In performing the duties required of the Secretary of the Board, he has traveled by railroad 13,380 miles, by horse power 247 miles, has sent out over 8,000 pieces of mail and express packages.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

In behalf of the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON, Secretary.

The State Board of Health have made the following reports upon various subjects

submitted to them

BRATTLEBORO, VT., March 16, 1906.

D. M. ROSE, JOHN BEAULAC, W. B. LADD, Prudential Committee, High School, Enosburg Falls, Vt.

GENTLEMEN :-Having examined your school building, we have to report that it is unfit for use as a school building in its present condition. First, in not having sufficient capacity for the number of pupils you have to provide for.

We were informed that in cold weather great difficulty is experienced in keeping it warm. The window space is very deficient, thus making the light insufficient for the pupils to do their work without straining their eyes, hence, making their vision defective.

There is practically no ventilation. The air for warming the building is furnished to the furnace from the cellar, hence is vitiated to begin with. There are some flues in the walls of the different rooms which were intended to allow the foul air to pass out through them; however we found these were either filled with sawdust or the openings into them were closed by having a board nailed over such openings. Were these opened and emptied of their contents they would be useless as ventilators.

The absence of coat-rooms where the outer garments of the pupils can be properly cared for was particularly noticeable.

There is only one exit from the second story and that by a narrow winding stairway totally inadequate, especially should there be an alarm of fire; no fire escapes are provided as required by law.

The outhouses are so located that they are difficult to reach, especially in stormy weather; several of the closets were out of repair, and hence could not be used.

The kindergarten room, which we were informed was leased of private persons, is entirely unfit in every particular for a schoolroom.

In view of these conditions and under the authority of No. 44 of the Laws of 1904, we do condemn this building as unfit for occupation or use as a school building until it is repaired and put in a sanitary condition approved by this board, provided that the schools now in session may continue to occupy it for the remainder of this school year ending next June.

To make this building acceptable it must be made to conform to the regulations of this board, which are hereunto attached and made a part of this report.

In view of the changes that will be required to make this building conform to these regulations we would suggest that more satisfactory results will be obtained at less expense by removing this building and building anew. However this is a matter for the consideration and decision of the people of the district. Should a new building be provided it must conform to the regulations already referred to.

By order of the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON, Secretary and Executive Officer. BRATTLEBORO, VT., March 20, 1906. To Local Board of Health, Readsboro, Vt., C. S. PERRY, M. D., Secretary.

GENTLEMEN :-The result of a visit to your village and an inquiry regarding the epidemic of scarlatina that has been prevailing there for many weeks and still continues, we find that it originated from a mild case which was not reported either by the head of the family or attending physician. Attention is here called to Section 19 of No. 113, Laws of 1902, which reads as follows:-

“The head of a family in whose home there occurs a case of infectious or contagious disease dangerous to the public health, shall immediately give notice to the health officer of the town or city in which he lives. A physician who knows or suspects that a person whom he has been called to attend is sick or has died of a communicable disease dangerous to the public health, shall at once quarantine and report to the health officer the place where such case exists, the name, degree of virulence and cause or source of the disease, and such other facts relating thereto as may be necessary for the health officer to make examination and act in the premises. If the head of a family or physician fails to give reasonable notice to the health officer of the existence of such disease, he shall, on conviction thereof, pay to the treasurer of the state a fine of not less than ten dollars, nor more than fifty dollars, with costs of prosecution."

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From this you will observe that the physician is not required to know; "if he suspects " that he has to deal with a municable disease "he is required" at once" to quarantine and report to the health officer. If the head of the family or physician fails to do this, they are subject to a fine of not less than ten or more than fifty dollars, with costs of prosecution.

Under authority of Section 9 of same act, the State Board of Health adopted rules and regulations relative to the prevention of scarlatina by means of full quarantine.

You have a copy of Circular No. 9 relative to the course to be pursued to care for scarlatina and prevent its spread.

In instituting quarantine for this purpose, the father, if he has had the disease, may be quarantined out, but once written notice having been served upon the family and quarantine established, all persons must remain out or in; under no circumstances can any person go from such quarantined house or anyone enter except the attending physician, and he must take every precaution (by means of wearing over-suit or gown and disinfecting his person) to prevent his conveying the disease to persons outside the quarantined premises.

You should in all cases see that such quarantined family are supplied with a medical attendant, nurse, and such provisions and supplies as may be necessary, the expense of same to be charged to and paid for by such family if able so to do, otherwise by the town. Should any person violate your quarantine, or in any way hinder you in your work, or the head of a family or physician fail to report suspected case of any communicable disease, you should at once call on the State's Attorney to prosecute such person in accordance with the provision of Act No. 113 of 1902. Great caution should be exercised in discharging a family from quarantine. Be sure that all cases have fully completed the stage of desquamation. In some cases it takes much longer than in others. All these things are necessary if you are to prevent the spread of the disease and stamp it out. In case you have reason to suspect that a case exists that has not been reported, you should at once make such investigation as may be necessary to determine if there are such case or cases, then take such action as your judgment may dictate. The attention of the people of your town should be called to the responsibility which the law places upon you as health officer, and the other members of the local board, as shown in sub-section 5, section 13, of No. 113. Laws of 1902.

In behalf of the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON, Secretary and Executive Officer.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., March 23, 1906. M. O. HICKS, G. M. BEMIS, A. B. CLARK, School Directors, Readsboro, Vt.

GENTLEMEN:-Having made an examination of the schoolhouse in your village we find it does not conform to the legal requirements in the cubic feet of air space for each child.

The light is insufficient.

The floors need to be relaid.

There are two water-closets, each with a single seat; this is insufficient. They are dirty, showing want of care. The one for boys should be so placed that it could be lighted by a window, and should have a urinal. The janitor should be required to keep these and the whole house clean.

In fact, such changes should be made as will cause the building to conform in all points to the rules and regulations of this board, as set forth in the subjoined circular which is made a part of this report.

If this is not done during the summer vacation it will be our duty to condemn the building, under Act No. 44 of Laws of 1904.

In behalf of the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON, Secretary and Executive Officer.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., April 2, 1906.

J. W. COURTNEY, Health Officer, Burlington, Vt.

The attention of this Board has been called to the recent death of two boys in Burlington, said by rumors to have been the result of poisoning by eating colored candy.

We have visited the locality and made a thorough investigation of all circumstances connected with their sickness and death. The older boy, aged seventeen years, was not living at home, but the family in which he lived and where he was sick, assured us that during the time he had lived with them (several weeks) they had never known of his having candy of any kind; the younger boy, aged nine years, was sick for ten days; the week before being taken sick, he had eaten with other members of his family of "Boston Beans, so called. These candies are peanuts, candy-coated. A younger member of the family has eaten freely of these candied peanuts since the death of this boy without any injurious results.

From the history of the cases as given by both the families and the attending physician, there were no symptoms pointing