to be the act, omission or failure of such corporation, company, society, or association, as well as that of the person.

SEC. 13. That this act shall be in force and effect from and afterthe 1st day of January, 1907.

[The enactment of the foregoing law will do much towards solv ing the pure food, drug and drink problem of the United States, and have a marked tendency toward bringing about a uniformity of pure-food laws, rules, and regulations. It should be noted, however, that the manufacture and sale of food products and drinks within the state where manufactured is not touched by this law; therefore the necessity still exists for stringent food laws and careful food inspection and analyses by the respective states. It is hoped that our next legislature will so amend the food laws of Kansas as to be in conformity with the federal laws.-SEC.]

Kansas Campaign against Tuberculosis.

At the annual meeting of the State Board of Health, in June, it was determined to collect a census of all tubercular cases in Kansas as a preliminary step in the campaign against the "great white plague." In accordance with this order, the secretary prepared the following letter and blank, which will be mailed to every physician in the state, with the request that all cases under his treatment or observation be reported direct to the office of the secretary:

SEPTEMBER 1, 1906.

DEAR DOCTOR - At the annual meeting, in June, the State Board of Health ordered the secretary to undertake a census of all tubercular cases in Kansas. It is thought that such a tabulation of cases will be productive of good in the general campaign now on against this dread disease, and furnish data for an intelligent understanding of the scope of the work to be accomplished and specific information for direct and personal application of proposed methods.

The scope and methods may be briefly outlined as follows: First-Every physician in the state will receive a copy of this letter, with enclosed blanks, with the request that each case of tuberculosis under his treatment, or within his knowledge and not under the care of any physician, be reported, filling in the data called for as completely as possible. Second-That all suspected cases be thoroughly examined, using the state laboratory, if desired, for the examination of sputum. Such examination will be free of charge. Mailing-tubes can be had at repositories for that purpose. Third -A list of the names and addresses of all those dying from pulmonary tuberculosis during the past year will be mailed to each county and municipal health officer, with the request to make inquiry and inspection as to whether or not the proper sanitary precautions were taken after the termination of each case, such as fumigation, etc.

It is proposed then to put into the hands of each case reported, including suspected cases, and in each family where a fatal case has occurred during the past year, a pamphlet containing information along the lines of prevention and hygiene. This pamphlet will be compiled largely after the one just issued by the United States government by a committee of three appointed by the president, and which included the surgeons-general of the army, navy, and marine-hospital service.

It is to be understood that the information obtained is to be used only in the manner above indicated. Physicians who for any reason desire the pamphlets withheld, or any who would prefer to review them before giving them in person to patients, will please so indicate, and such instructions will be scrupulously observed.

May we not have your hearty cooperation in this first organized effort by Kansas in the fight against the "great white plague"? Surely it is worth the little of your time that it will take. It is confidently hoped that, with the definite location of the points of infection, both of persons and places, which will enable us to apply appropriate preventive measures, and the early diagnosis of incipient cases by a careful examination of all suspects by yourself, much immediate good may be done and a forward step be taken along the lines of prevention, which must be the final solution of this great problem.

Stamped envelope enclosed for returns, which should be made at the earliest possible date. Very truly yours,

It is hoped that physicians will consider it their patriotic duty to lend their hearty support and cooperation in this movement, as it rests entirely with the members of the profession as to whether or not the methods herein suggested will prove a success. Aside from valuable data to be used in preventive measures, it will also furnish convincing proof to the members of our next legislature of the need of a tuberculosis sanatorium for incipient cases. The statistics for 1905 show that approximately 1000 deaths were occasioned from tuberculosis in that year, which, multiplied by four (which is the general rule for ascertaining the number of cases),

would give us 4000 cases in Kansas at the present time. This is surely a momentous problem and worthy of engaging the serious attention of every professional man and every legislator in our great and wealthy state. Surely no physician will refuse to send in the necessary information asked for. It is suggested that those who have no cases to report will so indicate by marking a blank and sending in, that we may know the request has not been ignored.

Pyrofume.

Reports to the Surgeon-general, Public Health and Marine Hospital Service.
EXPERIMENTS WITH PYROFUME FOR MOSQUITO DESTRUCTION.

Passed Assistant Surgeon Francis, Mobile, Ala., reports, June 5, as follows:

Pyrofume was discovered by Dr. J. H. McCormick, of Mobile, and it was at his suggestion and with his cooperation that the following experiments were performed.

Pyrofume is derived by fractional distillation from pine wood, as a by-product in the manufacture of turpentine, etc. It is a clear liquid, of a straw color; it has a pungent taste and an odor of pine woods. It is harmless to mucous membranes, skin, fabrics, colors, polished metals, and paint work. When heated in a test-tube to a temperature of 60 deg. C. (140 deg. F.), a lighted match will cause a flash at the mouth of the tube. If a lighted match be applied for a few seconds to the surface of an open basin containing pyrofume the liquid takes fire.

