West Branch Tannery, Lock Haven, Pa., February 1, 1898. State Board of Health, Philadelphia, Pa.: Gentlemen: In replying to your favor of 28th ult., would say that as a rule lime is only used to unhair wet or fresh hides. We have had no experience in soaking dry hides, but from what information we have indirectly, they require as much time in the water as wet hides do. Yours truly, WILSON KISTLER, per Schell. Elk Tanning Company, Ridgway, Pa., January 28, 1898. Benj. Lee, M. D., Secretary State Board of Health, 1532 Pine St., Philadelphia, Pa.: Dear Sir: Replying to your favor of the 21st, in reference to sweating vs. liming, I beg to state that it will be impossible to produce satisfactory leather from certain classes of dry flint hides by the liming process. Green salted hides are usually limed, while dry flint, and in fact all dry hides, are usually sweated. You state that there is strong reason to believe that the majority of cases of anthrax that have occurred at tanneries, have been in cases where the sweating process was used. This is true, because the hides were infected. The softening process on dry hides occupies from 7 to 16 days, after the hides are taken into the tannery before they are prepared to go into the sweats, and I am of the opinion that the inoculation of anthrax in all cases which have come under my attention, have been during the process of softening and milling. There have been a number of so called cases of anthrax during the past year at two of the tanneries operated by this company, and in most cases the victims have been men who handled hides, and not the beam hands proper who work the hides after they come from the sweats. I have been in the tanning business for 25 years, and until the past year no case of anthrax ever came under my personal notice, and we have never had a case of anthrax in domestic or South American hides. The supposed cases have come from hides from Asiatic ports. We believe also that the handling of infected hides is a source of danger, before the hides are wet, that the dust therefrom is liable to be drawn into the lungs and thus the victim is inoculated. We have wholly discontinued the purchase of China hides, as we will not consent to work them if there is a reasonable probability of affecting our employes, but I do not think your point is well taken in reference to abandoning the sweating process, as, in order to make satisfactory dry hide leather, it is necessary that the hides be sweated and not limed. If you should desire it, I should be pleased to have you visit some of our tanneries, where we should explain to you very fully the relative merits of sweating vs. liming, and would take you to a tannery in which both processes are in effect, the sweating process on dry hides and the liming process on green salted hides. Yours truly, G. W. CHILDS, C. C. Hax Leather Co., Allegheny, Pa., January 29, 1898. Benjamin Lee, M. D., 1532 Pine St., Philadelphia: Dear Sir: Replying to your favor of recent date, would say we have had no experience with the "sweating process," as used for removing the hair from hides, never having used anything but lime. Never bought foreign or dried hides, as we work entirely domestic, salt-cured stock. Respectfully yours, C. C. HAX LEATHER CO. Curwensville, Pa., January 31, 1898. Benjamin Lee, Philadelphia, Pa.: Dear Sir: In reply to your inquiry of the 21st inst., would say, we know practically nothing in regard to the sweating of hides, as we have never used anything except the lime process. In the grade of leather we make, lime is used. Yours truly, ALLEY BROS. & Co. Anthrax at New Holland. New Holland, Pa., October 5, 1898. Dr. B. Lee, Secretary of State Board of Health: On September 28, a man, aged 42 years, farmer by occupation, called at my office, suffering from what he supposed a small boil on forehead. I, after a careful examination, diagnosed the case as anthrax pustule, which was confirmed by later developments. He became rapidly worse; in twenty-four hours the eyes were closed, the whole face greatly congested-swollen. Temperature from 102 to 104. By Saturday noon, October 1, he was delirious, and died at 8.45 P. M. of same date. I had the family observe care, and advised them to burn all clothes they had on bed and around patient. Yours respectfully, D. W. HARNER. Reported Death from Anthrax at Carlisle. Harrisburg, Pa., October 11, 1898. Dr. Benjamin Lee, 1532 Pine St., Phila.: Dear Doctor Lee: I heard the other day of a reported death from anthrax at Carlisle and requested our agent there, Dr. S. P. Bishop, to inquire into the matter with a view of ascertaining the source of infection if possible, so that we might know whether live stock in that vicinity was endangered. He advises me that it is not possible to obtain direct knowledge as to the source of infection, but it seems that the said man had charge of all hides shipped to and from the railroad station at that point and it is possible that he acquired the disease from this source. I suppose you have already been informed as to this case, but I take the liberty of notifying you of the information that has come to me, as it may throw a sidelight on the subject of anthrax infection from hides. Yours truly, LEONARD PEARSON APPENDIX E. REPORTS OF CONFERENCES AND CONVENTIONS. 1. Report of a meeting held under the auspices of the Women's Health Protective Association of Philadelphia to consider the subject of Meat Inspection, by Benjamin Lee, M. D., Secretary. 2. The Secretary appointed a delegate to the International Congress of Hygiene and Demography, Madrid, Spain. 3. Pure Food and Drug Congress, Washington, D. C., report of Dr. G. G. Groff, delegate to the Congress. A bill for preventing the adulteration, misbranding and imitation of foods, etc., in the District of Columbia and the territories. 4. Proceedings and Papers of the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Associated Health Authorities of Pennsylvania. Minutes. The Rational Training of Children, by Richard C. Scheidt, Ph. D. Medical Inspection of Schools, by Miss Dora Keen. Weather Forecasts and Health, by Prof. H. J. Roddy. The Bubonic Plague, by Benjamin Lee, M. D. What Means Should Proprietors of Creameries Adopt to Prevent their Refuse Becoming a Nuisance? by T. L. Lippincott, M. D., D. V. S. The Sanitary Relation of Our Highlands to the State, by Prof. J. T. Rothrock, M. D. The Necessity for Legislative Restriction of the Pollution of Surface Waters, by D. H. Bergey, M. D. Suggestions for Legislation to Procure a More Complete Sanitary Organization in the State of Pennsylvania, by Thos. Turnbull, Jr., M. D. The Transportation of the Dead, by Benjamin Lee, M. D. The Disposal of Garbage, by M. L. Davis, M. D. 5. Association of General Baggage Agents, Glen Summit, Pa., Report of Committee on Transportation of Dead Bodies. 6. Quarter Centennial Celebration of the Michigan State Board of Health, Detroit, Report of Dr. Benjamin Lee, Secretary, as Delegate. State Sanitary Conventions, by Benjamin Lee, M. D. 7. Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual Meeting of the Conference of State and Provincial Boards of Health of North America, Detroit, Michigan. 8. Twenty-sixth Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Ottawa, Canada, Report and Papers. Report of Dr. Benjamin Lee, Secretary, as Delegate to the meeting. An Epidemic of Diphtheria Traced to an Infected Milk Supply, by Benjamin Lee, M. D. What Constitutes an Epidemic? by Benjamin Lee, M. D. |