supply should be kept free from everything that is likely to in any way contaminate it.

In behalf of the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON, Secretary.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., September 29, 1906.

To the Local Board of Health, DR. W. N. BRYANT, Secretary, Ludlow, Vt.

Having inspected certain portions of your town, we would herewith present the following report:

In Smithville, there are some six or seven houses where drains empty either on the surface or into foul and overflowing cesspools; there does not seem to be any common drainage for these houses. A permanent remedy for this condition would be a sewer reaching the stream below the mill. The present conditions demand attention and each one of these drains and cesspools should be abated as a nuisance injurious to the public health. There should be a repetition of this abatement as often as the nuisance is allowed to recur.

On Smith Street, there are some dozen tenements which are without common sewerage facilities. They are supplied with running water, and the individual drains empty on the side hill above the river. This street could probably be sewered either into the river, or into the sewer on High street. The sewer should of course be built to accommodate these houses and to abate the nuisance created by the drains emptying on the surface.

On Andover Street are several tenement houses whose back yards and outbuildings are very filthy and which have no sewer connections. The owners of these tenements should be required at once to put in proper plumbing and to make proper sewer connections according to law. The back yards, sheds, and all the outbuildings should be very thoroughly cleaned up.

In the rear of the Hammond Block is a horse stable and a dry-earth-closet. The closet should of course be removed and any closets allowed in the building in the future should be supplied with water and properly connected with the street sewer. The refuse from the stable has been allowed to accumulate about the rear of this building until it has created a nuisance which should be abated in the ordinary way. In the future, this stable should either be abandoned, or should be kept clean.

Respectfully submitted in behalf of the State Board of

Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON, Secretary.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., October 6, 1906.

To the Local Board of Health of Sheldon, W. H. POWERS, M. D., Secretary and Health Officer.

GENTLEMEN:-Dr. Stiles, a member of the State Board of Health, having visited and inspected creameries at Sheldon and Sheldon Junction, it appears that at the " Capital," located at Sheldon the washings are discharged into the mill-pond of U. B. Northrup; that there is not sufficient fall to prevent the drain pipe from becoming occasionally stopped up; in such case the contents set back and overflow on the surface of the ground, where it is liable to become a nuisance.

To prevent this it is recommended that a sewer pipe be properly laid from the creamery down and through the pond and dam, discharging below low water mark in the bed of the stream, at a sufficient point below the dam to insure its proper operation.

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In the case of the Eureka at the Junction, there should be a pipe laid from this creamery to a point where it could be united with a pipe formerly used as a sewer and discharged into a stream below, the water of which is not used for domestic purposes.

In behalf of the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON, Secretary.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., December 8, 1906.

F. A. PETTY, Health Officer, Fairfax, Vt.

DEAR SIR: Having made a thorough inspection of the building of the Bellows Free Academy we find it in good sanitary condition, with the exceptions here noted, in each instance accompanied with directions for correcting such defect.

The plumbing should be subjected to the smoke test in order to determine if it is perfect. The water supply from both the shallow and artesian wells should be analyzed. When we have the report of this test and analysis we will make a supplementary report.

Although it appeared from the statement of some persons present that at times there was an odor from the water-closets, which was present in the playroom to the extent that those who brought their dinners were unable to eat them, at the time of our visit no such odor was apparent. In order that this may not occur, we would recommend that the bowls of all closets be thoroughly washed out with some disinfectant every day and the urinals after every recess and intermission. An

efficient and inexpensive preparation for this purpose is made by dissolving one pound of chloride of lime in five gallons of water, also one pound of blue vitriol in the same amount of water. When they are thoroughly dissolved, mix them. You will then use of this mixture a half a pint in each bowl and the same proportion in the urinals. A half hour before the noon intermission the doors opening into the rooms where the closets are shall be closed and kept so during the intermission, and the windows of the playrooms opened for a sufficient time to remove the foul odor.

Food not eaten by the pupils should be returned to their pails and taken home. The boxes containing refuse should be emptied frequently.

It appeared that during the recent term the janitor had been obliged to close three of the closets by reason of the pipes being filled with paper, so that they would not flush, nor could they be emptied. It was stated that the attention of the pupils had been called to this malicious mischief and the results pointed out to them, but this was not sufficient to prevent a repetition of this conduct. The parents of pupils should see to it that their children are made to fully understand the nature of such an offense and the serious consequences that might result from such malicious conduct.

