HEALTH

NEW HAVEN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Vol. XLIII, No. 12	December, 1916

This article excerpted from p. 3 of the issue.

On August 14th, 1915, I was detailed by the Health Officer as inspector of theaters, motion picture theaters, and public halls, in connection with my other duties as sanitary inspector.

There are in this city two theaters where pictures are not shown, three where pictures and vaudeville are shown, and twenty-two where pictures only are exhibited, and forty-eight public halls. My duties in this work have been to see that the floors, walls, water closets, etc., in these places are kept property cleaned, that they are properly ventilated, that individual cups and towels are used instead of the common public drinking cups and towels, that signs prohibiting spitting are displayed in conspicuous places, and that no person or persons having whooping cough, tuberculosis, or other infectious diseases, be allowed to enter these places. With the approval of the Health Officer, I have arranged the following list of suggestions:

BOARD OF HEALTH SUGGESTIONS FOR THEATERS AND PUBLIC HALLS IN NEW HAVEN, CONN.

1. Theaters, motion picture theaters, and public halls should be kept clean and free from dust.
2. The floors, when covered with wood, tile, stone, concrete, linoleum, or other washable material, should be mopped or scrubbed with water, or swept with moisture or by some other dustless method, at least once daily, and should be scrubbed with water and soap at least once weekly.
3. Carpets, rugs, and other fabric floor coverings should be cleaned at least once daily by means of suction, beating, or dustless sweeping. Curtains and draperies should be cleaned at least once monthly by suction, beating or washing. Cornices, walls, and other dust-holding places should be kept free, from dust by washing or moist wiping. The wood and metal parts of all seats should be kept clean. Fabric upholstering of seats and railings and other fixed fabrics should be cleaned by suction, or other dustless methods, at least once monthly.
4. It is the duty of the owner, lessee, or manager of theaters, motion picture theaters, or public halls to display, in a conspicuous place, signs prohibiting spitting.
5. It is unlawful for any owner, lessee, or manager of theaters, motion picture theaters, or public halls to allow public drinking cups or public towels. In their place they should furnish individual drinking cups and towels.
6. No person or persons who have whooping cough, tuberculosis, or other infectious diseases shall be allowed to enter any theater, motion picture theater, or public hall and it is the duty of the owner, lessee or manager of said theater or public hall to deny them admission.
7. Retiring rooms and toilets should be kept in a sanitary condition at all times, and should be scrubbed at least daily, or oftener, if deemed necessary.
8. Every theater, motion picture theater, and public hall shall be ventilated to the approval of the Board of Health.

Space will not permit going into details of the work. I would say that I have frequently found that the untidiness of these places is due more to the people who visit them than to the management, this being due to the custom of many of spitting upon the floors, attending these places in their working clothes that retain the odors absorbed in their work, and often uncleanly in their persons. The retiring rooms and toilets are often abused by patrons. If all would cooperate with the Board of Health and the managers of theaters and public halls and keep in mind the above suggestions, there would be little cause for complaint.

There are some moving Picture places where the ventilation might be better than at present, more particularly those places that have been started without consideration of the necessary requirements for good ventilation. Buildings erected purposely for pictures are, as a rule, not subject to this criticism. I feel confident that with the cooperation the managers are now giving, before long all the places will be put in a satisfactory condition.

PETER J. CONLIN, Inspector.

In this connection we wish to thank the owners and managers of theaters and moving pictures for the uniformity with which they cooperated with the Health Department during the recent excitement caused by the prevalence of infantile paralysis throughout the country, by promptly complying with the order of the department in excluding children under fifteen years of age from the theaters. This was very costly to some managers and their willingness to conform to any requirements that were for the best interest of the public should be acknowledged.

F. W. W.