City health officer in early 1900s battled diphtheria, typhoid fever outbreaks

Dr. A.R. Turnbull, Moose Jaw's turn-of-the-last-century health officer, spent much of his time battling contagious diseases like typhoid, diphtheria, scarlet fever and tuberculosis, all of which never seemed to go away.
He knew most of the town's ills stemmed from the total lack of a sewage system and clean running water, and unless the town council forced residents to clean up their backyards which were the dumping grounds for waste water and refuse, outbreaks of serious illnesses would keep on occurring.
In January 1901, when diphtheria claimed its first victim of the year and showed signs of becoming rampant, Dr. Turnbull was off to a town council meeting.
"Sanitation in Moose Jaw is in a deplorable condition," he reminded councillors. "The inspection of outbuildings and yards is practically nil, and slops and refuse from kitchens and bedrooms are being thrown into backyards."
He urged council to outlaw primitive "pit" outhouses which then graced every yard. The outhouses stood over a shallow pit and when the pit was filled, the outhouse was simply moved to another hole alongside.
Since many yards contained a well, the possibility of seepage was great, a reason why Dr. Turnbull urged the town to convert to "pail" outhouses.
If the town provided pails and collected the excrement weekly, the disposal would be "simple and economical and would comply with most sanitary requirements."
Turnbull wanted to see at least two receptacles at every backyard gate: one for kitchen and bedroom slops, the other for solid refuse from the kitchen. These would be emptied periodically.
Since the advent of the automobile in Moose Jaw was several years in the future, most residents kept a horse or two in backyard stables. Manure from these and from numerous livery and feed stables around town usually sat uncollected for weeks. Turnbull wanted weekly inspections of all yards and outbuildings.
Slops and sewage from the Canadian Pacific Railway station, which also housed a hotel and dining room, went directly into a cesspool and was used to fertilize the CPR gardens.
This not only created a health hazard but nearby residents complained that odours wafting over Manitoba Street were objectionable and depressed their property values.
As more and more people came down with diphtheria and other contagious illnesses during the spring of 1901, the board of trade became worried.
A town full of disease would hardly attract settlers or business.
The town's only school was closed and was being disinfected, and now the board of trade asked that churches close their Sunday schools for 30 days. The board also wanted town council to enforce quarantine regulations which prevented farmers from infected homes from coming into Moose Jaw. Council complied by appointing its first quarantine officer.
Gradually the epidemic of 1901 subsided but for Dr. Turnbull, the battle was never over. In 1908, the prevalence of typhoid fever reached "alarming proportions" throughout the province, which called for drastic action.
The provincial health officer announced he would hold public meetings throughout the province but in the meantime, he advised people to boil all drinking water, pasteurize milk and cream, and wash fruits and vegetables in boiled water if they were to be eaten raw.
The provincial health officer advised those looking after a typhoid patient at home to instantly disinfect the patient's discharges with sulphate of copper (blue stone) regarded as the best typhoid disinfectant available. A hole must be dug, the discharge emptied into it and covered with fill. Without the disinfectant, typhoid germs could live a long time.
City council decreed that all typhoid cases must be reported to the sanitary inspector who would see that outhouses were disinfected. Council also gave notice that a bylaw prohibiting spitting on sidewalks and in public buildings - a rather common habit of that era - would be introduced in the interests of public health.
Then council turned its attention to the lot on the northwest corner of Main and Caribou, owned by local merchant M.J. McLeod.
McLeod was using the property as a dumping ground for refuse and manure, and although he had been ordered to pay a fine and clean up the lot, he ignored both orders. Council referred the matter to its solicitor.