the labors of Jenner, and said that it was difficult for us to realize what smallpox was in this country before the time of Jenner. When it did not kill it was followed by the most distressing conditions, such as blindness, deafness, deformity, and generally impaired health. In fact, it was the most destructive of all pestilences because of its universal prevalence in every part of the world among all classes and ages, and in all seasons. Vaccination had been an inestimable blessing to mankind. But, notwithstanding the convincing proofs of the protective power of vaccination, and practically the unanimous verdict of the medical profession in its favor, notwithstanding the authoritative judgment of several Royal Commissions on its utility, and legislative sanction in addition, vaccination had hitherto been carried out in a hesitating and incomplete manner in this country. This one sure safeguard against a loathsome disease had been neglected, evaded, and performed in a perfunctory way, so that there was always remaining among them a mass of susceptible material. After quoting numerous statistics showing the advantage of vaccination, the lecturer said that in Chester they appeared to have very healthy conditions, and were fortunate in having such a controlling body of public health administration as the Council. They were certainly more fortunate than many cities he was acquainted with, and he was happy to see that so many members of his own profession took such an active interest in the public health of the community. He especially praised the work of the ex-Mayor (Dr. Roberts). After dealing with the cause and treatment of diphtheria, and showing the micro-organisms connected with malarial fever, the lecturer, in conclusion, threw out the suggestion that the Council should obtain the services of a woman inspector, and pointed out the great advantage this would be, and how it would tend to the welfare of the poorer inhabitants of the city. (Applause.)

A vote of thanks to the lecturer, proposed by the Mayor, and seconded by Dr. Roberts, closed the meeting.

The lecture was beautifully illustrated with many interesting lantern slides, shown by a powerful electric lantern.—“The Sanitary Record," November 26, 1903.

SOME THOUGHTS ON MARKET HYGIENE.

BY DR. HARVEY B. BASHORE.

Anyone who has seen the great markets on the East Side of New York, or the Italian market at Mulberry Bend, must be struck by the unsanitary condition of the food offered for saleit looks filthy, and it is filthy; but the condition between these markets and the markets where we procure our own eatables differs only in degree: to be more definite, it is a question whether all our markets and food stores are not a little behind in their sanitary conditions.

We all want pure air, pure water and pure food. This is our twentieth century birthright. Pure air and pure water have been studied a good deal, and much is known about them; but the food question is made up of so many various items, and so many different conditions enter into it, that it is not so simple as might be desired.

The exposure of food, on the one hand, to the dirt and dust of the street-a common condition-is certainly undesirable: take, for example, bread, which is neither washed nor again cooked before again appearing on the table. Bread is almost universally delivered in a more or less open condition and sold so in the markets, and I should just like to see the bacterial growth which could be cultivated on one square inch of its surface, when it finally reaches the consumer.

I know of one firm in Philadelphia, and I suppose there are many, which ship their bread by express in open crates a hundred miles or so, and then redistribute it by trolley to suburban places -very good bread it is, they say-but it must be very filthy.

I know of another baker who did quite differently: he arranged his market stand with white enameled fixtures; had clerks dressed in white duck, and everything else was pervaded with an air of cleanliness. This stand was the admiration of every one who saw it, and though the bread was probably no better than his neighbors', it looked nice and clean, and that baker is now on the road to fortune. So it seems that people in this particular place and for this particular product preferred to pay for cleanliness; it is the same elsewhere.

The oyster and the fish departments need a complete revision:

oyster shells should certainly be cleaned before opening, for though the mud and dirt clinging to a shell may not contain many germs, we do not care to have it served on the table. The hands of the opener should, above everything else, be clean; nobody cares to have the liquor from the opened oyster drip over the dirty hands of the opener, and there is more in this than mere fancy, for filthy hands certainly carry myriads of disease germs. If the man wore rubber gloves and had on a clean white apron I believe the oysters would taste better-they would certainly be cleaner and I believe a fortune awaits the man who can open oysters and still look clean and be clean. And now a word about the fish. We all admire fish in the water, but somehow the fish in the water does not seem the same you see at market. White porcelain-lined trays with water connection, so that they can be flushed frequently-with the addition of ice in hot weather— would add greatly to solving the fish market question: a place where no one likes to go, and generally don't go unless business calls that way.

In regard to vegetables we can probably tolerate a little carelessness, for vegetables are almost always so thoroughly cooked as to destroy all dangerous dirt; still, some vegetables, such as lettuce and the early spring greens, are not cooked before eating, and it is possible that disease might be transmitted in this way.

