taken in a stone or tile drain down to the hollow, through which in wet times a little brook runs under a bridge and on down through the meadow of Miss M. Douglas. Into this drain the abutting houses should conduct their sink drains; however, it should be borne in mind that the surface and sink water cannot be allowed to accumulate in the hollow near the bridge, as it would make a nuisance there; hence, permission should be obtained of Miss Douglas to continue the covered drain down through her meadow as far as may be necessary to prevent its ever becoming a nuisance. The houses west of Miss Douglas' on the same side of the street, and which have open drains which discharge their contents into the meadow and " dry brook" or open land adjoining, where it becomes offensive, should put in tile drain to enter the one going from the road down the meadow as already described. Frequent use should be made of the disinfectant previously recommended.

Respectfully submitted for the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON,

Secretary and Executive Officer.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., August 9, 1906.

To L. M. GREEN, M. D., Executive Officer and Secretary of the Local Board of Health, Bethel, Vermont.

Having visited the addition recently made to Cherry Hill cemetery and to the spring which supplies and is used for domestic purposes by the family of Mr. M. H. Durkee, we find that the spring is forty feet from the north side of said cemetery; that the spring is in a ravine which rises at a sharp angle to near the cemetery, from which point to about the middle of this newly added plot, where a ledge of rocks appear above the surface, there is considerable slope, so that all surface and deep drainage must be toward the spring.

For this reason we believe that the burial of dead bodies in this portion of this plot of ground would be likely to contaminate the water of this spring, and would render persons burying any dead bodies in said portion of said addition to the cemetery to a fine under section 28 of No. 113 of the Laws of 1902.

In that portion of this new addition between the ledge of rocks before alluded to and the highway, we believe that it would be proper and safe to bury bodies of the dead. Before any body is buried in that portion of this addition from this ledge of rocks and the fence forty feet from the spring, we should recommend that the Cemetery Association supply Mr. Durkee with a supply

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of pure water, from some source not in danger of pollution. In behalf of the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON, Secretary and Executive Officer.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., August 15, 1906.

J. H. KIDDER, Health Officer, Wilmington, Vt.

An investigation into hygienic conditions at Lake Rayponda and vicinity, a summer resort in your town, resulted as follows: At this time the hotel and cottages and their surroundings are in sanitary condition. The sink-drain from the hotel kitchen discharges into the lake. The water-closets discharge into a cesspool some distance from the house. This it is said is cleaned at intervals and contents buried. The analysis of the water from the lake has never shown pollution; however, we do not understand that the lake water is ever used for domestic purposes. Water for cooking and drinking is obtained from a spring, the water of which is good water. The water used for washing and other purposes except for drinking and cooking comes a long distance from the hillside in a lead pipe. This shows considerable lead and would be dangerous if used for drinking or cooking purposes.

The source of infecThis man Shea slept

In the summer of 1905 we find that there were four cases of typhoid fever-three boys from New York and a man by the name of Shea, working for Mr. Stearns. This latter case was the first case, and its source is not known. tion for the others is somewhat obscure. in Stearns' barn, was walking about when he pleased, until he became too weak to do so, when he was removed to the village. In this ambulatory stage he was about on the side hill, where there are various small springs. It is possible that these springs were polluted by the dejections of this man in his wanderings about the hill. The boys were roaming and playing on the same ground and were drinking, when thirsty, at any place where they found water. The boys had all been in "Rayponda" from ten to fourteen days previous to the development of the disease. It is possible that they may have been infected previously, but more probable that the infection was from Shea. The results of analysis of the various water supplies, both from the hotel and cottages, as well as from the springs supplying the Stearns house and other houses on the hill, did not indicate that any of these could have been the source of the disease.

Alice Hayes, a maid in the hotel, was taken ill, and immediately went away, it was said, to the "Hospital" in Spring

field, Mass. Inquiry, however, has failed to locate her, as no such person or case is shown to have been admitted to the hospital. She stated before she left "Rayponda" that some years before she had the typhoid fever; it is therefore probable that her illness was of some other character.

We have also failed to learn anything of the illness of Mr. Vincet, the clerk who was said to have been ill about the time the hotel was closed in October. The 20th of March, 1906, a man came from North Adams, Mass., to work for Frederick May, a farmer living about ten miles from "Rayponda." On April 1st he came down with typhoid fever. This case could not have had any connection with "Rayponda." Rayponda." It is the only case of typhoid fever occurring in Wilmington since the cases above reported.

SUMMARY.

