden's
clinic, both medical and dental, to be
conducted with the assistance of local
doctors and dentists. It expects to
improve the present garbage collect
ing system, and if possible, have daily
collections during the summer months.
It might be stated here, that the gar
bage collecting system of this city
doc-s not cost the taxpayers a single
cent! This is about as cheap a sys
tem as any person could well devise.
The department has in preparation
a revised and up-to-date plumbing
code, also a plan to have a "Board of
Condemnation," with powers to con
demn buildings that are unsafe and
unfit for human habitation.
It has plans to improve the general
sanitary condition of our alleys,
streets and vacant lots. I
In fact it is proposed io make the ]
department of Health of the city of J
Alexandria, sccond to none of any j
other city of its :.lse in this country! j
Health Department Personal
Health Officer:
Louie E. Foulks, B. Sc., M. D. j
Ass't Epidemiologist, U. S. Public
Health Service. Member, American |
Public Health Association. Society
of American Bacteriologist.
Ass't Health Officer:
James J. Garvey, D. V. S.
Clinician and Bacteriologist:
Yv. Clyde West, M. D., Specialist!
in Genito-Urinary diseases and Svp- '
hilis.
Public Health Nurse:
Miss M. A. Davis, R. N.
Department Clerk:
Miss Elizabeth F. Schneider.
SERVICE TO COUNTRY
In far-away Montenegro, the Jan- ]
ior American Red Cross is assisting j
the Jugo-Slav goverment to maintain !
three schools wKere the children may I
secure an education and learn some ?
useful trade. Recently an admirer
of the Red Cross offered a prize for
the best essay written by a pupil of
the Industrial School for boys at
Danilovgrad, the subject to be citi
zenship and service. The prize win
ner was Paoune I. Vouiochevitch, an
orphan boy woh is a member of the
Fourth Class. Perhaps his idea of
running with a gun in his hand to
defend his country may not accord
with the purpose of the Arms Re
duction Conference, but Paoune has
other ideas of patriotic service which
do. This is what the young Mon
tenegrin boy wrote:
"Eveey Serb knows what our
fatherland is and at what sacrifice
wc have gained it. When our Ser
bian ancestors lived in slavery?un
t rd the yoke of the Turk?they gave
repeatedly for their country, land,
houses, flocks, and even their lives;
from which each Serb must take ex
ample. because it is shameful to aban
don and leave our great Jugo-Slavia,
the country of the Serbs, Croats and j
Slovens, which extends o.i the north j
to Hungary, on the south to Greece,
on the east to Rumania, and on tho
west to the Adriatic Sea. It is not
sufficient to fight for it, but oen must
try to put her in order, and cause
education to penetrate so that she
may then be equal to other great
countries.
"First, each inhabitant must take
care of his house; embclish and con
struct houses up to the highest floor,
j Also pay attention to the poor vil
I Iages, so that they may ?e clean and
j in good order. Then one must care
I for the roads and the schools and vol
untarily send one's children to school
to learn something so that they may
become good citizens.
"We must make such order in our
country that you will have pleasure
in looking at it. And if great dan
gers occur, one must not hesitate to
give noe's life for one's country.
"We children, we do not yet know
we will run, with our little guns in
our hands, to defend her against the
enemy. Now we can finish by saying:
'Long live our fatherland and glory
to those who have freed it from slav
ery!"'
The United States forest service
has announced that the Allegheny na
tional forest, consisting of about 400,
000 acres, is to be created at the head
waters of the Allegheny River in
Northern Pennsylvania.
Jinrikshas with pneumatic tires
have made their appearance in Ja
pan.
The number 100 has been agreed
upon by cities, towns and municipali
ties as the universal telephone fire call
in Canada.
Wherever Motor Cars Go
You Will Find The
fl
PRICES
22-Four-34
Two Passenger $ QAT
Roadster, Ot/D
22-Four-35
Five Passenger $ AOP
Touring, 1/OO
22-Six-44
Three I'asscn- $"| O/jr
ger Roadster, 1 ODO
22-Four-36
Three I'assen- S"1 OQC
ger Coupe, A^ic/O
22-Six-45
Five I'asscn- Si OQC
ger Touring, A0i70
22-Four-37
Five Passeng- $1 OQC
ger Sedan JLOJ/O
22-Six-49
Seven I'asscn- COC
ger Touring, iOO?3
22-Six-4(>
Three Passen- Si OOC
ger Coupe, lOOO
22-Six-4fi
Four I'asscn- S9A7C
ger Coupe ? k)
22-Six-47
Five I'asscn- ^2105
ger Sedan
Jix-30
Seen Pa
ger Sedan
22-Six-iiiO
Seven I'asscn- ^2375
All Prices F. O. B. Flint, Mich.
And expert and court
eous service is the repu
tation upon which our
ever - increasing busi
ness has been built. AS!
our customers are satis
fied customers. Try our
service.
Newest Models of the Famous
"Valve - in - Head" Motor Car
ALWAYS ON DISPLAY
Ask Us For A Demonstration Now
We carry a full line of all
kinds of standard
AUTO ACCESSORIES
OILS AND GREASES
GASOLINE
FREE AIR SERVICE
Prince and Alfred Sts. Alexandria, Va, Phone 379
wpil UUUPII il