The fruit department, berries, cherries, etc., comes in for a fair share of criticism, for fruits are not often thoroughly washed before serving, and certainly gather much dirt when exposed in public places. The little fruit flies, which feed on fruit, have been known to carry typhoid germs on their feet, can go through the finest mesh of a wire screen, so that nothing but complete covering in glass cases is sufficient protection for fruit.

The California fruit which the "push-cart" men sell on the street corners in New York looks nice, but would any thoughtful person eat of it, after such daily dust exposure? Dr. Bell has called attention to the fact that the intestinal diseases frequently attributed to fresh, and presumably wholesome fruit and vegetables, are due to this dust exposure, and I believe he is right.

The marketing of meat, though not performed in the best sanitary way, probably carries with it little danger to health on account of the thorough cooking it undergoes before eating; yet, white-enameled racks, porcelain trays, glass cases and bright tools would at least seem cleaner, and be more inviting to the

consumer.

THE PREVENTION OF PNEUMONIA.

The intention of this article is not to deal with drugs which are to be used for the prevention of pneumonia, because, so far as we know, no such drugs exist. It is, however, important that every physician should recognize that croupous pneumonia is an acute infectious disease, and that as such we should take all possible measures to prevent its spread. There is reason to believe that persons who because of moderate vitality are prone to infection by the pneumococcus may very readily become ill if exposed to this organism. Several times within the last few years we have been impressed with the carelessness of physicians in regard to the possibility of infection by this germ. We have repeatedly seen patients, ill with pneumonia and influenza in hotels, cough violently, and unintentionally expel upon the blanket which covered them tiny particles of sputum which were literally recking with pneumococci or with the specific micro-organism of epidemic influenza. While the proprietors of these hotels doubtless took care that the bed linen was carefully washed after being used by such patients, in the majority of instances they certainly were not instructed that the blankets were sources of dangerous infection, and doubtless other persons, many of whom were in impaired health, who have slept under these blankets have become infected by pneumonia, and have wondered where they have acquired the disease. Again and again we have seen the carpet exposed to similar chances of infection, and it is by no means uncommon to see a patient rest the surgical gauze, into which he has expectorated, upon the blanket which is in front of him.

While most physicians insist that patients with tuberculosis shall expectorate into spit-cups or cloths which either contain antiseptics or which are at once disinfected, they are far too frequently lax as to the orders which are given for similar treatment of the expectorated material in croupous pneumonia. While we have no way of destroying the pneumococcus when surrounded by some of the conditions which seem favorable to its existence, it is certainly the duty of the physician, not only for the sake of his patients, but also for his own benefit, to see to it that the myriads of cocci cast off by a patient with pneumonia are destroyed before it is possible for them to do further damage by infecting other persons."Therapeutic Gazette," Feb. 15, 1904.

THE NEW TEXAS SANITARY LAW.

DISINFECTION OF RAILWAY COACHES, PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND

SLEEPING CARS.

The State Health Officer of Texas has just formulated ("Texas Medical Journal," January, 1904) the rules and regulations to govern the disinfection of sleeping cars and public buildings, as required by the law passed by the last Legislature. The law became operative in July last, but because of his duties as SurgeonGeneral of Texas before, during and since the encampment of the Texas National Guard (the Texas Militia) and the responsible, onerous and long-enduring work in the management of two yellow fever epidemics, and other duties of his office, Dr. Tabor really has not had time, nor has he the adequate assistance, to give this matter the attention its importance demands. These rules will be at once and rigidly enforced. They will be supplemented and amplified from time to time as the necessity for same becomes evident. Dr. Tabor will call a meeting in Austin of all county and city health officers some time in February, for a further conference as to details necessary to make this law effective. By "public buildings" is meant public schools, hospitals, jails, court houses, etc., but whether it means hotels or not, is yet to be decided by the Attorney-General.

Disinfection of Public Buildings, Railway Coaches and Sleeping

Cars.

An Act requiring the disinfection of public buildings, railway coaches and sleepings cars, and providing a penalty for the violation thereof, and declaring an emergency.

SECTION I. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: That it shall be the duty of the State Health Officer of Texas, and he is hereby authorized and empowered to prepare rules and regulations governing the proper disinfection and sanitation of public buildings and all railway coaches and sleeping cars operated in the State of Texas.

SEC. 2. It shall be his duty and he is hereby authorized and empowered to prescribe a sanitary code, which shall contain and provide rules and regulations of a general nature for the improve