and personal causes of different diseases, and the means by which they may be avoided. 4. That the measures recommended in the Report of the Sanitary Commission, and by the General Board of Health, for the promotion of the sanitary welfare of the State, so far as they are applicable to our people, be more fully studied and observed; and that exertions be made, by each and every person, to carry them into effect. By heeding these and other measures which might be recommended, and which a more full knowledge of the laws of life and health will suggest, we may reasonably hope that the force of mortality pressing upon us may be lessened, that a longer life may be expected and at tained, and that more happiness may be enjoyed while life continues. Respectfully submitted by A. B., C. D., Board of Health. E. F., Plympton, Nov. 1, 1850. XXVII. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH OF LYNN. [This report purports to be for the year ending March 1, 1850, though it is dated and contains information subsequently to the period at which it would have been proper that it should be made. This apparent anomaly will not diminish the force of the facts, and the intended illustrations, which it presents. See p. 126, and explanatory note, page 487.] To the Inhabitants of the Town of Lynn: The Board of Health in submitting their annual report at this time, seem to be called upon, in the discharge of their duty, to notice more particularly than usual the circumstances that have transpired in the sanitary history of the town; and they proceed to do it in as con. cise a manner as the great importance of the topics to be noticed will admit. 1. Proceedings of the Board of Health. The Board of Health, at their election, March 12, 1849, felt that an office of labor and responsibility had been conferred upon them; and they have been desirous of discharging its duties in such a manner as would be satisfactory to themselves and useful to their fellow-citizens. During the year 1848, a portion of the town suffered very severely from an epidemic dysentery; and when the board was constituted, it was still suffering from scarlatina-also a dreadful scourge. The Asi atic cholera, too, had then appeared in some parts of the country; and it was apprehended that it might extend its ravages to this State and neighborhood, and perhaps to this town. It was supposed that a clear conception did not exist, in the minds of the inhabitants generally, as to the powers and duties of boards of health; nor as to the manner in which they might be publicly beneficial. The act establishing the Board of Health was passed June 16, 1821, and under it such boards have been nominated and chosen in town meeting, like tithing-men, fence-viewers, and other similar officers; and the members seem to have considered the office rather a nominal than an active one; and seem to have acted, when they acted at all, upon their individual responsibility, without much systematic organization or coöperation. No records of their proceedings, if any were kept, have come to our knowledge. The present board deemed it their duty to pursue a different course; and, immediately after their election, organized by the choice of a chairman, a secretary, and a consulting physician. The act provides that "it shall be the duty of said Board of Health and of each member thereof, to examine into all nuisances and all other causes injurious to the health of the inhabitants; whether the same shall be caused by stagnant waters, drains, common sewers, slaughter-houses, tan-yards, fish, fish-houses, docks, necessaries, hogstyes, putrid animals, or any other causes whatsoever, which in his or their opinion may exist in any dwelling-house, cellar, store, or other building, ship, or vessel ;" and it prescribes the modes of discharging these duties. To carry out the intentions of this act and render themselves still further useful, the board prepared and circulated the following rules and regulations : SECT. 1. No person, unless by permission of this board, shall deposit, or cause to be deposited, in any street, court, square, lane, alley, or vacant lot, or into any pond or water of the town, any dirt, soot, ashes, cinders, hair, shreds, manure, oyster or lobster shells, waste water, rubbish, or filth of any kind, uor any impure animal or vegetable substance whatever, nor any dead animal, nor any foul or offensive ballast; nor shall any person land any such foul or other offensive ballast, or impure animal or vegetable substance within the town. And whenever any offensive matter, which shall be the cause of nuisance or sickness, shall be found accumulated in any house, yard, or other place, and the Board of Health shall deem it necessary to remove it, notice shall be given to the owner or occupant of such place, forthwith to remove the same; and if it is not done within a reasonable time, the board aforesaid will remove the same at the expense of the owner or occupant. SECT. 2. It shall be the duty of every owner or occupant of any house or tenement, to provide, (if not already provided) a good and suitable drain or sewer, leading from the sink to a vault or cesspool, under ground, of a sufficient capacity; and if any person shall neglect or refuse to comply with the foregoing ordinance, on or before the twentieth day of May next, the board will cause the same to be done at the expense of said owner or occupant. SECT. 3. Every privy shall have a vault of suitable and proper size, sunk into the ground, to be walled up with stone or other material, in a manner to prevent all leakage or overflow upon the surface; and if any person shall neglect or refuse to comply with this ordinance, on or before the twentieth day of May next, the board will cause the same to be done at the expense of the owner or occupant of the premises to which it may be attached. SECT. 4. No person shall empty, or cause to be emptied, any vault or privy, except between the hours of 10, P. M. and 5, A. M.; nor shall any such vault or privy be emptied between the first day of June and the first day of September, except by permission of this board. SECT. 5. Whenever infectious and contagious sickness exists in any part of the town, it shall be the duty of the heads of the family and the attending physician, where said infection is, to communicate notice thereof to the Board of Health, to the end that such action may be taken as will prevent the spread of said disease. SECT. 6. All animals kept within the town shall be so kept as not to be offensive to the inhabitants; and whenever notice is given by the Board of Health to the keepers of animals that the same are offensive and a source of nuisance, the same must be removed within twenty-four hours after said notice, or it will be done by the board, at the expense of the owners or keepers of said animals. SECT. 7. For any offence against the provisions of the foregoing sections, which take effect on and after the