allowed under the circumstances, the heirs should be required to put these premises in a proper condition.

In connection with this inspection, I would remark that I observed that the houses along the east side of the river road appeared to have drains or cesspools emptying directly into the river.

Secretary and Executive Officer State Board of Health: DEAR SIR: In response to your instructions, I visited Rosemont, Pa., and inspected the premises of William H. Molden. He keeps but three pigs and is slop gatherer for the vicinity. I found that his pigpen was moderately clean, and he assured me that it should at once be put in the best condition. The chief trouble appears to be that in the pursuit of his employment he collects so much garbage that he is unable to dispose of it, this accumulates, and under a hot sun rapidly ferments and fills the air with its noisome odor. He has no place to use it, because his ground is fully occupied with his crops.

I would recommend that he be required to thoroughly disinfect the accumulation and then bury it, and that he be prohibited from making any further such accumulation. Also, that he be required to keep his pig-pen in a much better condition by more frequent and careful cleaning and the free use of disinfectants. Respectfully submitted.

WM. B. ATKINSON, M. D.,
Medical Inspector.

XVIII. REPORT OF AN INSPECTION AT CARBONDALE.

By L. H. TAYLOR, M. D.

WILKES-BARRE, PA., August 3, 1888.

Dr. BENJAMIN LEE,

Secretary State Board of Health:

MY DEAR SIR: In pursuance to your instructions, dated July 30, 1888, to investigate the sanitary condition of Carbondale, Pa., as to

drainage, sewerage, condition of latrines, water supply, etc., I spent today (August 3) in Carbondale, and, accompanied by Dr. D. Leland Bailey, president board of health, S. S. Jones, Esq., secretary, Rev. Platt and Dr. H. C. Wheeler, I visited nearly all parts of the city, and examined numerous privies, cesspools and drains, as well as the water supply and plans for projected sewering.

Carbondale is a city of about 12,000 inhabitants, situated upon the Lackawanna river, in Lackawanna county, Pa. The large portion of the city is located upon adjacent hills, which slope gradually down from all sides toward the river basin. In the matter of water supply the city is peculiarly fortunate. It takes its origin in Pond No. 4, which is fed by springs, about four miles out of the city. From this point the water passes through a rapidly descending ravine about two miles, to a dam constructed for the purpose, whence it is carried by iron pipes to a reservoir situated in the extreme northern part of the city, and thence conveyed by pipes to the individual houses. From the peculiar situation of the reservoir, the isolation of the parent dam and of the stream supplying the same, there is but little opportunity for pollution; in fact, none except possibly at one point, and even here the chance is so small as to make the water practically entirely safe. The inhabitants are thus supplied with an abundance of excellent water, but notwithstanding this, we found a few wells scattered around in various parts of the city, and in nearly all cases these were so located in reference to adjacent privies as to make pollution of them from excreta almost unavoidable.

As to the general city sewage, there is none. The Lackawanna river skirts the western edge for possibly three quarters of a mile, but at some distance above Lincoln avenue this stream is largely diverted from its course by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, leaving the bed of the stream through the chief part of the city practically without water to carry off the sewage which empties into it from numerous private houses along its course. The stench arising from the discharge of these drains is extremely offensive.

The general condition of the city in reference to its privies, cesspools and drains is simply abominable. The majority of these privies are located very near the dwelling houses, very many being even within ten feet of the kitchen door.

A large number of the cesspools are full of excreta to overflowing, and the discharge from them upon the surface causes an exceedingly offensive odor and pollution of the air for some distance around. It might well be said of a very large proportion of them that their condition is such as to constitute a nuisance prejudicial to the general health.

The surface drains are also exceedingly filthy, it being the general custom to discharge slop-water into drains which find their way to the streets. In Seventh street one of these drains runs at the side of the

road for a long distance, taking the discharge from numerous houses situated upon rising ground above. These drains running into the street are found in nearly all portions of the city.

In spite of these unfavorable conditions, I could learn of no extensive amount of illness, there being, so far as I could hear, a few scattered cases of typhoid fever and dysentery. This immunity in such an atmosphere I attribute wholly to the excellent supply of pure water.

The remedy, and the only efficient remedy, for the evils mentioned, is a general system of sewers for the whole city. At present they have none. To what extent the State Board of Health should interfere in this matter is a question to be decided by its executive officer. In my judgment, the removal of all these nuisances should be at tended to by the city authorities themselves. The difficulty, as I understand it, is the lethargic condition of the councils in reference to matters of health, leaving the few people who are anxious to secure a better state of affairs, powerless to accomplish any change.

A local board of health was organized in April last, with Dr. D. Leland Bailey, president, consisting of Drs. D. Leland Bailey and Alex. Gillis, and Messrs. J. G. Bailey, Thomas Mooney and P. F. Moran. S. S. Jones, esq., is secretary of the board. Owing to lack of harmony in its workings, no health officer has been appointed and the board is practically inoperative, the councils as yet having furnished no funds for its workings.

