STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. L. A. GOLDEN, M. D., President, Kensington (R.)............. Term expires March 28, 1907 H. M. BENTLEY, M. D., Vice-president, Sterling (H.)... 1909 F. O. MARVIN, A. M., Mem. Am. Soc. C. E., Sanitary Adviser, Lawrence. W. J. V. DEACON, Topeka, Statistician. STANDING COMMITTEES. On State-house, Public Buildings, and Charitable Institutions. -Doctors LERRIGO, ALEXANDER and SCOTT and Mr. WELCH. On Water-supplies and Sewage. -Doctors CARVER, LOCKE and BENTLEY, Mr. WELCH, and Professor MARVIN. On Embalmers, Barbers, and Epidemic Diseases. -Doctors CARLILE, MILLS, CRUMBINE and GREENFIEld. On Adulterated Foods, Drugs, and Drinks. -Mr. WELCH, Professor BAILEY, Professor SAYRE, Professor WILLARD, Mr. DEACON, and Doctor CRUM BINE. On Finance. -The President. SECRETARY'S REPORT. TOPEKA, KAN., January 1, 1907. To His Excellency, E. W. Hoch, Governor: SIR-In accordance with that provision of the statute which requires the secretary of the State Board of Health to make biennial reports to you upon the vital statistics and sanitary conditions and prospects of the state, this third biennial report, including the twenty-first and twenty-second annual reports, is herewith respectfully submitted. Up until the past two years the work of this Board has been chiefly concerned in the suppression of contagious and infectious diseases, and a collection of vital statistics. This work has been most admirably done, considering the laws under which the Board has labored, for it must be confessed that the health laws now upon the statute-books confer but little authority upon the health officers other than that of an advisory character, hence it is that many of our suggestions concerning the betterment of sanitary conditions, places and things, are ignored by persons and communities. Notwithstanding our inadequate laws, and their consequent impediment in aggressive and progressive work, we have endeavored to keep abreast of the times in the inauguration of new and constructive work of vital interest to the health of the citizens of this state. PURE FOOD AND DRUGS. One year ago last September the secretary collected the first samples of food and submitted them to the State University chemist for analysis, and thus was inaugurated the Kansas campaign for pure food. On the following January was published in the official organ of the Board, the Bulletin, the analyses of a large number of food products. This received the widest publicity, as it was new work and of a somewhat startling nature to local manufacturers, dealers and consumers. The work of analyzing food, including meat and meat products, has been continued up until the present time, and it must be said to the credit of this Board that before the national law had been passed or the Beveridge meat-inspection bill framed, we had compelled the Kansas packers to provide for the Kansas market products that were free from coloring matter and preservatives. This was brought about without the institution of a single suit; but by persistent hammering and the widest publicity an agreement was reached which was entirely satisfactory to this Board. It must be remembered that these analyses were made without one cent of appropriation for carrying on this work, although the work was done of course by the University and Agricultural College free of expense to this Board. Early last spring samples of drugs were collected for analysis, for the purpose of giving publicity to adulterations along this line, and I believe it has had a most salutary effect. Great good has been accomplished in this campaign, although it cannot entirely rid the state of adulterated food, drugs and drinks. The passage of the national pure-food law, together with the work already done by this Board, emphasizes the necessity of a revision of our own laws, such revision to be along the lines of the new national law, as nearly as our conditions will permit, in order that manufacturers and jobbers may not be hampered by differ ences or restrictions between the national law and the laws of the various states. Such a bill must necessarily carry with it, if it proves efficient, a sufficient appropriation to provide for not less than four inspectors, in addition to the secretary of this Board, who should be chief food and drug inspector. A bill has been prepared to carry out the suggestions above made, and has been submitted to the chancellor of the University and the chemical departments of the University and the Agricultural College, and has met with their approval. The bill provides that the laboratories of these two institutions shall be used for the purpose of analyzing food products. Hence, the expense of the creation of a large and expensive laboratory is saved. I trust this matter may receive special mention in your message to the legislature, as I believe it is of the utmost importance to the life and health of the citizens of this commonwealth. UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. As you are aware, this Board has entered into a tentative agreement with the Geological Survey of the federal government, looking to the sanitary and industrial survey of the natural waters of Kansas. The government has appropriated $1500 a year for that purpose. The agreement entered into provides that the state of Kansas shall appropriate a similar sum, namely, $1500 a year for two years. The details