date of publication, except such as are otherwise provided, the of fender or offenders shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding fifty dollars. Under the operation of these regulations complaints were frequently presented to the board, especially in the summer season, concerning nuisances in out-houses, in the streets, in the harbor, and in various other places in the town, all of which were carefully investigated; and such measures adopted in each case as seemed to be proper. During the past year two epidemics, presently to be noticed, have been manifested. In August the Asiatic cholera appeared at the alms house and excited so great an alarm that it was difficult to obtain for the sick proper accommodations, attention and nursing; and the board felt called upon to devote to them much of their own time. It became necessary to provide temporary accommodations for the inmates of the almshouse, and a hospital for the cholera patients. Each case was investigated; two male and two female nurses were employed, and ev. erything else done within our power, for the comfort of the sick and to arrest the disease. The infected localities were cleansed and the causes of disease removed. In January the small-pox broke out in a house in a court between Union and Spring streets, near the Eastern Railroad station; and afterwards spread into other houses in the neighborhood. At this time, also, special efforts of the board were required to control the disease, and prevent its general prevalence. Both of these epidemics were great calamities; but not so great as was apprehended, at their first outbreak. The events of the year have imposed upon the board a large amount of personal labor, and they have necessarily incurred considerable expense. It is believed, however, that much more would have been incurred, if the labors which have been performed under their direction, had been omitted; and that several human lives have been saved, which would otherwise have been lost. The following is a statement of the expenditures: For removing and destroying nuisances, $50 00 40 74 95 00 66 personal services of the board, nurses, and others, 158 06 Total, $343 80 The expense of subsistence at the hospital, and of the burial of the dead, was paid by the overseers of the poor. 2. The Social and Personal Condition of the Inhabitants. The sanitary welfare of a people depends, in a greater or less de gree, upon their social and personal condition; and such facts and social statistics as will serve to illustrate these matters, and show their movements or changes from year to year, should be concisely stated, annually, without omission, either by the Board of Health, by the Se lectmen, or by some other official authority, and published for the gen eral benefit. We understand that such a statement is not expected from any other source this year, and the Board of Health deem it their duty at this time to exhibit several characteristics of our social and sanitary condition and progress. To add force to the illustrations we have in some instances given and compared facts of a similar kind, which existed in former periods of our history. 1. The local features of Lynn have peculiarities which have at tracted much public attention. Nahant, Phillips's Beach, and other places, have long been the resort of persons from abroad, who are seeking relief from the depressing influences of summer heat or a city life. They have been so often described that description is unneces Those who may wish for information on these matters, may find it in the valuable work of Mr. Lewis, the historian of the town, to whom we are indebted for the accompanying geographical illustration. sary. The number of permanent settlers, temporary residents, and transient visiters, has been as great during the past as in any previous year. 2. We deem it proper, however, to present the figures which show how the lands of the town were divided by the assessors, in their reports to the valuation committees of the State. The area of the town is stated by Mr. Lewis, at 15 square miles, or 9,360 acres, which is 2,326 less than the return of the assessors in 1850. Great Nahant contains 470 acres, Little Nahant 45. The water in ponds and brooks 175, and in the Lynn half of Saugus River 109. In Lynn proper and Swamscot, there are 55 miles and 176 rods of roads; in Nahant, including beach road, 6 miles, 68 rods. 3. The population of Lynn has increased rapidly within the last few years, and according to the U. S. Census was 14,257 in 1850. It now ranks in population as the 9th town in the State and the 3d in the county. In 1800 it was 2,837; in 1810, 4,087, or an increase of 1,250, or 44 per cent.; in 1820, 4,515, or an increase of 428, or 10 per cent.; in 1830, 6,133, or an increase of 1,618, or 35 per cent.; in 1840, 9,367, or an increase of 3,234, or 52 per cent.; in 1850, 14,257, or an increase of 4,890, or 52 per cent. Censuses were taken in 1840 and 1850, by the authority of the State, giving in the former period 9,075, or 248 less than the census of the United States; and in the latter, 13,613, or 644 less. The town is divided into nine school districts, which, by the city charter, are established as wards. The following details afford some idea of their relative size. The inhabitants of the several wards were not separately enumerated in the United States Census : In the State Census of 1850, taken by Mr. Lewis, Lynn proper had 12,475 persons-6,082 males, and 6,393 females; Swamscot, 901436 males, and 465 females; Nahant, 237–121 males, and 116 females. And the whole city had 13,613-6,639 males, and 6,974 fe males, giving an excess of females of 335. In this enumeration the paupers, criminals, and some others, were omitted. It entitles the town to 4 representatives in the Legislature. If this census had shown a population equal to that returned in the census of the United States, the town would have been entitled to an additional representative for the next ten years. The lists of legal voters contained 2,731 names, November 2, 1850, or 1 to 5.2 of the population. There is no military company in this town. The enrolled militia are 1,309. The colored persons were 13 in 1800; 7 in 1810; 8 in 1820; 11 in 1830; 44 in 1840. In 1850 they were 110-65 blacks and 45 mulattoes; of whom 60 were males and 50 females. In 1850 there were 15 insane persons, of whom 13 were males, averaging 39 years of age each, and 2 females, averaging 61 years.-33 deaf persons, of whom 15 were males, whose ages, on the average, were 48, and 18 females, whose ages were 54; of these 6 were en tered as deaf and dumb.-13 idiotic persons, of whom 8 were males, whose average ages were 31, and 5 females, whose averages were 35. Of all the above classes, 54 were natives of Massachusetts, 5 of New Hampshire, 1 of Virginia, and 1 of England. The comparative sexes of the population at different periods, will appear from the following statement: |