Wicomico County.
Dr. C. K. Truitt, Health
Officer.
April 26th, 1897, I
visited White Haven, and found the place
poorly drained, the
ditches in bad condition. The ditch along
the county road is in
bad condition and filled with mud, trash
and stagnant water. This
ditch empties into another large ditch
that crosses the marsh
from southwest to northeast, and is also in
bad condition. If this
large ditch was cleaned out it would be
flushed by the river.
There was formerly a
ditch that passed through the lands of
Mr. J. F. Bloodsworth,
and drained the lands of three families.
After this ditch was
closed by Mr. Bloodsworth, the storm water
ran over the lands of
the other families and under their privies,
and washed out fecal
discharges, over the lots and front yards,
out to the road. After
the rain was over, and the sun shone
out, the odors were very
bad. They have now put in an under-
ground drain to the
river, and so far, I have heard no more
complaint.
May 7th, 1897, I was
asked by the City Council to inspect a
ditch at the head of
Main street. The place is in bad condition
and unhealthy, as the
water-closet from 'the Humphrey's build-
ing empties into the
ditch.
May 21st. 1897, received
complaint from Quantico, that Mr.
had killed an old horse,
and had put it in his lot near the
Main street, and turned
in hogs to devour it. The odor was very
bad. Ordered it buried
and covered with charcoal; also ordered
hog pens cleaned.
June 5th, 1697, I
visited Powellsville and examined the ditch
that runs through the
place. Found it in bad condition, and
dangerous to health. An
epidemic of diphtheria occurred there
last fall. The contract
for cleaning the ditch has since been
sold.
June 8th, learned of
diphtheria at Pittsvile in the practice of
Dr. Freeny. The cause
seemed to be an old well. Had the well
cleaned, and had no more
cases. The child recovered.
June 23d, complaint made
that Johnson's mill pond was in a
state of nuisance and
dangerous to health. I notified Messrs.
Johnson and Bell to
abate the nuisance. There is a great deal
of sickness in the
neighborhood, and most of it is laid to the
old mill pond with its
stagnant pools of water. The dam is
broken, and there was
not enough water to cover the bottom. I
hear that this dam has
been put on the county, if so, it should be
repaired at once, as it
is a road frequently used.
June 24th, complaints
were made that Humphrey's mill pond
is in a state of
nuisance. Nearly all the water has been run out
through the mill. I
notified Mr. Phillips to cease using water
and to use stream, which
they have since done.
August 19th, I received
complaint from Delmar. Complaint
had also been made to
the State Board of Health. At Mr. W.
B. Elliott's, I found
the water running into the streets, where it
stagnated. At Mrs. Jane
Elliott's, the water was running in the
street, where it became
offensive. The Town Commissioners
were notified to clean
out the ditch that runs east and west
through the town.
People, whose property is next to the ditch,
throw into it dead
animals and fowl, spoiled eggs, and all sorts
of refuse.
Thomas E. Hearn empties
refuse into the ditch.
W. C. Lecates, W. O.
West, W. A. Culver, Geo. A. Waller,
W. C. Truitt, B. B.
Gordy, Ulyses Baker, T. A. Veasey, T. A.
Landing, tenant, M. H.
German (a block of houses), all run waste
water into the street. Veasey
Hotel empties sewer into railroad
ditch, also a sewer from
water-closet.
The above places are in
Delmar, and owners were notified to
abate nuisances in
fifteen days. From later reports I learn that
they have all obeyed the
notice.
August 20, 1897, I was
asked to visit the Jackson farm, where
Mrs. Mills lives. There
had been several cases of typhoid there
in previous years. On
investigating, found surroundings filthy
and in very bad
condition. Notified to clean the premises at
once, and put a new
bench cover over the pump.
September 10th, 1897,
complaint that the dumping grounds on
river front near old
basket factory was in bad condition and
unhealthy. On
investigating, found nothing unhealthy, but
much that is unsightly.
September 11th, many
complaints received from Quantico, that
a bad odor filled, the
town. I went again to this place, and on
investigating, found
that an old mule had jumped oyer a fence
into the marsh, and had
gotten fast in the mire and died, having
been there for several
days. Ordered it buried, covered with
boards, and dirt put on
top of the boards to keep the hogs from
rooting it out. Notified
Mr. that if I had to see him any
more for maintaining a
nuisance, he would certainly be prose-
cuted.
September 27th, 1897,
William Morris made complaint that
the water in the
Cranberry Bog was stagnant and unhealthy.
On visiting the place I
found no need of action.
September 28th, 1897, I
visited Nanticoke. Had heard from
several persons that
there was typhoid fever, and, as I had not
been notified, I went to
see Dr. Ben Lankford. The cases have
recovered. I had written
several times, enclosing stamped return
envelope, but received
no reply.
October 11th, 1897,
complaint made that the water from the
fountain, corner of Main
and Dock streets, was standing in the
gutter and becoming
offensive. Ordered the gutter cleaned and
the water run off, which
was done.
Besides the above,
outbreaks of scarlet fever have been
reported by four
physicians. Outbreaks of typhoid fever by
three physicians.
Outbreaks of diphtheria by four physicians.
Private nuisances
inspected, 24. Dead animals removed, 3.
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