The primary room is overcrowded and some arrangement should soon be made to remedy this.

There was no positive evidence that the recent cases of diphtheria occurring among the pupils of the school were caused by any of the conditions named above. It seems that cases of sore throat have existed in town for some weeks; these were not recognized as diphtheretic; it is, however, probable that some of them were of this character and that the disease was communicated to others who were made seriously ill. As some of these were pupils who were in school for some hours after they were really sick, we would recommend that the desks be cleaned with some disinfectant and all rooms thoroughly fumigated. For the present, all cases of even mild sore throat should be reported to the Health Officer in order that the disease may be stamped out. He should examine any suspicious cases that may be present in school and, if he deems necessary, they should be sent home with the advice that their physician be sent for at once.

All of which is respectfully submitted in behalf of the State Board of Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON,

Secretary and Executive Officer.

BRATTLEBORO, VT., December 26, 1906.

F. A. PETTY, M. D., Health Officer, Fairfax, Vt.

DEAR SIR: In the report of this Board of December 8, 1906, relative to the sanitary condition of the Bellows Free Academy, we stated that when the result of the smoke test of the plumbing and the analysis of the water supply was reported to us, we would make a supplementary report. Having these in hand, we are pleased to say that the test of the plumbing was entirely satisfactory, showing that it was all first class; there were not any places where gases could escape from it. The sample of water marked "tap-well" was good water; although not as soft as some waters, it is good, safe water for drinking purposes. The sample marked "well-tap showed high amount of chlorine, probably from pollution of animal origin, which may have found its way with surface water into the well. We would advise that this water should not be used for drinking. It would be proper to use it for flushing the closets. Such changes in the piping and storage of these waters should be made as will prevent the tap-well water from being mingled with the well-tap water. When the recommendations made in the report of December 8 and in this one are adopted, the Bellows Free Academy building will be in a first class sanitary condition, equal to any in the State. In behalf of the State Board of Health,

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HENRY D. HOLTON,

Secretary and Executive Officer.

Case of Local Board of Health versus Thomas Judge.

Defendant appealed from an order of the Local Board to the State Board of Health. This order, dated June 28, 1906, was as follows:

THOMAS JUDGE, ESQ., Brattleboro, Vt.

DEAR SIR: An examination, by the local board of health for the town of Brattleboro, of the property owned by you near the corner of Canal and Washington streets in the village of said Brattleboro, shows that you have failed to comply with the order of this board heretofore given to you in regard to these same premises and which order was dated June 27th, 1905. We also learn that you have rented said premises, that the party to whom it has been rented has moved into the house on said premises and has paid to you one month's rent in advance. We find that the house on said premises is unsanitary and dangerous to the health of its tenants and the health of the

public. You are hereby notified to supply said house with flush water closets with an adequate supply of water and have the plumbing therein in accordance with the plumbing regulations of the State Board of Health and that you connect the same with the common sewer. The earth closet now in use must be discontinued and removed and all garbage and rubbish must be removed from the cellar under said house and from off the grounds about said house.

All of the above must be done by you on or before the 1st day of August, 1906. Your failure to comply with this notice will make it necessary for the town of Brattleboro to do all the work herein required of you and the expense thereof will be collected of you and you will also be prosecuted by the State's Attorney of this county for non-compliance with this notice.

Secretary of the Local Board of Health for the town of Brattleboro.

The State Board, after an examination of the premises and hearing the defendant, are of the opinion that the order of the Local Board is correct and should be complied with. In default of such compliance within a reasonable time, all circumstances being taken into consideration, the Local Board should enforce such compliance, as provided in the Statutes.

The State Board are also of the opinion that the water from the well in the rear of the house is so contaminated, unwholesome, and impure, as shown by analysis at the laboratory of the State Board, that the use thereof endangers the health of its users, hence the use of this water for drinking and culinary purposes is hereby prohibited.

The State Board are further of the opinion, and would recommend, that the building be renovated and repaired and put in a proper and sanitary condition, if it is to continue to be used as a dwelling house. The cellar should be cleaned, and windows put into the underpinning, so it can be ventilated. There should be proper traps connecting the sewer pipes of the house with the street sewer, also vent pipe as required by the regulations of this Board regarding plumbing.

Respectfully submitted in behalf of the State Board of

Health,

HENRY D. HOLTON,

Secretary and Executive Officer.

Brattleboro, Vt., December 19, 1906.