mit, from village cemetery to Roman Catholic grounds. Shall I prosecute? Yours truly, H. L. STILLSON, Health Officer. Fix the permit if you can. Mr. Kroning is quite anxious to get the family together, as it was his deceased father's dying request. J. H. Hamilton, Secretary. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, Dear Doctor-I am at home again after an absence of seven weeks, and am wondering what is going on in the state in our line. The enclosed letters from Stillson I have answered, telling him he could have the bodies removed if he would personally superintend it and have each box wrapped in a sheet saturated in a strong bichloride solution and the whole job done quickly and with no spectators whatever. Very truly, C. S. CAVERLY, President. THE GEE SEWER IN BRANDON. [The following paper was sent to the state board by the party opposing Dr. Gee in his endeavors to discharge his sewer into the brook.] BRANDON, May 10, 1895. We, the undersigned, have lived in the Keeler and Backus house. We have been obliged to resort to the brook for water for domestic purposes, or use, on account of scarcity of water in wells. ROBERT HASSETT, F. M. KEELER, A. H. KIMBERLY, C. W. BACKUS, STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, MY DEAR DR. PECK-In regard to the matter of the sewer question in Brandon, it was fully presented to the state board at a meeting holden at Rutland on June 6. After reviewing all the circumstances and conditions as presented, the secretary was directed to report to the local board of health that the state board do not deem it advisable to permit the discharge of the Gee sewer into the brook, and that the cesspool be so far removed as not to endanger the water supply. Respectfully, J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. HARDWICK, VT., July 9, 1895. J. H. Hamilton, M. D. Dear Doctor-Has the health officer any power to act independent of the trustees of a village? In case he has ordered a party to abate a nuisance, must he be governed by their decision should they decide against him and in favor of the party maintaining the nuisance? Please answer by return mail and oblige, DR. S. E. DARLING. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, S. E. Darling, M. D., Health Officer. Dear Doctor-Your favor of the 9th inst. received. I will say in reply that a majority of the local board should govern their action. However, should they refuse to act they can, by a writ of mandamus, be compelled to show cause why they do not perform their duties. Mr. J. H. Hamilton. Very truly, J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. LUDLOW, Vr., Aug. 6, 1895. Dear Sir-In regard to your official call at Ludlow last week, I have been given to understand that you have condemned my work by the wholesale and I have lost some work on that account. Now then, Mr. Hamilton, I have had 22 years experience in the plumb ing and heating business, and had thought myself capable of setting a house-trap, but according to your conviction I am not, but we will leave that to be seen. Now, Mr. Hamilton, I have had to-day a gentleman from Burlington, Vt., that I served my time with, who has had 35 or 40 years experience in the plumbing business, in company with W. W. Stickney and our local health officer, Dr. Lane, examine that trap that you ordered taken out and they as well as I, have failed to find any error in the laying out of or doing of that work, or, in fact, any work I have done in this town. Now, Mr. Hamilton, if you will be so kind as to explain what the trouble was with that trap, I will be greatly obliged to you; and as I am not a man that pretends to know it all, there is a chance left for improvements. But it does seem too bad to think that my native state should appoint officers to throw down a law-abiding little business that I have worked so hard late and early to get to this point, without any cause. Now, Mr. Hamilton, a word of explanation will have a tendency to create better feelings between you and myself, and will go a great way towards preventing further expense to either, as I respectfully remain Yours, STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, Dear Sir-Your favor of the 6th inst. received and contents noted. I will say in reply, if regulations are followed (which are based upon plans and specifications of Wm. Paul Gerhard, one of the best sanitary engineers on the continent), the responsibility will rest wholly with our board, and not with the plumber and no one's business will be injured thereby. Respectfully yours, J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. You will kindly call upon Dr. Lane for explanation. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, Geo. E. Lane, M. D., Health Officer. this morning says Dear Doctor-A letter from that you see no objections to the trap in a plan of his plumbing work. I think it must be in Mr. Dent's house. I suppose the trap he refers to is the one in the Y connection of the water closet. I wish to repeat what I said to you when inspecting this workthat this trap is not only useless, but is a nuisance of itself-useless because the closet is trapped near the outlet-a nuisance because the water seal in the trap must be composed of fecal matter, etc., more or less, from the closet. The distance from the trap to the closet and the pipe of such size as to allow of a large collection of gas in this pipe and regurgitation through the closet trap. You may say this pipe is ventilated into the chimney. This should not be permitted; it is all right, however, for the local vent. I wish to know what is the objection to allowing the discharges from this closet passing directly out to the next soil pipe trap, where it stands a chance of being washed away by discharges from other sources-bath-tub, wash-basin, sinks, etc. Another fault is with the elbow trap near the soil pipe. I care not what any man says, there is danger of siphonage in this arrangement, besides these traps are too far from the outlet. Should another trap be used as is the case in one line of pipethe S trap-it allows of too much space of dead air, between the S trap and the elbow. Hoping I have been able to make myself understood, I am, Very truly yours, J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary. Annual Reports of Health Officers. ADDISON COUNTY. BRIDPORT, VT., Aug. 31, 1895. J. H. Hamilton, M. D., Secretary State Board of Health. Dear Sir-During the year ending August 31, this town has been very free from all contagious diseases-only a few cases of whooping cough, and these occurring in the summer gave but little trouble. The sanitary condition of the town is very good and there is an appreciative good feeling among the people toward the local and state board of health. Respectfully, E. G. BLAISDELL, Health Officer. J. H. Hamilton, M. D. VERGENNES, Vт., Aug. 28, 1895. Dear Doctor-As health officer for the town of Ferrisburgh, I will say that with the exception of an epidemic of scarlatina during August and September of last year, the town has been very free from contagious diseases. I understand the scarlatina was brought here from the northern part of the state. There were about thirty cases in all, with three deaths. This epidemic was nearly over before I received the appointment as health officer, and since then there have been but three cases. There have been no other contagious diseases reported. Yours respectfully, FRANK C. PHELPS, M. D., Health Officer. |