Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-07

The REPORT OF THE STATE BOARD OF
HEALTH makes volume of some four hundred
and thirty pages. Its contents, besides the gen
eral report of the board, comprise the results Of
special Investigations made under the direction
of the board during the past year, either by in
dvidual members of the board or agents APP
pointed by them. These papers are twelve in
number; some are of a popular character, and
intended to diffuse information on sanitary mat
tiers among the people, while others are interest
ing to physicians chiefly. The subjects treated
are poisoning by lead, with special reference to
the use of water conveyed through lead pipes,
trichiniasis, health of towns, Charlton or malig-
nant vesicle, typhoid fever, homes for the peo-
pie, alcoholic drinks, their use and abuse, NOR
tality of the city OF Boston, ventilation of school
houses, Mystic pond water, air and some of It's
impurities, health of minors employed in manu-
factories of cotton, wooden, silk. fax and jute,
and the effects of the use of milk from cows
affected with epizootic aphtha. Eight Of these
papers were prepared wholly or in part by the
secretary of the board, DR.. George Derby. They
contain information of great value, much of
which is new.
The, experiments and analyses to determine
the effects of using water drawn through lead
pipes show that such water always contains
traces of lead, but that the city water of Boston
and some other cities, and presumably of all
where the supply comes from lakes or ponds OF
acknowledged purity, contains so small an
amount of lead as to be generally harmless, and
no authenticated case of lead poisoning from
these waters is known, although the use of lead
pipes is almost universal The water of wells
or cisterns is often injurious when drawn
through lead pipes. Facts are presented show
ing the danger of drawing cider or other acid
drinks through faucets fastened with lead, and
the evil effects of cosmetics containing salts of
lead. The paper on trichnasis in Massachu-
sets is interesting. 1t describes several cases of
this singular disease, which occurred in this
state within the past year, only one of which
happily proved fatal, and gives an account of
the manner in which the parasites, in being
swallowed become active and pierce their way
through the walls of the intestines and all ill.,
tervening tissues, and finally establish them
selves in the muscles, where they become dor
mant and comparatively harmless if the sufferer
survives the pain and disturbance of the vital
functions caused by their progress. The pre-
Vention Of this disease is entirely within our
power. A temperature of 100 degrees is fatal to
the parasite, and any process of cooking which
ensures that all parts of the meat are raised to
that temperature removes the danger
But perhaps the most interesting paper is that
contributed by DR.. Bowditch, the president of
the board, on homes for the people DR.. Bow
ditch having been obliged to reside for six months
in London, ayailed himself of tine opportu-
tunity to study the homes of the poor there, and
10 learn what is done there by public and private
philanthrophy and capital in providing better
homes for the poor. He gives an account of a
night stroll with an inspector Of police in Lon
don, through the purlieus of whitechapel and
Ratclife Highway, two Of the most noted thor
oughfares Of vice, poverty, and crime in the
city, and OF a similar walk afterwards taken in
Boston. The comparison is not so favorable tc
our own capital as we could wish. In London
while the private abodes Of the poor and Yiciou
were often filthy and loathsome enough to max
the heart sick, the public lodging houses, eyel
in the worst quarters, were keptclea At leas
three hundred cubic feet Of air is provided 70
Saeh loueefS theie IL plehty oi water and M
merous wash-basins. Any one may open on
OF these houses, bat he must keep itin strict COL
formity to law, amt it is constantly inspecte
by the police.
In Boston he found filth and wretchednei
equal 70 anything To be seen in London. G
Que dark, foul and noisome cellar, he says,
saw no worse home in White chapel eve
doubt whether any 50 bad can exist under Fl
glish law, and this was not solitary exampb
we visited several Of the same typeo An
while Boston thus equalled or surpassed Ia