TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISING SURGEON-GENERAL, MARINE HOSPITAL SERVICE, Dr. J. H. Hamilton, Secretary State Board of Health, Richford, Vermont. Dear Doctor-I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th ultimo, and to thank you for your promise to send a report from the health officer relative to the small pox cases in Pomfret. I wish to thank you personally for the finely gotten up report of the board of health just received. I am convinced that the board is instrumental in crushing out much of the diseases that have decimated our state in years past. I expect to live to see still greater progress, and when physicians will advise and prevent disease instead of trying to cure. God speed the day when science shall predominate over superstition and ignorance, and the medical man be paid for advice instead of drugs. Our community is quite free from malignant diseases. With assurance of high personal respect, I am Very sincerely yours, J. H. JONES. UNDERHILL, VT., Nov. 26, 1894. Dr. J. H. Hamilton, Secretary State Board of Health. My Dear Sir-During the fall, and up to the present time we have been having an epidemic of a mild type of fever, which can be best described as of a bilious remittent character, and it has prevailed in both Underhill and Jericho. Some cases have presented distinct typhoid symptoms, but there has been only one case, as far as known, of genuine typhoid fever, and that was fatal. Most of these cases have been my own patients, though I learn of a few under the care of other physicians, who do not, however, consider them of sufficient importance to report to me. Four of these cases are directly traceable to an opened drain of which I knew nothing until called to attend one of the family. The four cases followed each other, each occupying a period of three weeks. Proper quarantine regulations were observed, and thorough antiseptics employed. No cases of this character have died and in no case (except four mentioned) have I been able to trace the case to any particular source of infection. Respectfully yours, W. S. NAY, M. D., Health Officer for Underhill and Jericho. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, W. S. Nay, M. D., Health Officer. Dear Doctor-Yours, reporting cases of fever, received. I will ask you to investigate and report the source of water supply of all families suffering from the disease. Very truly, J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. J. H. Hamilton, M. D. BETHEL, VT., Nov. 26, 1894. Dear Doctor-In the regulations of the state board of health, the keeping of pigs or hogs in slaughter houses and feeding them. therein upon the offal is prohibited. Is this regulation carried out to any extent throughout the state? There is a very filthy dung pit, offal pit and hog pen, all combined beneath a slaughter house in this village. It is the most filthy place I ever saw. I have notified the owner of the house that he must furnish room for the hogs to get out of the filth on to dry ground or floor, or an order would be issued to have him close up the business there. I do not think he has a license to operate a slaughter house in that place at all. It is well enough barring the keeping and feeding hogs in such a hole of filth. I write to ask if it is the rule to enforce the regulation referred to, and for such advice as you may please to give. Very sincerely yours, L. M. GREENE, M. D., Health Officer. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, L. M. Greene, M. D., Health Officer. } My Dear Doctor-Your favor of the 26th inst. received. will say in reply that the regulation referred to is not carried out. However, I believe it should be rigidly enforced. Very truly yours, J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. ST. ALBANS, Vr., Nov. 30, 1894. Dr. J. H. Hamilton, Richford, Vt. I Dear Doctor-I write you in regard to the cases of diphtheria which I have in Fairfield. They are in the house of Mr. Homer Farrand, about one mile west of Fairfield Center, on the road to St. Albans. It was carried by a nephew who went from here and was taken down there. The physician in attendance called it sore throat, and in the start no precautions were taken. The first time I went over I found Mrs. Farrand, a girl of eleven, another of seven, another of three and the boy of six, all sick. The girl of seven and mother were worst. I procured a capable nurse and the cases are all living at this date. Three have developed some paralysis. They have occupied two rooms-the principal living room of the house and a chamber adjoining. As things had progressed so far, I moved nothing out. Now I wish you would give me "" orders as to disinfection and as to what should be destroyed. The first selectman came to see me and he agreed to this. There were carpets on floors, organ, books, etc., in the rooms. If you will give the orders, I will see them promptly and thoroughly executed. 66 Very truly yours, GEO. B. HYDE. