Diphtheria. On one occasion covering one outbreak. Typhus. On one occasion covering one outbreak. Respectfully submitted. BENJAMIN LEE, Secretary. MINUTES OF THE BOARD. Special meeting. Report of Sanitary Convention Committee. Presentation of accounts. Opening exercises laboratory of hygiene. Special Meeting, February 22, 1892. A special meeting of the Board was held at the Executive office, 1532 Pine street, Philadelphia, on February 22, 1892, at 2 p. m. Present Dr. Pemberton Dudley, Dr. Geo. G. Groff, Mr. Howard Murphy, C. E., by proxy, Dr. J. F. Edwards and Dr. Benjamin Lee, secretary. The Secretary stated that Mr. Howard Murphy, C. E., had been called to Shenandoah, Schuylkill county, at the request of the Shenandoah School Board to examine a school building rendered unsafe by undermining in a coal shaft. In the absence of the President, Dr. Groff was called to the chair. On motion, the reading of the minutes was dispensed with. The Secretary presented the report of the Committee on Sanitary Convention. This report proposed a change in the date of the convention from the last week in February to the last week in March. It also contained a preliminary announcement of the convention for publication and distribution. The report was accepted, and the proposals which it contained adopted. Presentation of accounts being the next business in order, the Secretary presented vouchers Nos. 487 to 499 inclusive, covering the amount of nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars and sixty-three cents ($999.63). They were on motion approved. The Secretary then moved that when the Board ad- On motion the Board then adjourned. BENJAMIN LEE, Secretary. Minutes of a Special Meeting of the State Board of Health and Vital Statistics of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Held on the Train between Williamsport and Erie, Mon day, March 28, 1892. Meeting, March 28. A special meeting of the Board was held on the train Minutes of Special between Williamsport and Erie on Monday, March 28, 1892, at 10 a. m. Present Doctors Groff, Davis and Lee and Mr. Howard Murphy. In the absence of the presi dent, Dr. McClelland, still in Europe, Mr. Howard Murphy was called to the chair. Dr. William B. Atkinson, Medical Inspector of the Delaware district was requested to act as assistant secretary. An order of business presented by the Secretary was adopted as the order of the day. The Secretary presented notes from Doctors Dudley and Edwards regretting their unavoidable absence. The Secretary presented the minutes of the Twentieth Regular Meeting, held at Harrisburg, November 12, 1891, and of a special meeting held at the Executive office, Philadelphia, February 22, 1892. On motion of Dr. Groff, the consideration of the minutes was postponed in order to allow the members to read them at their leisure. The Secretary then presented his report which in- Report of Secrecluded the following items. tary. Pleasant. 1. Small pox having been reported at Point Pleasant, small pox at Point Bucks county, on the 15th of November, 1891, Medical Inspector Atkinson was at once dispatched to make an investigation. Under instructions from the Secretary, he placarded the house in which the disease existed, called a public meeting of the residents and with the assistance of Dr. A. M. Cooper, a resident physician, appointed sanitary, quarantine and finance committees. Day and night guards were established, and Dr. A. M. Cooper was commissioned by the Secretary, Deputy Medical Inspector of the Tinicum sub-district, including the townships of Tinicum, Bedminster, Plumstead, Buckingham and Soleberry, with full authority to inspect and enforce quarantine. Dr. Alexander, of the Lancaster county vaccine farm, was notified to send two hundred points of virus to Dr. Cooper and other physicians in the neighborhood. The disease was confined to the first case, an Italian, who had come from Trenton, New Jersey, and an infant in the same house. The authorities of Doylestown were communicated with and recommended to urge the citizens to have vaccination performed. The chairman of the directors of the poor of the county was notified that it was their duty to provide for the necessary expenses of nursing and quarantine, and should new cases occur to have them quarantined in the county pest house. The action of the Secretary in the appointment of a Deputy Inspector was approved, and on motion of Dr. Groff, the letter of instruction was ordered to be spread upon the minutes, as follows: Dr. WILLIAM B. ATKINSON, Medical Inspector, Delaware District: SIR: In making your inspection at Point Pleasant, your first step will be to see Dr. Cooper, if possible, then to visit the house and placard it, after verifying the diagnosis. The more influential citizens should then be assembled, and sanitary, finance and quarantine committees appointed. The Sanitary Committee will have charge of cleaning up and disinfecting throughout the town, and of vaccination. The State Board of Health will furnish virus but can assume no other expenses. The Quarantine Committee will appoint day and night guards, and allow no one to go in or out of the infected house except the physician. They will provide food and medicine at the expense of the village, if the family of the patient or patients cannot afford it, for all quarantined persons, who will make known their needs through a selected spokesman by word of mouth, no letter or other piece of paper being allowed to pass outside the lines. A vacant house should be selected to which those exposed in the infected house, but not sick, can be removed for observation, only those necessary for the care of the patient remaining. Persons thus under observation should be detained eighteen (18) days. In case of one of them being taken sick with this disease, or any other person in the village being so taken sick, such person must be removed to the house in which the present case now is, which will be the quarantine hospital. If, however, there is a small pox hospital connected with the county almshouse, it is the duty of the directors of the poor to have all new cases removed to that building and properly cared for at the expense of the county. All persons known to have been exposed to the contagion must be vaccinated first, and later the entire population. The The Finance Committee will proceed at once to raise funds to meet the necessary expenses. If an additional case occurs it will be necessary to procure a nurse. physician will make no unnecessary visit within the lines, but will keep himself constantly informed by verbal communication with the nurse of the condition of the patient. After leaving the house he will make a complete change in his clothing and take a disinfectant bath, before visiting any other patient. The circular of the Board on Precautions against small pox should be placed in every family by the Sanitary Committee. Until the Quarantine Committee have selected the guards, you are authorized to assign the duty of watching the house to the town constable. The guards will wear the badge of the State Board of Health, and are authorized to arrest and return to the house any person or persons endeavoring to escape therefrom, and to use such force as may be necessary to accomplish this objectYou will inform yourself of the distance of all neighboring towns and villages, and of the frequency of communication between them and Point Pleasant. You will immediately report to this office upon your return, the number of persons sick, the probable number exposed, the number of inmates of the infected house, the popula. tion of the village, the names of railroads passing through or near it, and the number of persons vaccinated up to the present time. risville. 2. Request was received from the burgess of Morrisville, Small pox at MorBucks county, for the assistance of the Board in dealing with a case of small-pox in that borough, November 25, 1891. The inspection was at once made by Medical Inspector Atkinson. He found the house already placarded by order of the burgess, a professional nurse engaged, a guard posted and vaccination being thoroughly performed. Instructions were sent to the burgess as to the enforcement of precautions in detail, and also with regard to the steps to be taken should other cases occur. Fortunately this was not the case, as there was no further development of the disease. It may be stated that the individual who was the cause of so much annoyance and expense, although doing business in Trenton and aware of the pre |