"Resolved, That measures for preventing the spread of infectious diseases should not, except in very rare instances, include the closing of schools, churches and other public buildings."

Dr. Hunt spoke as follows:

Before considering the resolution I would like to call attention to an error which local boards of health have made many times in the past in thinking they have power to close schools on account of contagious diseases. There is nothing in the law which gives local boards of health that power. The laws under which boards of education operate give those boards full power to close schools on account of the existence of contagious disease. If, however, the board of health deems it necessary to secure the closing of schools the method to be adopted is for them to pass a resolution addressed to the board of education, stating that for various reasons given, in the opinion of the local board of health, it is advisable to close the schools. It is then left with the board of education to take the necessary action. I speak of this because of many controversies between local boards of health and boards of education. In recent years I believe there are but three instances where the State board of health has advised closing of schools. In Paterson a number of cases of smallpox had occurred, and there were children from infected houses in attendance upon schools. The school-house had not been properly disinfected, and only about threequarters of the number of children in attendance had been vaccinated. Under these circumstances it was thought best to close the school for a few days until the children had been vaccinated and the school-house disinfected. I believe when a school is closed it generally shows inefficiency on the part of the local board of health. Local boards of health should see that all cases are promptly reported, and no child allowed to go to school from an infected house. The premises should be properly cleansed after removal of the patient. There is a great amount of neglect in regard to the proper cleansing of school-houses. I have a circular on this subject, and will read a few words in regard to the cleansing of school buildings as follows:

"Each day during the prevalence of infectious disease, after the school is dismissed, all parts of doors, casings and other woodwork of the infected apartment which can be touched by the hands of the children, including seats and desks, should be scrubbed with warm water, soap and a stiff scrubbing-brush. The floor should be in good repair and without open cracks or crevices. It should be sprinkled with clean water daily before being swept. The difficulty attending the cleansing of books should cause great care to be taken by teachers to prevent books from being passed from hand to hand, or touched by anyone except the child to whom they belong or to whom they may be assigned. Books which have been used by a pupil who is suffering from any one of the communicable diseases should be destroyed by fire, or they may be treated by exposure to formaldehyde gas in a small airtight space. A box or cabinet may be conveniently employed for this purpose, and the gas can be liberated by exposing formalin upon a shallow dish inside of the box. Books should be so placed that the leaves will fall apart. Pencils and other articles in daily use by the pupils may also be disinfected by placing them in this cabinet. The cabinet should remain closed for at least twelve hours.

"During each vacation the walls and woodwork, including doors, desks and floors, should be wetted with a solution of bichloride of mercury, and the windows should be kept open to admit great floods of sunlight and pure air. Finally scrub with clean water."

I would like to ask the gentlemen present from the various sanitary districts how many school-houses do you know of where this is done? I have found it a rare thing to find anything of this kind. In addition to this a school board should appoint medical inspectors of schools. I admit in country districts this is hardly possible, yet in the presence of an epidemic I think some arrangement should be made for inspection. If these methods are carried out I think the closing of schools is very seldom necessary on account of contagious disease. I trust the resolution will be adopted as presented.

Motion was made and carried that this resolution be adopted. The Conference then adjourned to meet the next morning at ten A. M. At the end of each session the questions which had been placed in the question box were read and replies were given.

Because of an accident at the Trenton city garbage crematory, resulting in the destruction of the smokestack, the operations of the furnaces were interrupted, and the proposed visit to the crematory was not made, but a session of the Conference was held in the State House on Saturday morning, October 20th, at which a demonstration in disinfection was given by D. C. Bowen, one of the assistant State sanitary inspectors, who exhibited a pump for the spraying of a disinfecting solution. In the course of his remarks Mr. Bowen made the following statements:

The first step in the disinfection of a building is to know what you are going to disinfect, and there must be some consideration of each individual case. For instance you go out to disinfect a building and you must first learn the details of the case, you must get into contact with the people of the house and learn from them the facts of the case. It has been my practice in the work to prepare for entering the house by selecting some place where I can take off my clothes, lay them aside and put on some garments in which I can do the work. I find such a suit as painters wear very convenient. An abundance of cheese cloth is also very necessary to have along to cover the head and hair, so you are very well protected. When you enter the house you must learn the facts in regard to the case; possibly the isolation has been narrowed down to one room in the house. The bath room should be wiped off with a solution of bichloride, and persons who have been infected can then take a disinfecting bath and step out. If proper steps are taken by the health officer when a case is first discovered there will not be much to disinfect, as he will have all unnecessary articles taken out of the room. In the case of closets or trunks of clothing, if they have not been opened, I do not think you need trouble them. If you find a book case which has not been opened I don't think you are interested in the interior of the book case. In a case of diphtheria, if books have been taken out and put back, I should learn what books have been taken out and replaced. If I find some books have been handled by the patient I should put them in the pile to be treated. If the clothing in the closet has been taken out and put in again I should take that clothing out to be disinfected. By this inquiry I would learn what has really been infected, and in this way I would take proper action to disinfect each article. I would put

mattresses and bedding, garments and clothing in one pile, things to be boiled in another pile, and clothing such as could not be boiled in a box with a tight cover. By spraying with a pump similar to the one I show you, you can spray the room. I would treat the articles in the box by spraying each layer with a formalin solution. It has been shown by testing, placing specific organisms in the garments and examining the same in the laboratory, that these organisms are destroyed. It does not hurt the garments, but it may wrinkle them up somewhat. The clothing to be boiled should be put in a wash boiler and boiled for half an hour. A forty per cent. solution of formalin should be used on the garments. To work this pump requires two persons, but it does good work. I am not sure that this is the easiest method of disinfecting, but I believe it to be the best one.

