Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-05-24

The NTH In the series OF valuable re
ports published by the State Board Of
Health. for the year 1889. will be given
to the public to-day.
An introduction Of sixteen pages pre-
sents a brief summary Of the work Of the
Board for the past year, including the
work Of local boards OF health ~ related
70 the inspection aud control Of conta-
gious and infectious diseases. with ex-
tended remarks on the importance Of the
registration OF vital statistics, and the
great public interests that would be
served by the collection through series
Of years Of such facts. Maine ia the
only New England state we believe,
which has no such legal requirement AS
Ia contemplated by law for the regis
tratlon OF vital statistics. and it is to be
hoped that at the coming session Of the
Legislature an act establishing such a
registration will be passed.
The main portion Of the volume may
~ classed under three headings: First.
the Secretary's report, proper, ~ pages
secon"' hePo''s Oh Local p"hr"S Oh
Health, II pages; third, Special Papers,
1$3. The former contains official pro-
ceedlngs Of the Board ut regular meet
"ss' ''P"o''o"''"" Vi Tue o'rc"'ars
Issued from time to time by the Secre-
tary, results OF water analyses, financial
''A'e"e"' Oh 'ho year. etc we note
""s ""o "'''o '' P'' '''"' "''''e's
I" '''s part "i t"e report
paper on the heatihg ana sehtiia-
no" Oh the state house reports
on tine 'nsP"etio" Oh school houses
III Eo''ah"' 'e"istoh' "atefsilie and
""ruiner' VIII" circulars on tue eharse-
tcr'stics OF infectious diseases prevention
OF consumption or tuberculosis ana
NUMBER OF FORMULAS Tor disinfectants.
pur,nx the past year there were ex-
s"ihed al the laboratory OF the Board
us samples OF water or these lta
were from wells, ~ from springs, 4
rom public water supplies 10 from
sources OF proposed public water service,
from eisterns and 10 from other SQUIRE
e. Results OF these analyses are pre-
s"nted In tabular form and about
thirty pages OF explanatory notes
concerning them are also given In ref
erence t" this matter of water supply
Dr. Dung says, most emphatiealiy, that
some authorities are going much too far
In making sweeping condemnation of
All wells as sources OF drinking water
supply. LAS the work of examining
samples OF well and spring water In this
State has gone on. remarks pr. Dung,
III have become more firmly convinced
that wells and springs when fayorsbly
located, and In the case Of wells, when
properly constructed, are the very
bost sources Of water supply;
But, at the same time, am quite willing
to concede that the great majority of
wells are improperly constructed or bad
" located, and that therefore the water
~n'cn they furnish is not OF good quail
My. Almost everywhere In this State,
the underground water where 1t issues
RON the earth tn Its normal condition
or where 1t Is tapped by means of suit
AMY constructed wells in suitable places,
10 almost Invariably good and pure as a
driok'ns water This statement is one
tine truth OF which every intelligent
person Is already convinced Of, but it will
acquire an added force, II possible,
through Its endorsement by so dis
tnxaished a scientist as Secretary
Young. Many interesting facts may be
gathered from the one hundred and thir-
sy-four notes relating to water analysis
following the tabular statement, between
pages 10 and and &c Of this part of
the report
In most cases the reports from the
local boards of health are confined to a
list Of It's officers and organization; In
some, reports Of contagious or infectious
diseases which have occurred in town