There were in September, 1905, four undoubted cases of typhoid fever in the summer resort known as Lake Rayponda in the town of Wilmington. These cases did not arise from any cause connected with the water supply, either of the hotel or cottages near by.

It is probable that a Mr. Shea who had typhoid of a mild type was walking around for a week or more before he was taken to the village of Wilmington. It is likely that he polluted the water of some springs from which the boys, who subsequently had the disease, drank.

There is nothing about the hotel, cottages, or other surroundings that would tend to render the place unhealthy or tend to communicate typhoid fever. However, persons visiting there should not drink water from other than sources of known purity.

In behalf of the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON, Secretary and Executive Officer.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., August 17, 1906.

To the Local Board of Health, Castleton, Vt., DR. CHARLES R. CLARK, Secretary and Executive Officer.

By request we have examined the water supply of Michael O'Rourke. It appears that for a considerable distance beyond Mr. O'Rourke's house there is for a certain portion of the year a small brook which flows by his place. During a part of the year the water in said brook fails to show itself until near the rear of Mr. Garland Brown's house, when water appears in the

bed of the brook, and within a very short distance becomes a stream of considerable size. The contents of the sink-drain from the house of Mr. Brown finds its way into this water; the pig-pen is so near that the washings from it are likely to wash into the stream. Mr. Brown has obstructed the flow of this stream so as to create a small pond, in which we found ducks sporting.

We are informed that for a long period of years the water from this brook has been thus used by Mr. O'Rourke and former residents in this house as their only water supply for all domestic purposes. The question of the obstruction by Mr. Brown of this flow of water in such a way as to prevent its reaching the O'Rourke family is not a question which comes under the jurisdiction of this board, but would have to be settled by the courts.

The pollution of streams or bodies of water used for domestic purposes is prohibited by law and is especially placed under the control of the board. We should advise that a sample of this water be taken from the point where the O'Rourkes take it for domestic use and sent to the Laboratory for analysis. You should give a written notice to Mr. Brown to take such care of his premises as will prevent this water from becoming polluted, if the analysis shows that such pollution exists.

Respectfully submitted in behalf of the State Board of

Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON,

Secretary and Executive Officer.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., August 17, 1906.

To the Local Board of Health, Castleton, Vt., CHARLES R. CLARK, Secretary and Executive Officer.

Our attention being called to the barn and buildings belonging to the Glenwood Hotel with their surroundings, we have made careful inspection of the same. The cottages of E. J. Preston and Frank E. Allen being near the barn, they complain that the accumulation of manure and other refuse creates a nuisance which is troublesome, offensive and dangerous to their health, and desire its removal.

All nuisances of this character come under the authority of the local board of health, see section 15, sub-section 1 of No. 113, Laws of 1902 as amended in 1904. Written notice should be served upon the proprietors to clean these premises of the accumulated manure and all other decaying and offensive

material within a reasonable time; immediate disinfection should be insisted upon, and such care in the future as will prevent a recurrence of any nuisance.

Respectfully submitted for the State Board of Health by

HENRY D. HOLTON,

Secretary and Executive Officer.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., August 29, 1906.

A. MORTON, M. D., Secretary Local Board of Health, St. Albans, Vermont.

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DEAR DOCTOR:-Having received a complaint relative to the offensive condition of the water supply of your city, and having visited the two reservoirs which are the source of your supply, it appears that repeated examinations of this water at the State Laboratory show it to be a good water free from pollution. The fishy smell and taste come from a vegetable growth known as algae." This is found in ponds, and swampy places, but not in running water. We shall have samples of water from both reservoirs tested again in order to determine accurately from which the most of the offensive odor comes. The examination indicates that its principle source is from the Gate House" at the intake from the old reservoir; certainly there is a large growth of this algae at this point. This should be cleaned thoroughly at once, the inside of the house repaired and white-washed.

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There is between the two reservoirs a swail and mucky place extending from the highway up toward the new reservoir; through this the water runs, and may receive from this source some of the flavor from which the water suffers. A stone flume to take the water as it is discharged from the new reservoir past this place would prevent further annoyance from this source. On a portion of the borders of the new reservoir there are patches of mucky soil, producing swail and noxious vegetable growths which should be removed.

We should further advise that such additional pipes be laid as will connect the new reservoir with the main delivery pipe, thus making it possible to draw your supply from either to the ing from the other. We understand that your pipes are flushed periodically; in doing this great care should be taken that all "dead ends " are thoroughly washed out. In fact not only exclusion of the other, thus enabling you to clean one while drawthe pipes and gate house but the surroundings of the water