and scope of the work have been planned and actually entered upon at this time, twenty-three stations having been established at as many different places throughout the state where samples of water are being gathered daily from the principal rivers and streams and are sent to Lawrence for chemical analysis, which, as you know, is done free of cost to the contracting parties. Examinations are also being made of the immediate supply of water of cities and towns, including water from open wells and shallow water that is liable to be contaminated by drainage from cess-pools and privy vaults. The constant recurrence and gradual increase of typhoid fever each year for the past few years has been a matter of much concern to this department, and it was by reason of this fact, coupled with a desire to determine the cause of this increase and fatalities, that the federal government was asked to cooperate with us in endeavoring to give us the needed information concerning the water supply of this state. The deaths from typhoid fever, covering a period of the last ten years, have varied from 189 to 397. Assuming that the mortality is ten per cent., there have been, therefore, approximately 4000 cases in this state the past year. This vast amount of sickness and suffering, with approximately 400 deaths annually from a preventable disease, is sufficient to arouse our alarm and apprehension for the future; for with the increased population and the construction of new sewers in towns and villages, which empty their raw sewage into the natural waterways, the condition of such waters is gradually becoming more polluted, hence sickness and death from typoid fever may naturally be expected to increase each succeeding year under our present system. With this knowledge at hand, we are certainly negligent if we do not put forth our best efforts in such provisions for prevention as will reduce and finally eliminate the sources of infection. But this work comprehends more than a merely sanitary and industrial survey of the waterways. Incident thereto, a sanitary survey of each village and city will be made, which information will be kept on file at this office, and placed under the card-index system, which will furnish data of inestimable value in the interpretation of epidemics and of determining or suggesting preventive measures for their suppression. That your memory may be refreshed as to the purposes of the bill, they might be briefly summarized as follows: First, to determine the nature and condition of the natural supplies of the state; second, to determine to what extent the natural waters are being contaminated by sewage from cities; third, to determine to what extent the natural waters are being polluted by industrial wastes, such as come from packing-houses, creameries, smelters, refineries, oil-wells, salt works, etc., and in what way these wastes might be utilized for beneficial purposes. This work has already been taken up in several other states, and thus far has been crowned with great success. In several of the states, where cooperative surveys have been made and where the streams were particularly polluted by industrial wastes, methods of recovery have been used which not only restored the streams to their normal conditions, but put profits in the hands of the manufacturers. It is understood that should the legislature fail to make the necessary appropriation for carrying out this joint work that the agreement is null and void, and that no obligation rests upon the Board or the state of Kansas, either directly or implied. It is hoped that the legislature may make the necessary appropriation to complete this work so auspiciously begun. The information gained by this sanitary survey will not be of very much value to this Board, nor to the citizens of this state, in a sanitary way, unless the scope of the Board's authority in the control of our natural water supplies is very greatly increased. Companies, corporations or municipalities inaugurating public water-works or sewer systems should be required to submit their plans and specifications to this Board before the work could be begun. These plans and specifications, together with a sanitary survey by our expert sanitary engineer, and proper analysis by our analytical chemist of the water proposed to be used, and such restrictions or suggestions made as circumstances might warrant. THE "GREAT WHITE PLAGUE." Pulmonary tuberculosis claimed 960 victims in Kansas in 1905 and 861 in 1906. This is a death-rate in the first instance of 63.7 per 100,000 population of counties reporting, and the latter of 56.7 per 100,000 population of counties reporting. While it is true that many of these deaths were of people who came from other states, seeking the more favorable climatic conditions of altitude, sunshine, and dryness of atmosphere, it cannot be denied that the death-rate of native Kansans has steadily increased the past decade. The statistics from sanatoria for the past five years seem to indicate that from forty to sixty per cent. of tuberculous cases are cured by sanatorium treatment, if received in the incipient stage, and even in a great many of the advanced cases they are restored to health or the disease held in abeyance. These statistics being correct, it would mean the saving of from 350 to 650 lives each year in Kansas by the creation of such an institution for sanatorium treatment. We firmly |