If pyrofume be boiled in an open basin the fumes will be given off in a limited amount, but if a current of air be directed on the surface of the boiling liquid the fumes rise in a cloud. If a flame be brought into the fumes within a few inches of the surface of the liquid the fumes ignite, and the entire surface of the liquid burns with a vigorous blaze, which can be extinguished instantly by dropping a lid or a single layer of cloth over the basin.

Since the fumes as they come off the liquid can be ignited, the question arises whether there is danger from carrying a flame into a room full of fumes. In order to decide this question, a room of 250 cubic feet capacity was charged with the fumes from four times the liquid necessary to kill mosquitoes. A lighted candle was then introduced into the room through a small opening. The fumes did not ignite. The experiment was repeated with ten times. and twenty times the amount necessary to kill mosquitoes and the fumes did not take fire.

The fumes are deadly to Stegomyia fasciata and Culex pungens. After considerable experimentation on different methods of generation of the fumes, it was finally decided that the best results were obtained by an apparatus consisting of a cylindrical upright retort, six inches in diameter and twenty-four inches in height, under which is placed a primus lamp. At the upper end of the retort are an inlet tube and an outlet tube. The outlet tube is three inches in diameter and its free end is introduced into the room to be fumigated. The inlet tube is three inches in diameter and is attached to a hand blower.

The amount of pyrofume necessary for the cubic contents of the room is put into the retort, the primus lamp is placed beneath it, and the blower is started, blowing the fumes from the surface of the liquid through the outlet tube, which is passed beneath a window-sash, or through the crack of a door or a hole in a curtain, and so into the room.

Mosquitoes placed in a room containing the fumes from 265 cubic centimeters of pyrofume per 1000 cubic feet of air space will be killed after one hour. The time of exposure may be diminished one-half by increasing the amount of pyrofume. The time necessary to generate the fumes is very short. A room with a capacity of 5000 cubic feet can be filled with fumes in five minutes. A room of 53,000 cubic feet capacity was filled with fumes in forty-five minutes. With the apparatus in use, the time required to generate the fumes necessary to kill the mosquitoes in a room is one minute per 1000 cubic feet of space.

When the fumes are being introduced into a room they are more dense at the ceiling than at the floor, but in a few minutes the diffusion is equal.

The room of 53,000 cubic feet, above referred to, had a ceiling twenty-six feet in height. Mosquitoes placed on the floor and near the ceiling were found dead at the end of one hour's exposure to the fumes.

Polished silver, brass, copper, steel, nickel, wrought iron, cast iron, a great variety of colored fabrics, polished mahogany and oak and varnished and white painted work were exposed to double the fumes twice the time necessary to kill mosquitoes, namely, to the fumes of 530 cubic centimeters of pyrofume per 1000 cubic feet of air space for two hours. All were unaltered. The same articles were exposed to the same treatment the day following and remained unchanged.

Bananas in all stages, from ripe to very green, were exposed to

the fumes necessary to kill mosquitoes, namely, to the fumes from 265 cubic centimeters of pyrofume, for one hour. The fruit was unharmed and was kept under observation for one week; it was not discolored, altered in taste, checked in ripening, or changed in any way. Bananas in all stages of ripeness were exposed to double the fumes twice the time necessary to kill mosquitoes, and all the fruit was discolored.

The cost of pyrofume is seventy-five cents per gallon. Two hundred sixty-five cubic centimeters per 1000 cubic feet of air space are required. This brings the price of material to five cents per 1000 cubic feet.

SUMMARY.

1. As compared with sulfur, pyrofume stands on an equal footing in price.

2. Whereas the federal regulations require two hours' exposure to sulfur, pyrofume is efficient against mosquitoes in one hour.

3. While sulfur is injurious to metals, fabrics, paint, and colors, pyrofume leaves them unchanged.

4. Pyrofume is suitable for fumigating the engine-rooms and cabins of ships, and for cars and fine residences.

5. In amounts necessary to kill mosquitoes it does not injure bananas.

6. A person can walk about in a room full of fumes, and can sleep without discomfort in a room two hours after fumigation. 7. It requires only five minutes to fumigate a large room of 5000 cubic feet.

8. The fumes are generated outside the room and conducted into it.

Cleanliness Should be Taught in Schools.

The following admirable report of the Massachusetts Association of Boards of Health should come to the notice of every schoolteacher and parent in the state of Kansas, as the suggestions therein contained are of vital importance not only in the prevention of disease, but in the inculcation of cleanliness and correct habits. Something more should be taught in the schools than arithmetic, reading, etc., and just so soon as the school-teachers and boards of education are alive to the vital importance of the suggestions set forth in this article, just so soon will the prevalence of contagious and infectious diseases be reduced to a minimum, and much sickness and suffering prevented and many lives saved. It is suggested