It would seem that an appeal should not be made to the State Board of Health until the local board had exhausted its resources, but the inability of this board to secure from councils the needed reforms has induced a few earnest individuals to endeavor to secure the aid and influence of the State Board.

The councils, some months back, authorized a preliminary survey and the preparation of a map and plans of the First sewer district, including the chief part of the city. This has been done by the city engineer, Mr. Blair, and a very feasible plan for sewering presented. It would not seem proper for the State Board to attempt to remove these nuisances, but by advice and urgent remonstrance the city councils might be induced to further the work of sewering already partly projected. In the meantime the local board of health should be urged to appoint a health officer, whose duty should be at once to abate the scores of nuisances all over the city in the shape of overflowing privies. John C. Ulmer is president of the common council and John Lan· non is president of select council; John Kelly is mayor.

Very respectfully,

LEWIS H. TAYLOR.

August 9, 1888, the secretary addressed a letter to his honor, John Kelly, mayor of Carbondale, embodying the recommendations con

tained in the report of Inspector Taylor, and urging that they be made the subject of a special message to the city councils.

XIX. REPORT ON THE ICE SUPPLY OF WEST CHESTER.

Dr. C. E. WOODWARD,

PHILADELPHIA, July 12, 1888.

Secretary Board of Health of West Chester:

DEAR SIR: I have the honor to enclose the report of an inspection made by Prof. William B. Atkinson, M. D., of a pond from which ice is obtained for use in your borough. Also the reports of analyses made by Dr. Charles M. Cresson, of water and of melted ice procured from this pond. Also the resolution of the board in reference to the continued use of the ice from this pond. In this connection I would say that the danger of an impure ice supply has been the subject of a very thorough investigation by the Massachusetts State Board of Health, which attributes many cases of typhoid fever, occurring in cities in autumn, to bad water and the results of bad drainage or none at all, in the summer resorts. The board, therefore, urges upon people who are considering the question where to spend the summer, the importance of selecting places which have proper drainage and pure water supply. In places where ponds are made for the purpose of collecting water for a supply of ice, it is almost certain to be contaminated with sewage, as freezing does not kill but only conceals bacteria. A most mysterious case of wholesale poisoning at a summer hotel was finally traced to the impure ice, which had been secured from neighboring shallow ponds. Upon analysis, the melted ice was found to contain in suspension a large quantity of decomposed vegetable matter. The organic matter mostly settled at the bottom of the vessel, but the lighter matter remained diffused through the water. The pond, the source of supply, was examined and found stagnant, and at one end a putrescent mass emitted an intolerably offensive odor. It was reasonably supposed that the ice was the cause of the sickness, and upon its disuse the epidemic abated. Prof. Raphael Pumpelly, who made investigations for the National Board of Health, has no doubt that ice can carry any disease that the water from which it is frozen can convey, and that there is even more danger from the ice than there is from the water itself, since sewage is more easily decomposed in summer than in winter. While in cities the greater part of the ice received is pure, in towns where, the supply is taken from shallow ponds, both the water and the ice may be a source of danger

In view of these well attested dangers, and in obedience to the instructions of the Board, I thereupon recommend to your honorable board :

First. That it cause this report, with the accompanying papers, to be published at stated intervals in the daily papers of West Chester. Second. That it cause all carts from which the said ice is dispensed to carry a conspicuous placard, stating that

Secretary and Executive Officer State Board of Health: DEAR SIR: In response to your instructions, I visited West Chester on Tuesday, April 17. Through the kindness of Dr. Woodward, I was enabled to make a very complete inspection of the ponds from which the supply of ice is obtained.

There are several of these ponds, located to the east of the Pennsylvania railroad, in the filthiest suburb of the town, the population being mainly colored people.

These ponds are filled with water flowing in broad, shallow streams like ordinary country ditches or drains, which really act as drains for a very full colored burying ground, one or more slaughter houses, the cesspools for a number of houses, these being the ordinary privies of old style farm house, and in addition, a large area of swampy ground. Hence this water must be in a condition far from pure, and certainly cannot fail to contain, both in solution and in a state of suspension, all the impurities that would naturally drain from such localities.

Now, as it is a well-known fact that the conversion of water into ice does not act to expel or destroy the vitality of diseases (see history of the typhoid epidemic at Plymouth, Pa., winter of 1884-85), and as animals of much higher organization are often found frozen in ice and subsequently have been thawed out and found to possess all their original powers, we can readily perceive the imminent danger from the use of such ice when placed in water or milk, to reduce the temperature in order that these articles may be used for drinking purposes.

In fact, inasmuch as the sources of ice supplies are, when known, often of a doubtful nature, it would always be preferable that ice should not be brought into direct contact with articles of food or drink,