The Portland daily press., 1886-10-21
the PUBLIC HEALTH.
Proceedings of the Conference of
State Boards of Health, and of the
Meeting of the Public Health AS
SociatiOn.

Our own State Board of Health has been
in existence but two years, and yet that is
sufficiently long period to convince the peo-
pie of Maine of the vital Importance of such
a body, with its broad field of labor in trying
to improve the sanitary condition of our
towns and villages.
At the recent conferences of State Boards,
and meeting.of the American Public Health
Association at Toronto, Ontario, Maine was
represented by two Portland delegates, DR..
F. II. Gerrish and E. G. Jordan, c. E. Twen-
ty-four States and Provinces sent delegates
to the conference which was opened with
paper presented by the secretary of our own
State Board, DR.. A. G. Young. The paper
was entitled ga Comparative View of Sani-
tary Laws, and what changes are needed in
those of Maine" Dr. Young cited the an
cent sanitary laws of the colonies relative
to infectious diseases, ETC.. and traced their
developement to the present time as shown
upon the statutes of the various States and
Provinces; showing the lack of concord and
the prominent defects, as well as the neces-
sity for concerted action by State and colonial
boards. 1t provoked the discussion that was
specially desired and a committee was APP
pointed to eodify the sanitary laws of the
States and Provinces, and present them at
the next meeting
Delegates from other States presented ar
gumentS and resolutions for concerted ac-
ton of Boards with reference to the control
ling of infectious diseases and resolutions
were adopted calling fer interstate notitica-
tion and cooperation in regard to inspection
and prevention of the spread of such dis
eases. They were strong enough to cover
the action of one State, when feeling that it
did not have sufficient positive data
to determine its course, it should go
into neighboring State for the pur-
poses of investigating the truth or
falSity of rumOrS of infectious diseases.
The United States and Canada pledged them
selves to an interchange of information. The
State Board of Indiana presented to the con-
ference paper show ng the stand that they
have taken in regard to the plumbing of
State buildings and notably the controversy
that has arisen owing to their criticism upon
the methods pursued in plumbing their new
State house. A committee to whom the
matter was referred confirmed them in their
position and further reported that they be-
lieved it the duty of every State to have its
public buildings represent in their sanitary
condition such advances in thar science as
have already been made. The meeting of
the American Public Health Association
followed those of the conference of State
boards. The first paper was by Dr. George
Baird of Wheeling, W. Va, upon the de-
struction of night soil and garbage by fire.
He explained the construction of furnace,
which with fairly cheap fuel demonstrated
the complete practicability of the method.
The second paper was upon the Toronto
Sewer and proposed Intercepting Sewer" by
Alan MaeDougal, c. E. f. r. S. E. 1t was
a clear, impartial statement of investigations
that he had made at the city's request, with
results of undoubted value. This paper was
followed by two others the first by DR.. Ed
ward Platter of Ottawa entitled ''0ur Inland
Lakes and Rivers, the Disposal of Sewage
and Spread of Infectious Diseases" the
second by Dr. William Oldright of Toronto
on the Influence of Sewerage upon Health. "
The two latter papers were practically an
attack upon the system that the expert w;
J. McAlpine, G. E. of New York, employed
by the mayor of Toronto, had projected
for that city. The Mayor himself, Mr.. How
land, told the convention in the most frank
and manly way that he was much disturbed; !;
he disclaimed any ability to determine, upon
such question from his own knowledge.
He had employed at great expense special
ist in such matters from New York. The re-
suits were put before the people, but now,
| just before the time for voting, he found
| himself deserted and opposed by some OF