The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-12-12
PUBLIC HEALTH.
Proceedings of the National Conference In
Washin gton.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE executive COM
mittee Of the American Public Health Asso-
citation has completed arrangements for the
14th annual convention OF the assoca! ion
second Tuesday of December 1885. 1t has
been decided that the association shall be in
corporated in the District of Columbia under
United States laws. The subjects for the
Lamb prize essays, four in number, which are
70 DO read at the coming meeting Of the assc-
citation are:
Heath homes for working classes.
liz. A y '0-S'-
3-D.sinfectants.
4-life saving appliances in certain occupations.
Competition for prizes is open to all citizens
OF the United states.
At the second days session of the National
Conference OF the health boards, the dele
gates from the various cities continued the pre-
eentation OF reports showing the sanitary con-
dition OF the cities. The president, Mr.
Erastus Brooks, from the State Boarn of Nav
York, reported that ample precautions
had been taken In the cities of New
York and Brooklyn to prevent the
spread Of contagious diseases, and hs
hoped and believed that under a good Provi-
oeDce protecting them, those cities were as
well prepared as any city 10 the country to re-
sist the introduction ef cholera. After the pre-
sentatioD OF the State reports Secretary Nc
Cormack of Kentucky made a special report
upon the peculiar contagion in West Virginia
DIR. Carson Of Kentucky reported that he
went where the epidemic was moss prevalent
In Eastern Kentucky nd procured samples of
the drinking water. The geological formation
forbade the assumption of mineral poison in
the water as the streams and ponds had dried
down to their mere beds OF malarial poison.
Ihe disease was reallG epidemic dysentsry
caused by malarial poison and many patients
died because the people did not believe in
doctors and called them, If at all, too late.
The total number OF deaths did not exceed 225
10 Kentucky, and the people there were deep
ly aggrieved by the publication of exaggerated
reports OF the disease. Although the crops
were not abundant yet the people have enough
to support them until the next harvest.
DIR. A. j. Arbeeley OF Damascus, Syria, de-
tailed his experience with Asiatic cholera in
his native country. He said that half of the
prevention was won il you ran away. He had
also noticed that the people living in the
elevated countries escaped contagion.
The committees on federal relations, state
action and municipal action submitted their
reports which were adopted. The committee
on state action suggest that 1t is essential that
the officers of state and federal boards In
adjacent states should promptly notify each
other OF any case OF cholera occurring in its
own domain. 1t is also essential that local
boards shall determine in advance how the
fret Case shall be cared for so as not to losa
valuable time and allow the disease TO gain
foothold. 1t is the Judgement of the commit
tee that the time has come when state health
boards should be recognized in some national
form as having authority to indicate what
sanitary measures are necessary and secure
the same through those departments of the
government under which they would natural
ly fall.