The subject of disinfection was then discussed very fully by the delegates present, and the Conference then adjourned. In the afternoon many of the delegates visited the State laboratory of hygiene.

Report on Inspection of Ice Cream

Factories.

BY GEORGE W. M'GUIRE, CHIEF INSPECTOR OF FOOD.

To the Board of Health of the State of New Jersey:

GENTLEMEN-In pursuance with the request contained in the letter of instructions dated June 20th, 1906, I have the honor to submit a report embracing twentytwo inspections made by me of premises where ice cream is manufactured in this State, located as follows:

These examinations were made during July and August at such times as were convenient when other business of the department called me to the localities noted above, and probably are not a fair representation of all the plants conducting the ice cream business throughout the State. It will be seen that but few of the establishments visited are beyond criticism, and that the most of them are kept in a very unsanitary condition. The report herewith submitted also shows that the facilities for protecting the raw materials against defilement, and for washing cans and utensils are very inadequate. In a number of them there is little or no ventilation and the air confined in the rooms is very offensive. The investigation has shown the necessity for greater watchfulness over these establishments and the need of State or municipal legislation governing them.

Van Dyke Ice Cream Company, Wm. D Auman, Prop., Harrison Alley near Chambers Street, Trenton.-This is a two-story frame building, 33 x 45 feet, formerly used as a stable. The first floor is divided into five rooms with wood partitions. One room, 16 x 16 feet, is used as an ice cream saloon; it is provided with several tables, chairs, counter, floor oil cloth, &c. The dishes and spoons are washed in a pan under the counter Soap is said to be used for washing dishes. There were two cans of ice cream behind the counter, one of which had no lid and was exposed to the air and dust of the room The adjoining room, 10 x 15 feet, is used as a storeroom for supplies used in the manufacture of ice cream. A large quantity of canned fruits

were stored on the shelves. These cans were indented, and had the appearance of being old stock. There were also stored in this room: One barrel of gelatine, bottles containing "Strawberry Color," "Egg Color," "Cremonola," Wilbur's Cocoa, &c. The ice cream batch is mixed in this room and heated over a gas stove before freezing. The main work room is 33 x 45 feet. The side walls of this room are made of rough hemlock boards, the ceiling of same material laid on rafters and all lime washed. The floor is brick laid in sand, graded to a point over a cesspool into which all waste fluids are discharged. The cans and utensils are washed on the floor and rinsed in a wood wash tray fitted with a cold water faucet. At the time of this inspection, this tray contained filthy water, and the sides of the tray above the water line were thick with grease. This room contained an ice water vat for storing milk and cream (said to be emptied every two days), and all other machinery for making ice cream. Cans were examined and some of them were rusty on the inside. This room opens onto Harrison alley, and the floor is on a level with the ground surface. This alley is unpaved, and the ground was muddy on the date of the inspection. The rooms are unscreened, permitting free access of flies from the alley and back yards of adjoining properties.

Angelo Camera, 205 South Broad Street, Trenton.-This dealer manufactures from forty to one hundred quarts of ice cream dally, selling it by the plate in his saloon at the above address, and occasionally furnishes lodges with ice cream for banquets. Cream and milk are purchased from the Castanea Dairy Company at Trenton. The articles used in manufacture are: Cream, milk, granulated sugar, German gelatine, flavoring extracts. The factory is located in a frame room in the rear, and attached to his saloon. The room is 15 x 15 feet, has a wood floor, smooth board side walls with timbers exposed. The ceiling is formed by the hemlock roof boards on rafters. The side walls, ledges and the rafters were littered with cob webs and dust. The lowest portion of the floor was water soaked and very dirty, apparently never scrubbed. There is an ice box in the room for storing milk and cream. The melted ice from this box escapes through an iron pipe to an open brick gutter in the side yard, and enters a catch basin over the sewer pipe. The floor is broken in places, and the waste fluids deposited on the floor escape to the ground underneath, which could not be seen. This room contains an iron sink in corner, a wood sink, gasolene stove, washing machine for family laundry, wash board, empty cans, boxes, tubs, five sacks of salt, &c. The plates and spoons are washed in the iron sink. A very dirty towel was found hanging along the side of sink for drying plates and spoons.

Manning & Brink, 419 and 423 North Montgomery Street, Trenton.-This is a twostory brick building, 40 x 86 feet. The main work room is 40 x 70 feet, has limewashed brick side walls; the ceiling is formed by the double floor of second story, which has a layer of felt paper between the wood The joists are exposed and are lime washed. The floor of the milk room is made of brick laid in cement and graded to the center to a sewer outlet The following articles are used in the manufacture of ice cream: Twenty per cent. cream, condensed milk, granulated sugar, fresh and canned fruits, flavoring extracts. Cream and condensed milk are received daily, and placed in close cans in a dry storage refrigerator and kept till used. The ingredients are mixed in large mixing cans holding 160 gallons; the mixture is drawn off into steel tin-lined freezing cans and agitated by machinery. The room con