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, SECRETARY'S OFFICE, My Dear Doctor-I am somewhat at a loss to know what to advise in this case. If the carpets are valuable, prolong the period of disinfection for several days, rub the organ with new bread, so as to remove all dust possible, then disinfect with the rest of the articles. Anything that can be boiled can be saved in this way. Destroy that which cannot safely be saved. Very truly, J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, EXECUTIVE OFFICE, J. H. Hamilton, Secretary of the State Board of Health. Sir-I am instructed by the state board of health and vital statistics of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to transmit to your honorable body a copy of the following resolution, adopted at a regular meeting held at Harrisburg, Thursday, November 8, 1894. Very respectfully, (Signed) BENJAMIN LEE, M. D., Whereas, The experience of the state board of health during the past year has convinced it of the existence of a lamentable degree of ignorance on the part of physicians as regards the symptoms of small pox and varioloid, especially in the early stages, resulting in the exposure of large numbers of persons to the infection. Therefore, This board recommends that in all cities having hospitals for contagious diseases, arrangements be made by which medical students may be instructed in the symptoms of such diseases. ་་ THE PROPOSED WATER SUPPLY FOR LYNDONVILLE. LYNDONVILLE, VT., Dec. 31, '94. Dr. J. H. Hamilton, Secretary State Board of Health. Dear Sir--The people of Lyndonville are contemplating putting in the coming summer a water system both for fire and domestic purposes. The plan advocated is to go about three miles west of the village on to high land, dam a brook of moderate size sufficiently to cover two and one-half acres of ground with water, and thus making a reservoir holding 8,000,000 of gallons, giving a supply, probably, sufficient for this village for two months. The land is used as a pasture, and I think has never been cultivated. I have e al les a is serv 1, to tom ould do so opposed this plan on the ground that it is unsafe to flow a large It is v area of land, the supply being moderate, the danger being that the water in time will be loaded with decayed vegetable matter and will become unwholesome and unfit for domestic purposes, for the ter su send I port i reason that the bottom of this artificial pond will be soil and vege- arked. table matter to a greater or less depth. I have cited the case of Springfield, Mass. They took their water from a natural pond. The supply not being equal to the demand they turned another brook into the pond with the result of raising the water and overflowing the surrounding territory to some extent (I don't know how much) and spoiling the water. The water became turbid, had a strong, unwholesome odor and was at the time I saw it the worst water I ever saw for domestic purposes. Water-sellers from the country frequented the streets and had a good trade, a great many families buying their daily supply. I was informed by an intelligent citizen of Springfield, that the trouble was entirely caused by overflowing the land surrounding the pond, at least that was the only known reason. Now am I right, or am I mistaken? Do you think this a safe way to obtain a water supply for domestic purposes? I should be pleased with your opinion as soon as convenient, as we hold our annual village meeting next week Wednesday, and this matter is then to be voted on. I am anxious that the people here make no mistake. If you have any literature on the subject of water supply I would be pleased to have you send it to me by mail or express at my expense, and if you wish I will return it to you as soon as may be. I think that I have been informed that the state board of health of Michigan discusses this matter very fully. Yours very truly, DR. J. W. COPELAND, Health Officer. J. W. Copeland, Health Officer. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, } Dear Doctor-Your letter of recent date received, and in reply I will say that as I understand your statement in regard to the conditions of the proposed water supply for your village, it would prove very unsatisfactory as well as unsafe. Certain months of the year-the autumnal months-the water becomes dark and turbid, the taste and odor very disagreeable, which is attributable to growth and decay of vegetable and animal matter which finds its way into the water supply from the watershed, to say nothing of the storage of the water in a reservoir, the bottom of which will be composed of animal and vegetable matter. could mention an instance of the kind, but do not feel at liberty to do so at this time. It is very important that no mistake be made in furnishing a water supply for domestic use. I send you a Massachusetts report for 1888, containing a short report in relation to the Brockton water supply. See page 6, marked. Sincerely yours, J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. |