6,034 from yellow fever. In a recent lecture, Dr. J. H. Hamilton, of Chicago, late Surgeon General of the U. S. M. II. S., stated that comparatively little of sanitation was done for our men in the late Civil War. In his work on hygiene, Dr. E. A. Parkes, the great English anthority on Army Hygiene, speaking of solider life in the West Indies, says: "Formerly the life of a full regiment 1,000 men never extended beyond five year in the West Indies, and it was no uncommon thing for 300 men in a regiment to perish in a single year." Dr. Parkes also states that practically the whole of the English army in the Crimean War was annihilated by preventable disease. It has recently been reported in the case of one French regiment one thousand men strong, sent to service in Madagascar, but one hundred disabled and invalid men returned to France. This subject seems of such pressing importance that your Committee has seen fit to prepare for distribution among the Pennsylvania troops a brief outline of hygiene for the soldier, which it is hoped this Board will print and distribute. Your Committee also recommends that the Board begin vigorous action to stamp out the principal contagious diseases, whenever the same appear in the State and before there is time for an epidemic of the same to become established. For this purpose it would recommend that the Secretary make arrangements to collect from proper bureaus of press clippings from leading papers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Reading, Lancaster, Erie, Williamsport, Harrisburg, Easton, Johnstown and other cities, notices of the following diseases, namely, small pox, typhoid fever, diphtheria, scarlet fever, typhus fever, and yellow fever; and, further, on receipt of such notices, the Secretary shall at once notify the local board of health of the appearance of the contagious disease within the territory controlled by such board; shall fully and urgently explain to the local officers the importance and the possibility of at once stamping out and placing under control the disease present in the community. The people in Pennsylvania, through ten years of careful work, have been educated in the nature and means by which contagious diseases originate and are perpetuated. They are ready and willing to co-operate with the State authorities in the suppression of these diseases. The time is now opportune for the Board to extend its operations and make itself felt as an active and important part of the State government. In view of the probability of more intimate communication with the people of Cuba and Oriental countries, it is recommended that the circular on small pox be revised and that circulars on yellow fever, typhus fever and the Bubonic plague be prepared. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON SANITARY LEGISLATION, RULES AND REGULATIONS. J. H. McClelland, M. D., Chairman. Your committee has pleasure in presenting for consideration of the Board the drafts of three acts, bearing upon the subject of sanitary legislation. These acts are as follows: To provide for the appointment of officers of public health in the counties and townships of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. To govern the appointment of health officers in cities, boroughs or combined health districts in Pennsylvania. To allow the medical colleges of the State to confer diplomas in public health. Your committee recommends that these be taken up and carefully considered, and that the Board adopts instructions for the gov ernment of the committee in the matter. Appendix to Report of Committee on Sanitary Legislation, Rules and Regulations. AN ACT To govern the appointment of health officers in cities, boroughs or combined health districts in Pennsylvania. Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That all health officers for cities or boroughs appointed after January 1, 1900, shall hold a medical degree and a license to practice medicine in the State of Pennsylvania. Section 2. Every candidate shall produce evidence of having attended, after receiving his medical degree, at least six months' practical instruction in a laboratory of hygiene connected with one of the medical schools of the State, or with one recognized as giving equivalent instruction. Section 3. Every candidate shall produce evidence of having passed successfully examinations regarding the duties of sanitary work in cities and boroughs. Section 4. The examinations shall have been conducted by ex aminers specially appointed by the State Board of Health from the medical schools of the State, and shall be oral, written and practical. Section 5. Two or more adjoining boroughs may unite to form a combined health district, with one health officer. Section 6. Provided, That any licensed medical practitioner who has been health officer or member of borough board of health for three years before the passage of this act shall be exempt from the requirements of clauses 1, 2, 3 and 4, and that any person who has been health officer, superintendent of bureau of public health in cities of the first or second class, for three years before the passage of this act shall be exempt from the requirements of clauses 1, 2, 3 and 4, and that any physician holding a diploma in public health granted by any medical college in the State shall be exempt from the requirements of clauses 2, 3 and 4. AN ACT To provide for the appointment of officers of public health in the counties and townships of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That the State Board of Health of this Commonwealth shall, after the passage of this act, appoint a Lealth officer for every county in the State, who shall have a general supervision over the sanitary affairs of the county. The said health officer shall receive an annual salary to be paid out of the county treasury and the amount of which shall be fixed by the county commissioners. Section 2. The county commissioners of every county in the State shall, after the passage of this act, appoint in every township of their county an officer of public health. Section 3. The county health officers must possess the requirements called for in an act entitled "An act to govern the apppointment of health officers in cities and boroughs or combined health districts in Pennsylvania." Section 4. Whenever it is deemed advisable by a county health officer he may combine two or more townships into one sanitary district; and the commissioners shall then appoint the health officer to this combined district. Section 5. The health officer of townships shall enforce the sanitary laws of the State and the regulations of the State Board of Health and shall make monthly returns of vital statistics to the State Foard of Health, and shall report to said Board the sanitary condition of the township. The health officers of cities and boroughs shall make like returns. Section 6. The fee for making such returns shall be cents for every birth, marriage or death, or case of infectious or contagious. disease so reported, and shall be paid by the county. Section 7. All physicians, undertakers and clergymen in the townships shall send reports of deaths, births, marriages, burials or cases of infectious or contagious diseases occurring in the township to the township health officer, who shall record them in a book provided for this purpose by the county commissioners. Section 8. The county board of health shall consist of the local health officers of every city, borough and township or combined sanitary district in the county, and shall consider the sanitary conditions of said county, and the county health officer shall be president of the board. AN ACT To allow the medical colleges of the State to confer diplomas in public health. Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That any medical college chartered by the State of Pennsylvania may confer, after examination, a diploma in public health on any person holding a degree of medicine and licensed to practice in the State: Provided, That at least twelve months shall have elapsed between the obtaining of the medical degree and the examination for the diploma in public health: And provided further, That the candidate shall produce evidence of having attended, after receiving his medical degree, at least six months practical instruction in a laboratory of hygiene connected with one of the medical schools of the State or one of another State recognized as giving equivalent instruction. Section 2. Examinations shall be upon chemistry and physics, as far as they pertain to practical hygienic investigations, sufficient to allow the health officer to draw correct conclusions from the reports of experts, and in geology, bacteriology and practical and theoret ical hygiene. APPENDIX B. ANNUAL REPORTS OF INSPECTORS, CHEMISTS AND BACTERIOLO GISTS. Cambria county, W. E. Matthews, M. D., Inspector. Report of Chemical Analysis of Water, Henry Leffman, M. D. |