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"ANNUAL REPORT
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; B();ARD OF HEALTH,
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City of Winona, Minnesota,
YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1898.

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ANNUAL REPORT
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BOARD OF HEALTH,
City of Winona, Minnesota,


YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1893.

BOARD OF HEALTH.
FRANKLIN STAPLES, M. D., Health Officer.
A. F. HODGINS.
J. S. TRACY, M. D.
MATTHIAS FROMMES, Sanitary Inspector.
UNIVERSITY of crºsco
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HNNURL REPORT.
To THE HON. MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WINONA :
The Board of Health hereby submits its annual report
for the municipal year ending March 31, 1893.
RECORD OF VITAL STATISTICS OF THE CITY
FOR THE YEAR.
We are able to report that our city has been remarkably
free from any general prevalence of disease during the past
year. In a city whose population is now estimated at
twenty thousand, a death rate per one thousand of eleven
and one-fourth from all causes, is certainly very low. The
only disease at all prevalent has been a mild form of scar-
latina, a few cases of which have been reported each month.
Only ten deaths have occurred from this cause. There have
been two deaths from diphtheria, and two from typhoid
fever. There have been no other deaths from what might be
called zymotic diseases, or that were apparently dependent
upon local causes,
— 4 —
CoNDENSED STATEMENT OF VITAL STATISTICs of THE CITY
FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1893.—NUMBER OF
BIRTHS AND DEATHS IN EACH MONTH, AND CAUSES OF
DEATHS.
Number of deaths—225, against 257 for the previous
year.
Number of births—733, against 693 for the previous
year. {
Estimated population, 20,000.
Number of deaths per 1,000–11.25.
Deaths, 1892—April, 20; May, 30; June, 18; July, 15;
August, 16; September, 25; October, 13; November, 18;
December, 23; 1893—January, 16; February, 20; March,
11. Total, 225. f
Births, 1892–April, 66; May, 61; June, 58; July, 56;
August, 63; September, 54; October, 54; November, 56;
December, 66; 1893—January, 72; February, 58; March,
68. Total, 733, -
The monthly reports of vital statistics for this city are
exchanged by the Health Officer, for the reports of many
cities in different parts of the country, and especially for
those of the cities of this State, and, through the United
states reports, published by the Marine Hospital Bureau, we
have the reports from the leading cities of foreign countries.
The average death rate for cities in foreign countries has
been about 26 to 28 per 1,000 inhabitants; that of the cities
of our own country from 18 to 20; for the city of Winona,
as shown above, the average is 11.25 per 1,000 inhabitants,
– 5 —
CITY SANITARY INSPECTION.
The law of the State requires that, in each year in the
month of May, a special sanitary inspection of all cities and
towns shall be made under the directions of the Board of
Health. This means an examination of streets, alleys,
private premises and public buildings with reference to their
sanitary condition. This examination has been thoroughly
made and reported in accordance with the law.
For the work of the Board of Health, one Sanitary In-
spector has been employed during the year, and has been
constantly on duty. The work of the Inspector is impor-
tant and valuable. The slaughter-houses are examined to
see that they are kept in such condition as the city ordi-
nance, governing the same, requires.
The public dumping grounds are carefully watched and
a constant police service is required to prevent the dumping
of garbage and offensive matter in places other than pro-
vided for by the city. All complaints of existing nuisances
are answered by the Inspector and notices served for the
removal or abatement of the same. Houses where infectious
diseases are found to exist are quarantined during the time
of such disease, and instruction and aid are given in the
matter of disinfection of premises. When notice is given of
the existence of contagious disease, the public and private
schools are immediately notified of the nature and locality
of the disease, and the children are prohibited attending.
school during the time of such disease, or while there may
be any danger of communicating the same. In the same
t
— 6 —
way notices are served upon the Librarian of the public
library, prohibiting the interchange of books with houses
where infection exists.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
f The city pest-house has been kept in good condition, but
fortunately there has been no occasion to use it during the
past year. The city building, which accommodates the city
fire department, the municipal court and the city council, is
kept in as good condition as it can be with its imperfect ven-
tilation and its crowded condition.
The county jail has been kept in a good sanitary con-
dition, and our elegant court house, with its fine court
rooms and county offices, is a model of neatness, is properly
heated and well ventilated. The same description will apply
to the U. S. government building and post office.
The public school buildings are in a good sanitary con-
dition, except in one or two of the older buildings ventila-
tion in certain parts is not perfect. The recently constructed
buildings, notably the High school and what is called the
Madison annex in the first ward, are an honor to the city.
The means of heating and ventilating and the condition
