40-INSPECTION AT LANSDOWNE, DELAWARE COUNTY.

By ROBERT S. MAISON, Medical Inspector, on account of defective sew

erage.

August 12, 1895.

To the Secretary of the State Board of Health:

Sir: I have the honor to report that in compliance with instructions received from you August 9, 1895, I visited Darby creek on August 12th, and found the following conditions to exist:

From where the creek is dammed-about 1,000 feet above Garrett's paper mill to about 200 feet below mill, where water from race reenters stream, the bed of the creek is almost dry. The dam breast is dry, and what water is at bottom is in puddles, there being not enough leakage to give a current of water. In company with Mr. Garrett I walked up the bed of the creek, on the stones, from the mill to the dam; about half the water in the stream seems to come from the sewers.

Practically the mill uses the entire flow, and they are using a steam engine also at this time of year.

To use the water from above the dam to flush the creek bed would entail loss of water power to the mill owners. In Yeadon borough C. M. B- —, J. M. S J————— A——, J. H. C- L- and Dr. H— drain into the creek opposite the mill. Above them, in Lansdowne borough, G— W——————, A————— L. P—————— and M——— D. P—————— and a six-inch sewer pipe of Lansdowne borough drain into the stream.

This six-inch pipe comes from the Darby road, runs diagonally down a steep hill, through A- L. P's property into two casks eight feet in diameter. Thence directly into bed of creek. There is too large a flow for the casks to be of any use for any purpose.

The G- -s claim that smell is so offensive that sometimes the doors and windows on that side of the mill have to be closed. I observed several pools in bed of creek where sewerage was of the consistency of a thick soup, and nowhere was there enough water to disguise either the appearance, smell or consistency of sewerage. Further up the creek, above the dam, many properties drain into creek, but as there is plenty of water there is no offensive smell. Beside the sewer pipes, sewerage drains into creek from open gutters at several points below dam.

It is only a question of time when, as borough increases in size, an intercepting sewer will have to be built along the whole of the borough line which extends along creek.

The only way to remove nuisance as it exists at present is to build a sewer from below the dam parallel to creek, to a point below where water from race enters stream again. An eight-inch pipe would suffice at present but I strongly advise a larger one with the view of anticipating future needs. Mr. L's name does not appear on county map, but his name was given me by Mr. G

41-INSPECTION AT TINICUM, DELAWARE COUNTY.

By ROBERT S. MAISON, Medical Inspector, on account of Diphtheria.

To the Secretary of the State Board of Health:

August 27, 1895.

Sir: I have the honor to report that in compliance with instructions received from you August 27, 1895, I visited Tinicum on August 27, 1895, and found the following conditions to exist:

Immediately upon receipt of your telegram I drove to Tinicum and, after some trouble, located the shanty on the Island road, about three miles from the Lazaretto road. The shanty is surrounded by pigpens and can hardly be distinguished from them, except that pens are raised two feet above the ground, while the shanty is not. The family moved from a similar shanty last week because the floor became covered with maggots. The shanty consists of one small room in which room the baby, R S took diphtheria, nasal type, and died. At the begining of the week the grandmother took the baby to Paschallville and consulted Dr. Pike, who was unwilling to go so great a distance without remuneration. The baby conse quently had no medical care. He died on Sunday, August 25th, and on Tuesday afternoon an undertaker drove body away without taking the slightest antiseptic precautions. I found that sulphur had been burnt in the room. I ordered mattress and pillows to be burnt, clothing to be boiled in bi-chloride and room washed with same solution, and then whitewashed. This they promised to do, and I tacked notice to wall of house and ordered them to keep it there for two weeks after disinfection was complete. A little girl was also taken with the disease, but was removed to a Philadelphia hospital. This piggery is on the meadows, which are low and damp, and the air is foul from smell of swill and the ground is strewn with it. The place is not fit for human beings to live in.

This place is isolated, there being only a few houses within three miles of it.

The woman did not know name of undertaker, but from description given, I think it must have been E-Y, of Paschallville.

12-INSPECTION AT MANN'S CHOICE, BEDFORD COUNTY.

By A. ENFIELD, Medical Inspector, on account of tannery pollution of a stream.

Benjamin Lee, M. D., Philadelphia, Pa.:

Bedford, July 29, 1895.

Dear Sir: According to instructions from you, dated July 23d, I proceeded to Mann's Choice, Bedford county, and made an examination of the tannery and river at that point, and beg leave to make the following report:

First, the tannery is now owned and operated by the E-▬▬▬▬ T—-Co.

Second, The tannery has been laying idle for about two years with the vats filled with old liquor, this liquor is being discharged into the creek, which is located within 450 yards of the tannery.

