The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-14

DR.. Hurty's Paper Before the County
Health Board Omcers.

Health Board Officers.
The conference of county health boards fin-
ished fits work yesterday and the physicians
in attendance believe that the session was
a very profitable one. The morning session
was occupied in reading papers according to
the programme. DR.. c. e. Ferguson, secre-
tary of the city Board of Health. spoke of
the progress of indianapolis. His talk was
an intelligent review of the advance the
city has made in sanitary matters within
the last few years, particularly since the
new city charter became law. He spoke
OF his recent investigation of city water and
said he felt justified in warning the people
that 1t should at least be boiled. He referred
to the milk ordinance and said there were
now over seven hundred diaries registered.
DR.. Brayton spoke briefly In commentator
Of DR.. Ferguson's work.
DR.. Severance Burrage, OF Purdue. read
a paper on state Supervision of the Public
Health" 1t was a conservative view Of the
powers that should be granted to boards
of health in enforcing sanitary regulations
He dealt particularly with the class Of peo-
pie not intelligent enough to understand
the Importance of obeying these regulations
DR.. j. N. Hurry, of this city. spoke on
the filtration of public water supplies. He
said in substance:
1.-THE great city of London Is supplied
with filtered water Over 300,000,000 gallons
are used daily. The water is taken from
the Thames and the Lea. When pumped
on to the filters il is rich in sewage and
bears millions of disease germs. When pre-
Sented to the consumer ii is pure and whole
some. Scores Of other European cities are
supplied in this way, and water-borne dis
eases are banished Sand filter beds cover
from one TO two acres each. They are
composed Of from five to six feet of coarse
sand. The top layer of fine sand is not less
than three feet thick, the remaining three
feet being made up of the other materials
named. Through these layers the water
passes and is carried to the mains by under
drains.
MANY precautions must be taken to in
sure the best results. Not more than two
million gallons should be drawn daily from
each acre of filter bed. The rate of Ultra
degree OF fineness of the top layer Of sand
must be looked after. The filters are cleaned
by scraping off the top layer to the depth
of about an inch for fully 80 per cent. of the
work is done by this thickness of the sand,
while it takes all the remaining thicknesses
TO do the remaining 10 per cent. When
scraped, which must be done as often as
required, usually every six to eight weeks.
the filter is ready TO resume its good work.
THE cost of filtered water is about 10
per cent. greater than unfiitered, but the
advantages TO public health are incalculable.
Over 1915 per cent of all the bacteria are
removed by sand filtration. and the organic
Probably the most interesting feature of
the conference was the discussion yesterday
afternoon of a list of prepared questions.
The decisions reached, which were put In
the form of resolutions, were arrived at
only after much discussion and mature de-
liberation. The first Of these was Should
quararltined people be paid for loss of time
by the Slater" The conclusion was that
they should not, except in extreme cases,
where the patients were so poor that such
loss of time entailed distress. To the ques-
ton of whether practitioners should be paid
for reporting births, deaths and commune
cable diseases, the association gave an en-
phatic mo-" 1t was the opinion that this
was a part of the duty that every DhySi-
cion owed to the community in which he
practiced.
After some discussion resolution was
adopted declaring that patients affected
with consumption Of the respiratory organs
should be subject to control by the health
the one following, as to what sanitary
science could do to prevent the spread or
catarrh ran into each other somewhat.
The physicians were inclined to. believe that
consumption are due in very large measure
to the practice OF splitting in public places.
A resolution was adopted to the effect that
pubic splitting should be prohibited.
The discussion on the last subject was
rather brief for there was little difference
of opinion upon il. The question was THE
social evil: What is the proper sanitary
view? Does sanitary science favor Its
license and control?" The opinion was al
most unanimous that license was more
tons are adopted, than outlawry.
Another resolution was adopted declaring
IT to be the sense of the association that
the course in all medical colleges should be
enlightened to four years. The conference
finished it's work and adjourned about
a'a1Ork