MORRISVILLE, VT., Jan. 3, 1895. Dr. J. H. Hamilton. My Dear Doctor-There are two milkmen who supply nearly every family in our village with milk, and it has seemed to me that their herds ought to be inspected. There has been no sickness which you could trace to their using the milk, and in fact we have had but very little sickness in town for the past year, but we can not tell what may break out among us at any time. Can you tell me how to proceed to have this done, or does it not come under my province as health officer to look into the matter? Very truly yours, C. C. RUBLEE. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, SECRETARY'S OFFICE, C. C. Rublee, M. D., Health Officer. Dear Doctor-In reply to yours just received, I would say that if you have good reason to believe that the milk product is from diseased cows, you can stop the use of it until the test is made. You cannot enforce the tuberculine test. See Sec. 1, No. 102, late acts. I hope all health authorities will take active measures against the spread of tuberculosis. Dear Doctor-The village supply of ice in this place has heretofore been taken out of the mill pond, into which drains from several dwellings empty. I have caused the iceman to put into the hands of every customer a printed card signed by myself as health officer, stating that the ice is unfit to be used in drinking water or to come in contact with any kind of food, etc., etc. Nevertheless, we have had several cases of typhoid fever in this village during the past fall, three of which are directly traceable tro the ice used in lemonade at the shoe shop during the summer months. People will drink the water with this ice in it, in spite of my notices, etc. Now then, the question is, shall I allow the iceman to fill his ice house from this source as heretofore, givin his customers the card as before and let them take their chances i f they drink it? He is anxious to know what to do, and a reply from you to this by telegram as soon as you receive it will be grate R mea fully received. Wire at my expense if you like. I am in haste on account of the necessity of the pond being scraped of snow preparatory to freezing. There is no other source of ice supply available at present for a public ice house. My opinion is that he ought not to be allowed to furnish ice laden with disease germs, as this doubtless is. Truly, L. M. GREENE. L. M. Greene, Health Officer. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, RICHFORD, VT., Jan. 13, 1895. Dear Doctor-Your favor of the 11th inst. received. In reply I will say that I would advise you to prohibit the use of the ice from the mill pond. 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 special meeting held at Harrisburg, January 12, 1895: (Signed) Very respectfully, BENJAMIN LEE, M. D., Secretary and Executive Officer. Whereas, There has been for several months past a more than usual prevalence of small pox in many cities of the United States, and among them the city of Philadelphia, and, Whereas, Said disease has recently found its way from the city of Philadelphia to three different points in this state contiguous to this city, therefore, Resolved, That, while in the opinion of this board, the energetic measures employed by the Philadelphia board of health, in providing for and urging general vaccination and enforcing the rigid iso lation of all cases, will, if seconded by the intelligent and ready co-operation of the citizens, prevent the disease from becoming epidemic. Nevertheless, For the absolute protection of communities adjacent to or liable to constant intercommunication with the city, this board recommends and strongly urges upon the health authorities of all such communities and also upon all heads of families, a general and prompt resort to vaccination and re-vaccination. TENNESSEE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, J. H. Hamilton, Secretary of the State Board of Health, Richford, Sir-I am instructed by the state board of health of the state of Tennessee, to transmit to your honorable body a copy of the following resolution, adopted at a regular meeting held at Nashville, January 8 and 9, 1895. 66 Very respectfully, J. BERRIEN LINDSLEY, M. D., Resolved, That for the purpose of securing reliability and uniformity in whatever is used, this board do petition the United States marine hospital service, either alone or in co-operation with the animal industry bureau at Washington, D. C., to have prepared antitoxine' for distribution through boards of health, as are now tuberculine and mallein by the bureau of animal industry." Dr. Caverly, Rutland, Vt. VERMONT, Jan. 17, 1895. The Dear Doctor-We have scarlatina of a mild form in town. question naturally arises, what is the best means to prevent the spread of the disease, so far as the attending physician is concerned? I claim the best way is to sponge the head, face and clothing with a solution of corrosive sublimate. The other person says he puts on an old coat and pants and when he leaves the house he rolls them up in a piece of paper and puts them in his sleigh. I claim he carries the germs, and is as liable to transmit them to others as is possible for any one to carry them. How long do you think it best to quarantine a family when only one child has the disease? Please give me your ideas and oblige. Yours fraternally, Answer. January 21, 1895. My Dear Doctor-In answer to your letter of the 17th inst., let me say that the particular method of cleaning up after a visit to a case of scarlatina is sometimes not as important as the thoroughness with which it is done, and I doubt not that both the ways of protecting your other patients suggested in your letter would be all right if done carefully and thoroughly. Widely different practices are in vogue in different places and by different physicians, and it would be difficult to say which is the best under all circumstances. So I should simply say be thorough with some method and adopt the one that commends itself to your own judgment. Fraternally yours, C. S. CAVERLY. J. H. Hamilton. FRANKLIN, VT., Jan. 19, 1895. Dear Doctor-There are no new cases of scarlatina since I wrote you. In mild cases, where they do not peel much, how long_before they can be cleaned up and the placard taken down? Is it possible to properly disinfect a house with the family in it? Yours truly, P. S.-Let me hear from you Monday. J. B. HALL. Dr. J. B. Hall. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, RICHFORD, VT., Jan. 20, 1895. Dear Doctor-The time should be from three to six weeks. Watch each case carefully. You cannot disinfect the house thoroughly while the family remains in it. Sincerely, J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 27, 1895. Dr. J. H. Hamilton, Secretary State Board of Health. } Dear Doctor-At the national conference of state boards of health held at Washington, D. C., Dec. 13, 1894, the following resolution was introduced by this board and unanimously adopted: Whereas, The increasing pollution of bodies of water contiguous to cities and towns has become a menace to the health of communities of such gravity and extent that it is a question of national importance; therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of this conference that the whole subject of the contamination of such lakes and streams as are the source of water supply to more than one state should be investigated by a commission created by act of congress, and that the conclusions reached, together with suggestions for legal remedy and control, should be published from time to time for the information of interested communities. A bill to create a commission with duties in the line of this expression of a national sanitary need was introduced in the house (H. R. 8481) Jan. 12, 1895, by the Hon. Richard Bartholdt of Missouri. You are respectfully urged to call the attention of the senators and congressmen of your state to the bill and urge their co-operation in securing its passage, if possible, during the present session of congress. J. H. Hamilton, M. D., Secretary State Board of Health, Richford, Vermont. Dear Sir-You will confer a favor by informing me at your earliest convenience of the standing of "The Vermont Medical College" of Rutland. Very respectfully, WM. C. WOODWARD, M. D., Health Officer. |