and management of the closets, are exceptionally good in
these buildings. Great credit is due to the Board of Edu.
cation and to the managers of our city schools for the good
sanitary work that has been done in and around the build-
ings, . The State Normal School Building is, throughout its
departments, a model of neatness and is now well venti-
lated and properly heated.
— 7 —
PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY.
Our city has reason to be proud of its system of public
water works. The works are owned and operated by the
city. The water is taken, not from the river nor from any
lake, or reservoir, but from two large wells sunk in clean,
porous gravel near the river and at a distance from any
source of pollution. These wells are protected and subject
to frequent examination, and the water is drawn and forced
from them directly to the consumers, Recently a taint has
been discovsred in the water, and on investigation this was
found to be due to an accident that happened to an intake
pipe from one of the wells, occasioned by changes and re-
pairs that had been in progress and to the need of flushing
some of the smaller mains terminated by what is called
“dead ends.” The corrections have been made by the city
water committee and the city engineer, and no fear need be
entertained as to the quality of the water.
SLAUGHTER HOUSES.
There are two Abattoir slaughter houses in the city, sit-
uated at opposite ends of the city and outside the settled
portions. They are constructed and managed under city
ordinances regulating the same. They are under the direc-
tion of the Board of Health, and are frequently inspected.
These houses and their surrounding yards have been kept
in a good sanitary condition during the year, The slaugh-
tering of animals within the city limits, except in the author-
ized slaughter-houses, is prohibited.
SEWERAGE.
The business and part of the residence portion of the
city for sixty blocks now has the advantage of a system of
sewerage. The sewers have already been entered by 200
taps, and, during the present summer the number will be
more than doubled. The Board has now to repeat its rec-
Ommendation made a year ago, viz., that an ordinance be
now passed preventing the further sinking of cess-pools
within the sewerage district, and the doing away with
those already in use as soon as practicable.
STREETS AND PAVEMENTS.
In our last report a recommendation was made in the
following words: “Good pavements in the principal busi-
ness streets and macadam pavements in many of the res-
idence streets are now an imperative necessity.” These im-
provements are needed to lessen the amount of foul odors
from decomposition of animal and vegetable matter, which
so often takes place in the deep mud of our business StreetS,
and to diminish the amount of unhealthy dust throughout
the city, We are able to report that the paving of a large
portion of our business streets is already contracted for and
the work is now in progress. Moreover, old wooden side-
walks are rapidly giving away to good sanitary walks of
stone or asphalt.
— 9 —
CITY SCAVENGER WORK.
In October last an ordinance was passed, regulating the
licensing of scavengers for the cleaning of privy-vaults and
cess-pools. Two scavengers have taken their licenses, have
furnished the bonds required by the ordinance and have
done this kind of work for private parties since that date.
This work is under the inspection of the Sanitary Inspector
who reports to the Health Officer concerning the character
of the work done. Most of the house garbage has been col-
lected and removed by private parties without any expense
to the city. This work is under the direction and observa-
tion of the Sanitary Inspector, The large hotels have their
own arrangements with parties outside of town for the re-
moval of the kitchen garbage. The time has come when
systematic scavenger work in the removal of house garbage
by the city should take the place of the kind of work that is
now being done in a small Way by private parties. .
EXPENSE OF SANITARY WORK.
There has been paid for incidental expenses of the Board,
for printing, for stationery and material for the work of the
Health Office, for postage and for extra sanitary work dur-
ing the year, $169,05. This is only for incidental expenses,
not including the salaries of the Health Officer and the Sani-
- tary Inspector, or the insurance on the pest-house, etc.
— 10 —
CITY PHYSICIAN,
The Health Officer, as City Physician, has attended all
cases of the city poor when required, of which there have
been, during the year, 37 different cases, some of which have
required considerable attention. Thirty-five dollars have
been expended for medicine for the same.
FAVORABLE SITUATION OF THE CITY,
Underlying the soil of Winona is a porous gravel. There
are no underlying strata of rock or clay to hold water and
cause soil saturation. The surface of the soil slopes gently
toward the river on one side and toward the lake on the
other; so that, with the streets properly graded, as is now
being done, there is no danger of standing water on the
surface, and surrounded, as the city is, with high bluffs in
the distance which protect it from the severe winds and
temperature of the winter, it may well be, as it is believed
to be, the most healthy city in the northwest. The general
sentiment of the people is strongly in favor of good sani-
tary work. It is only in exceptional cases that the Board
of Health has had any difficulty in doing its work.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANKLIN STAPLEs,
A. F., HODGINs,
J. S. TRACY,
Board of Health.