Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-01
THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH
Again Discussed at the Pittsburg
Club Theater Yesterday
BY THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
DR.. Campbell Must Come Before the Board
or Stand the Law.
WHY LIQUORS ARE NOW ADULTERATED

Following the sensational disclosures in
the State Board of Health sanitary conyen-
tion reported in The DISPATCH yesterday,
DR.. Lee was seen by reporter yesterday
morning and said: "No, we have heard
nothing further. However, we will give
the doctor time to explain. He may send
his statement by mail, so we will wait few
days. If he then does not let US know some
thing we will place the case in the hands of
the District Attorney"
The McKeesport physician who was
charged with issuing false certificate ap-
peared before the meeting at the Pittsburg
Club theater yesterday and gave salts
factory explanation, he being misinformed
as to the cause Of death.
The convention was called to order yester-
day morning at 1920 by the presiding
officer, William Metcalf, in the amusement
hall of the PIttsburg Club theater. In
short speech Mr.. Metcalf introduced Bishop
Whitehead. who delivered prayer, and then
Major W. G. Moreland was called upon and
made beftting address. He welcomed the
visitors to the city of Pittsburg, whose hum
BILE representative he said he happened to
be. DR.. Benjamin Lee, Secretary OF the
State Board of Health. then made response
in behalfofth visitors. Hesaid: SIT is great
pleasure to me to visit the city of Pittsburg,
as it is personal gratitude and the re-
markable progress made by this city-the
fine Court House, electric lights, well-paved
streets, etc.,-is wonderful. paid a visit to
an East End residence yesterday, and one of
the first things I admired was the beautiful
cellar. 1 advocate clean and airy cellars.
"Outside of New York the Pittsburg news
papers are the most progressive and advanc-
ing of any, and here quote an article as
scene in the health office: The Board of
Health is daily criticised, and the people
have no idea what this body do. In Wilkes
barre last summer when germs of disease
were noticed, and the State Board of Health
took active measures to destroy them, no
praise was given for saving that city from
dangerous disease" DR.. Lee then said that
there was an establishment of vital statistics
in this State, but he said it was absolutely
without machinery and was merely on
paper. and until the law makes and citizens
take some action it would rem ain the same.
REGARDING CELLAR AIR.
President Metcalf then announced Rev.
E. II. Lupple, Phi. D., of Philadelphia, who
gave talk on "Cellar Air in Houses" In
the article he advocated clean cellar and
air pipes to be placed in them. DR.. Goff, of
Lewisburg, then stated that in his opinion
that cellar could not be kept clear and
clean from the ground air, and he was in
favor of having no cellars and building all
houses on the surface of the earth, as this, in
his opinion, was the only manner of adjust
ing the much discussed question. DIR. Dud-
ley also advocates the same thing. Mr..
Howard E. Murphy, civil engineer of
Philadelphia, made queer remark, saying
''that the earth breathes like human be-
ing" DR.. Sibbert, of Carlisle, then gave
his opinion on cellar air, which was very
interesting.
Prot. Henry Lehman, food analyst of the |
Board of Agriculture, took for his subject |
"Fermented Beverages of Low Alcoholic |
Strength, Commonly Known as Soft !
Drinks" He said from a chemical point |
of view pure grape wine was the best. He |
said that owing to rigid discipline growing |
out Of the license question that spruce beer |
and many alcoholic drinks were more |
dangerous now than before. He said thar |
alcohol was not a true drink, and that when |
used in "soft drinks" it was injurious. DIR. |
Lee then gave a short address on the way to |
test the publication of the air in sick room |
and exhibited thernomole which was
patented by German doctor and indorsed |
by DR.. Abbott, of the State Board of Health |
Of Massachusetts,, for telling the condition
of the air in the room. The meeting then
adjourned.
Theafternoon session waslargely attended,
among the audience being quite number
of ladies. The convention was called to
order at 3 o'clock by Mr.. William Metcalf,
of this city, who introduced Colonel 7. P.
Roberts, of this city, who read paper on
Water Supply" The paper was quite
lengthy and ir technical manner dealt
with the subject. The question of the
pollution of the tributaries and the larger
streams by manufacturing establishments
was fully dealt with, and while the writer
regarded it as a matter of evil yet it had not
reached an alarming stage.
PRECAUTIoN NECESSARY.
Still something would have to be done to
guard against this pollution, for, if not
looked after, great dangers might arise.
Pittsburg. the speaker said, used more
water daily than any other city in the
country outside of New York When deal
ing with the question of sewers Mr. Roberts
cited curious fact that the Point, locality
without any sewerage system, and filled
with filthy tenements is, as rule, free from
epidemics, while other and better located
portions of the city, where there is a good
sewerage system, are often visited with
epidemics Of typhoid fever and other dis
eases.
''The Selection and Treatment of Water
Supplies" by Prof. Henry Lehman, M.
D., of Philadelphia, was an exhaustive doc
umcnt, dealing with the subject in a tech
nical manner.
Two other very interesting papers were
read, one on 'The Proper Mode Of Conduct
ing Sanitary Inspection" by William B.
Atkinson, of Philadelphia, Medical Inspee-
tor of the State Board of Health; and
another by G. E. ABBOTT, of Bryn Mawr,
Pa, on "Importance of Vital Statistics