ALBANY, November 5, 1898 Prof. W. G. TUCKER, Director of State Board of Health Laboratory, Albany: Dear Sir-We are in receipt of information from Dr. G. H. Beers, Health officer of Ticonderoga, N. Y., that he has forwarded to you in compliance with instructions from this department, two samples of water. Upon receipt of the samples you are directed to analyze the same, reporting the result to this Board. Very respectfully, T. A. STUART, Assistant secretary ALBANY, November 12, 1898 B. T. SMELZER, Secretary State Board of Health of New York, Albany: Dear Sir I respectfully enclose herewith reports upon the analyses of two samples of water received by your order on the 5th inst., from Dr. G. H. Beers, health officer, Ticonderoga, N. Y. These waters are both of excellent quality, differing but slightly, No. 464 being in some respects somewhat the better, but both are of satisfactory quality. Very respectfully, WILLIS G. TUCKER, Director No. 464 STATE BOARD OF HEALTH OF NEW YORK Analysis of potable water (results are parts in 100,000) Received from Dr. G. H. Beers, health officer, Ticonderoga, N. Y.; date received, November 5, 1898; source, Lake George water from pipes at residence of E. A. Prescott, Ticonderoga, N. Y.; how labelled, "No. 1." Appearance: Color, light greenish tint; turbidity, very slight; sediment, trifling; odor at 100 degrees F., none; chlorine in chlorides, 0.10; free ammonia, 0.0017; albuminoid ammonia, 0.0030; nitrites, none; total solids, 9.80; loss on ignition, 2.60; behavior during ignition, darkened very slightly; mineral matter, 7.20; remarks, good quality. WILLIS G. TUCKER, Director Dated at State Board of Health laboratory, Albany, N. Y., November 12, 1898. No. 465 STATE BOARD OF HEALTH OF NEW YORK Analysis of potable water (results are parts in 100,000) Received from Dr. G. H. Beers, health officer, Ticonderoga, N. Y.; date received, November 5, 1898; source, "Chilson reservoir, drawn from pipes in village;" how labelled, "No. 2." Appearance: Color, greenish tint; turbidity, very slight; sediment, very slight; odor at 100 degrees F., none; chlorine in chlorides, 0.10; free ammonia, 0.0020; albuminoid ammonia, 0.0040; nitrites, none; total solids, 11.40; loss on ignition, 4.20; behavior during ignition, darkened slightly; mineral matter, 7.20; remarks, good quality. WILLIS G. TUCKER, Director Dated at State Board of Health laboratory, Albany, N. Y., November 12, 1898. SMALL-POX AT MOUNT MORRIS ALBANY, August 31, 1898 To the Secretary of the State Board of Health: Sir After visiting Mount Morris to-day to make inquiry regarding the existence there of small-pox, I have to report that I found there one case of modified variola in the eighth day of sickness. I also found a number of persons, mostly adults, who showed the stains and superficial scars of the disease, but who had passed by the condition of active sickness. The symptoms present in the case I saw and I think likewise, though perhaps to a less intense degree, with all of the others, were similar to those found generally characterizing the cases in other places in the central part of the state, all of which, as those of Mount Morris, are traceable to the same origin-that is to the member of the traveling troupe who imported the disease into this state in May last. It is a matter of scientific interest to note the uniform adherence of the cases coming under our observation to the type of the original case. Briefly repeated, these symptoms have been, with the exception of a few persons, who had the disease in moderately severe form, a remarkably mild sickness and a tendency to abort early, some hardly reaching the pustular stage. For example, in the case of to-day the patient, a man in middle age, began to feel ill on the 16th, quitting his work that afternoon. A fever developed with a temperature of 104 degrees, and it lasted through three days. Then an eruption began to appear on the face and back of the hands, with which the fever markedly fell and malaise disappeared. The early eruption was dry, papular. To-day, the eighth or ninth of illness, his forehead, cheeks and chin are covered pretty thickly with discrete lesions which are mostly papulo-pustular; in some few the fluid is a turbid lactescent vesicular material; some are only papules hard, firm, and there is well-marked induration of the base of all the lesions. The hands and wrists have more sparse eruption and mostly papular. On the body there are very few lesions, they are less defined and the fluid in the lesions is more lactescent than pustular. He has little fever, is sitting up and entirely able to help himself. The fever of the grade and duration is always present and in most cases subsides with appearance of the eruption; the eruption is papular always, at least on the face and hands, though papulation may be but slightly marked on the body, where usu ally there is very little eruption. A prolonged stain with some cicatrix marks the site of lesions in those who have passed through the disease. The case described is more severe, more characteristic of variola, than some of the cases occurring in this outbreak, and a most remarkable fact has been that this mildness of the disease has occurred in persons giving no evidence of having ever been vaccinated. As might be anticipated, the variolous character of this dis ease has in several places not been recognized, and such was the case at Mount Morris. It is good evidence of the protective value of vaccination to the population that the majority of medical practitioners have at very remote intervals or never seen a case of small-pox. No doubt the outbreak in this locality followed the appearance of the infected traveling troupe here May 2d last, and there have been since a sequence of cases. These were so mild that one family that I saw, where five or six adults were sick and at least one of them has his face covered with well-defined stains and cicatrices seven weeks after the onset, did not call in a physician. But that the disease is variola is certain, because it is a contagious exanthem of the same type as that observed in the other localities, where mingled with mild cases some well-marked of variola have occurred, and it has these variolous characteristics: The subjects are adults, it has a severe initial fever lasting three full days, subsiding with the appearance of the eruption; the type lesion is a papule and not a vesicle; it affects first and most the face, hands and forearms, not developing much on the body; the lesions, although aborting early, many of them leave scars, and the course is one of not less than three weeks generally. The disease is not to be admitted as varicella, as there has been a tendency to consider it, and it certainly is variola. After consulting with the health officers of Mount Morris, village and town, and with the physicians, the nature of the disease was agreed upon and the customary precautions outlined and to be carried out energetically. Respectfully, F. C. CURTIS VILLAGE OF CAMDEN Typhoid Fever CAMDEN, N. Y., September 27, 1898 Dr. BAXTER T. SMELZER, Albany, N. Y.: My Dear Doctor-At the present time we are having quite a prevalence of typhoid fever in our village and for several years we have had more than we should have. The board has instructed me to communicate with your Board and see if you can send us a man who can investigate the cause of the trouble. The local board desire to make a thorough investigation and with that end in view have authorized me to secure a man with the following qualifications: First, a physician; second, a bacteriologist, and third, a man who has had experience in investigating the source of typhoid fever. If you have such a man in the employ of your Board or can secure one, you may send him to me at once. Kindly advise me at the earliest moment as to whether we may look for a man from your Board. Yours truly, H. L. BORLAND, Health officer ALBANY, September 29, 1898 H. L. BORLAND, M. D., Health officer, Camden, N. Y.: Dear Sir-I am in receipt of your communication of the 27th inst., requesting the services of an expert from this Board to investigate as to the source of typhoid fever, which is now quite prevalent in your village. In reply you are informed that Dr. F. C. Curtis, the medical expert of this department will be sent to Camden in compliance with your request. |