There is a ditch dug from the tannery to the creek, which carries this refuse matter. The tannery itself is in a good sanitary condition, as much so as any other tannery that is operated in this section of the State, but the old liquors which are being discharged into the stream are very offensive. The water of the creek is colored by this discharge as black as ink from Mann's Choice to Bedford, a distance of about seven miles. The fish have been killed along the stream for several miles from the point where the discharge enters the creek. Farmers say their stock will not drink the water. At several points along the stream I noticed dead fish that were decomposing.

Third, The water from this stream is used at Bedford for drinking purposes in dry seasons, and is offensive to sight and smell, and I have no doubt prejudicial to health. I would suggest the following steps to abate this nuisance.

The tannery is situated over a gravel bottom, 450 yards from the stream. The people should be directed to remove the soil from two dams on their ground, near their tannery down to the gravel bottom, and then discharge all liquors into these dams, where, I think it will no doubt soak away into the earth. There should be two constructed, so that in case one should fill up or overflow, the other could be used. These reservoirs can be made very cheaply, as there are only a conple feet of ground over the creek gravel at the point where they are to be constructed, and the ground can be easily scooped out.

Their representative at Mann's Choice, Mr. H. B. B————, showed me every kindness and said he had no doubt that the company would be willing to carry out any suggestions that the Board of Health

might make. I therefore recommend that you notify them at once to stop emptying any refuse matter into the stream, and that the res ervoirs suggested be at once constructed.

I enclose you a sample of the water taken some distance below where the refuse matter discharges into the creek.

43-INSPECTION AT MT. CARMEL, NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

By A. C. CLARK, Medical Inspector, on account of defective sewerage.

Sunbury, Pa., August 19, 1895.

Benjamin Lee, M. D., Secretary State Board of Health:

Dear Sir: In compliance with your directions of the 10th inst., and at the request of the board of health of Mt. Carmel, of August 14, 1895, I visited said borough and inspected the streams and cess pools complained of, in regard to which I report as follows, viz:

At the west side of Maple street, on an alley, between Fourth and Fifth street, I found an open stream, into which two streams emptied which were covered to that point, one of which passed through the city five squares to this point, and the other one and a half squares, both of which are used for drainage of all kinds, closets, cess-pools, kitchens, etc., and when it comes to the surface at the point named is impregnated by noxious gases extremely offensive, and is the cause of the complaint made. This open stream continues through said borough four squares, or about one-third of a mile, which is inhabited on both sides of the stream. While passing through this neighborhood I observed three houses with cards upon them which were quarantined on account of contagious diseases, two of scarlet and one of typhoid fever. I do not hesitate to report that this open stream from the west side of Maple street to the borough limits (and beyond) is a public nuisance, and has a tendency to endanger and be prejudicial to the public health, and should be abated. The secretary of the board of health of said borough informed me there were ten cases of typhoid and two of scarlet fever at this time.

44-INSPECTION AT MONTOURSVILLE, LYCOMING COUNTY.

By AUG. RICHTER, Medical Inspector, on account of offensive slaughter

house.

September 2, 1895.

To Benjamin Lee, M. D., Secretary State Board of Health:

Dear Sir: By request of the Montoursville board of health, and in company with two members of said board, viz: Mr. David Updegraff, secretary, and Mr. Peter Marsh, health officer, I inspected, Thursday afternoon, August 29th, the large slaughter house of Mr. JP-——, in Montoursville, three miles below Williamsport. This gentleman is a successful butcher, and kills per week from 120 to 140 hogs, with from eight to ten steers. He also handles a great quantity of salt ham, prepares and smokes them and sells about 3,000 pounds per week, stating that last year (1894) he sold 21,000 pounds per week. The plant was not in bad condition, but the great drawback to the establishment is the unfavorable location and the want of sewer accommodation. Having a public school and private residences surrounding the estate. My advice was to keep the place perfectly clean and lime thoroughly after each killing and look for a better locality, more suitable for his business.

Mr. David Updegraff, secretary, wished me to make water examinations throughout the place, stating that the people feared their wells might be infested from the slaughter house sinkholes. The subsoil of the place is a large and very coarse gravel, and not having any sewers in the borough, their own privy pits and sinkholes must pollute their wells. I advised them to take the hydrant water, which is taken from a mountain spring, and is very pure and of exquisite quality.

45-INSPECTION AT VENICE, WASHINGTON COUNTY.

By C. B. WOODS, Medical Inspector, on account of Typhoid Fever.

To the Secretary of the State Board of Health:

September 3, 1895.

Sir: I have the honor to report that in compliance with instructions received from you September 2, 1895, I visited Venice on September 3d, and found the following conditions to exist:

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