The Portland daily press., 1891-10-28
BETTER THAN CURE.
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.l

niggardly in voting the board supplies and
money.
spoke humorously and seriously of his ex-
perences as the executive officer of the
board of that town. He had never been
hampered in his work either by citizens, the
town or by the physicians.
DIR, #, FL. Gerrish was called upon. He
thought that the best method of raising mon
ey for the support of local boards would be
to educate the people to the point where they
would be willing to be taxed for it. He
thought that law regulating plumbing and
one looking to the purifying of water sup
plies should be looked for In the near future
DIR. Smith spoke of the need of legislation
to compel municipalities to provide for the
support of the local boards of health which
they are requir, by law to create.
Mr.. Burgess said that DR.. A. G. Young,
secretary Of the State Board of Health, had
stated to MIN that he proposed to call for
law directing to wns to raise sum of money
equal TO five cents for each inhabitant.
DR. R. j. Martin of Augusta was the last
essayist of the afternoon, his subject being
Local Boards of Health and their Rsla-
lions to Public Nuisances." He said that
the standard of nuisances differs for differ
ent people. What Is one mans poison Is the
boards OF health can do nothing to trouble
these. He also described the methods in use
by the Augusta Board.
On motion of DIR. Webster, the thanks CT
the board were extended to DR.. Martin.
On motion of Mr.. Burgess, vote of
thanks was extended to members of the To-
cal boards from out Of the city who had at
tended the convention at their own expense.
Mr.. Russ of Dexter spoke of nuisance
caused by town sewer on private property.
The owner was notified Of the existence Of
the nuisance, and he objected to remedying
what the town had done. The board Of
health then went to the town and required it
to move the sewer on to covered place.
A spirited discussion OF the remedy for
municipal nuisauces followed.
The session of the evening opened with
paper on food adulteration by Prof. f. G.
Robinson. The matter of investigating adul-
teration is not within the province of the
State Board of Health. There is no law of
the state providing for such action, except
in the matter of liquor to be sold to the state
agent. No extensive personal Investigation
Is needed by any one, because other states
and the general government have made
them extensively, and all we need Is to take
their results. Adulteration is not poisoning,
1T Is simply one means of giving short
weight, putting In some OF the article intend
ed and filling up with a harmless aduterant.
The native products of the state are general
| ly pure. Flour and bread are generally un-
| adulterated in this country, although they
| frequently are In England where the most
| glazing authorizations are practiced The
| matter OF alum in baking powder was next
discussed. Prof. Robinson stated that the
| last year was nearly 100000 pounds, and
| that in perhaps third of this, alum Is used
White alum was not poisonous, yet it was
OF doubtful vitality. Ammonia Is not delete
riols to health. AS to sugar, the speaker
said: SIN my experience l have never
found 1t otherwise than pure, and have ex-
amined many specimens. Molasses, epecial-
| ly the cheaper grades, l. generally free from
foreign substances. Glucose syrup is some
times used In the higher grades. 1t Is believed
| m a w hnlQc0mQ If riChflu
Concerning eolored Ecandies, Prof. Robin
| son said he had again and again tested spec
linens, and had always found the colors
harmless. In luxuries and condiments the
these things the adulterer finds his sphere.
Fully three quarters of all such things are
| found aduterated Copper salts and sui
| phuric acid are added to pickles to restore
The bright green color and to give sharpness.
| Olive oil Is also very much adulterated.
| What was said about spices applies to coffee
and tea, when bought whole they are pure,
but when bought ground are apt to be bO-
| gus. In canned goods an antiseptic Is some
| times added to arrest fermentation in the
cans, which when taken into the human
stomach interferes with digestion. The
| s0-called beers and temperance drinks also
contain an antlseptic to keep the percentage
within the law, and are consequently hurt
/ ful. The red lemonade sometimes sold is
made of tartartic acid colored with cochineal
| Unless Maine wishes to be the dumping
| ground of articles that cannot be sold else
where, some laws ought to be passed.
On motion of Mr.. George G. Burgess. the
thanks of the association were rendered
Prof. Robinson.
Mr. Burgess said that it was said in the
| trade that New Orleans molasses is still
adulterated with glucose.
DIR. Meserve spoke of the use of white oak
bark In adulterating spices. He also spoke
OF baking powder and lard as substances
much adulterated.
| DR.. Smith read the second paper of the
| evening, that written by DR.. r. L. Russell Of
"Relation of Human and Animal Diseases"
DIR. Russell claimed that allowing for the
structural differences and mental endow-
| ments, there is close parallel between men
diseases of animals and their transmission
DR.. Russell took strong grounds
claiming that transmission is perfectly posi-,
identity of some of the active diseases.
Rabies. tetanus and tuberculosis are among
| those transmissable, tuberculosis being
much the most dangerous. The character
istics and transmission Of tuberculosis were
considered at considerable length. The
method of stamping out of the disease in
cattle. was considered. Any reasonable
| price Is not too large to pay for the destruc-
ton OF diseased cattle. At the same time it
must be necessary to demand protection
|
On motion of Mr.. Jordan a vote Of thanks
was extended DR.. Russell, Mr.. Burgess be-
| ing in the chair.
DR.. Smith spoke briefly on the paper. he
said that he doubted If eating beef slightly
affected with tuberculosis was very danger
GUS. On the other hand eating
diseased pork was dangerous on
account of the trchine. DR.. Smith
sald ne had examined many specimens but
had never found trichinosis in pork.
l The nlncinn n tho
OF Water Supply and Sewerage" was read
| by Mr.. K. Q. Jordan, chairman of the State
Board. of Health, One Of
Names greatest wealths is an abundance of
places may in the future give trouble, al
though sometimes there is a prejudice
| against river water. The multiplication of
industries is liable to cause trouble in the
| future.
The self.purlfying of running water is not
an actual fact, in getting rid of sewage. In
large rivers. natural purifying will answer,
| but In small streams the conditions are Who'll
ly wrong. Water supply is an all important
matter in household affairs. Mr.. Jordan
then proceeded to develop his plan for stor-
age of sink water in tanks and its intermit-
| tent spread over the land, claiming that its
deleterious effect is absorbed in the top lay
ers OF the earth after each drenching He
then spoke OF the growth In intelligent hyg-
enic knowledge in Portland, and the connec-
ton of the water supply and sewerage sys-
TENS with the steadily lowering death rate
and said that IL might be so in other places.
On motion of dr.. Meserve, a vote of
thanks was extended Mr.. Jordan.
DIR. Meserye said that since the introduc-
ton OF Sebago water the proportion of ty-
| phoid fever cases had run down from IA to /,
and that almost all cases now occurring have
their origin in other places. He gave the
history of one or two cases that arose from
various springs" Of water He said that in
some instances people become used to water
even though 1t is bad, and are not affected /;
while If strangers drink 1t they feel the eff
feets at once.
| Mr.. Gerrish deplorei the fact that water
supplies are never put in from purely SANTA
ry motives, but first of all from a desire to
| protect towns from fire.
DR.: Meserve spoke briefly on the subject
OF the registration of vital statistics for
| which law was passed by the last legisla-
ture and which goes into effect next Janua-
| ry. He bespoke the kind offices of all pres
ent In making the law popular and prevent
| Ing its repeal
Hon. G. F. Libby spoke concerning the
/ ha 0nl xha