Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-04
STATE BOARD OF HEaIru
Ihe First Annual Report OF tn. s.

'ne manuscript of the first animal -.
'"e secretary, DR.. A. G. Young. soon - =.
published. from which we will m,Lo W De
The .oa Oh interest to all our reader.
Act :. uesihs with the publication of ,ha
t;oo ~b;nn ning the board, and its organic.
- ~hich was effected last anr;i ~, :
BOARD has published and dis,r;hnioa Inc
si'eiy series of circulars relat;nr ~ a. eAteh'
rehtlon and restriction of contao;on an, ."e pre-
ne nrst related to school house cons,rne.:
.ueu al time when the building of 49,
s sohool houses was going forward This Guy
.J!o~ed closely by circular on cho,o..
"hich gave the public correct views rona.s
'n,s disease, and assurances that - :.
a',ie 10 preventive measures. Tba o;r
eu'"r sent out IN reference to eartb closn..
most important one, and also tho, -
regard to vaccination. 'na' IN
ne report then deals with the precapton
airy measures taken to prevent the snraad :
"aii-poX among US. Application for did :. ~ =
uIaue 10 the general government. An in
spector was put on the Grand Trunk Rail-
~ Island Pond, VT, and an insnec,or 10y
sent to Moose River, where the nr.vslanoa as as
the alsease would have inflicted a severe hlo
On the lumber interests. A circnlar IN ~
SUBJECT was sent to the lumbermen of tho
otate' which met with glad respo,sa fr.n,
the municipalities of the lumberiny distr;c,.
AN agreement was entered into by most nf
tne 'umoer operators in the State, not To hire
any men Tor the woods unless thew had been
.aIo'na'eu. Circulars urging vaccination
anu o.her precautionary measures were also
!s'ueu ~ tne various manufacturing compan-
III 'ie otate. Personal visits were made
w ue'noers OF the board to localities in
men there seemed to be the greatest danger
.or TIE purpose OF urging immediate preyeo.
measures. In almost every case the
towns promptly acted upon the Suggestions of
the board. The value of the On onsro,;on %
the board with the town author;ties xoa
shown by the treatment of the fret caso nf
small pox In the State, that at West Harms
we'll. A detailed statement is here given of
the inspection service which was instituted
mere, and the effective measures which wore
carried forward
ooon after the board began its work. A cir
GUAR letter of enquiries was sent out to all
the physicians IN the State, comprising cues
tiohs on various matters, topography, epidem-
lologlcal record, scarlet fever, diphtheria
typhoid fever, phthisis, aud schools. In an
swer to these inquiries, the board received
communications from a large number of phy-
slclans; and these, with reports from medical
correspondents. will form some two hundred
pages of the forthcoming report, containing
matter OF great value which the people will
be glad to receive
In scarlet fever, the general conviction of
physicians is, that 1t is ''due to infection de-
rived directly or indirectly from other cases"
of the same disease. 1t is not necessary to
go into the presence of the disease: it NAV
be brought to US in the clothing or the effects
of those who have been where it is. Cases
are narrated in which the infection was pre-.
served for from six months to a vear one
gives case in which three years hal elapsed;
one four years; two five years; and one a
case in which scarlet fever was said to have
been contracted from an old shawl after a
period of seven years.
Regarding the causation of diphthera we
do not find the same concordance as in the
case of scarlet fever. Some even hold to
the belief that it is incapable of spreading by
contagion or infection. This is dangerous
teaching, and the Secretary goes on to give
positive testimony, IN he citation of cases.
to show that dphtheria is dangerously con-
tagious. 1t is shown that from a case Of
"slight sore throat, widespread and severe
outbreak of genuine diphtheria may arise
The second source of danger in those lately
recovered from diptheria is that of carrying
the disease in their clothing. There in an
accumulation of evidence to show that thi.
disease is thus conveyed.
The germ theory is at this point clearly
elucidated and illustrated by experiments
that have been made by scientific men. The
cases cited by the secretary prove not only
the mere fact of the contagiousness or in
fectionsness of diphtheria. but there 10 salts
factory evidence to show that the disease may
III. rbok -.
rions forms as found on the earth and in the
atmosphere has some causual relation to
diphtheria, is abundantly shown in the opin-
ions of numerous competent observers.
There is much in the history of diphtheria
that would lead US to believe that the conta-
gion may cling for long time to persons
and clothing that have been infected, and to
DIV ellings and their surroundings where the
disease has been developed. The radical de-
struction, therefore, as far "a possible of the
contagion wherever and whenever case
arises, presents itself as an obvious duty.
Some Of our domestic animals are prone to
the disease, especially cats and dogs. An
Augusta physician relates that the pet kitten
of one of his children became sick with what
appeared like dphtheria, and the doctor
thinks the child received it by contagion from
the feline. References are made where diph-
theritic disease of hens is transmitted to
man.
The next subject treated Is typhoid fever.
The condition of things in certain locality
NAV serve as a sample:
"The cellar wet, there being several inches OF
water on the bottom. The well was within thirty
Ieei of the house. The slops thrown from the WIN
low drained into the well, which in wet weather
uas full to OVERLOOKING. There were two cases OF
typhoid fever in the fall. The next year young
woman a domestic, who had been in the house out
two or three weeks was taken with the dsease' huu
removed to her home, half mile. From TINS
ease there were seventeen others in succession In
the place where the disease was transplan,ed tne
veil Ia thirty or forty feet from the back door, IN
sandy SOIL and about fifteen feet deep: frVy IN
barn forty or fifty feet from we'll Family not neat
and would be likely to throw discharges almost any
where"
But vet it may be questioned whether the
filth conditions in the water consumed or IN
other places, is ever, of itself, sufficient
cause to start the typhoid disease. Medical
men take the ground that the specific typhoid
germ is a prerequisite to the production OF the
disease. Water manifestly polluted may De
used for wears, vet typhoid fever may, or may
not. arise. Let, however, the germ OF TINS
disease be introduced into such source OF wa
ter supply. aud the chances are ten To one
that we have a sudden outburst of disease IN
the family.
The dread disease, consumption, Is next
dealt with. The causes of consumption are
mapv. but all the various causes may De Ar
ranged under three classes: LIST, internal
causes: I'd, external causes; 3rd, specinc