The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-13

The sem-annual convention of the
Associated Boards of Health of Lack
awanna county was held yesterday in
the City Hall. At o'clock the af-
ternoon session was called to order by
DR.. f. j. Van Sickle, OF Olyphant, pres
ident of the associated boards. In his
address he reviewed the work of the
year. and referred to the recent opinion
of the deputy attorney general of the
state, which places boards of health en-
tirely at the mercy of city councils.
He said that It is apparent that the
city councils have enough to do with
out saddling upon themselves duties
that now devolve upon the boards of
health and in which members of coun-
ellis usually take little concern. He re-
ferred to the teaching of hygiene and
physiology in the public schools, and
said 1t was important that there should
be a reform in teaching these studies.
The text books now in use, he said,
are, as a rule, loosely written, mac
curate and misleading. He though that
hygene and sanitary science should be
taught but that better text books ought
to be used. He was not sure that q
series Of lectures by physicians would
not be better than the plan now pur-
sued. He closed by commencing the
course of the water companies of Lack
awanna county in providing pure and
adequate supply of water, and 1t taxi
ing steps to preserve the forests around
the sources from which the companies
get their supplies of water.
PAPER ON CONSUMPTION.
President Van Sickle announced that
they would somewhat transpose the
printed order of business for the meet
ing by allowing the reports of COM
mittees to go over until a later hour.
He asked DIR. John c. Price, of this
city, to read his paper on "Consump-
ton" DIR. Price spoke of consumption
as an infectious disease, and remarked
that it is a product of civilized life.
The American Indians never suffered
from consumption until the white came
here and began to impose upon the
Indians the restrictions Of civilized So
ciety. Now it is the most prevalent
cause of death among the Indians. The
doctor dwelt at length on the manner
in which people fall victims to con-
sumption. Children contract the dis
ease by drinking milk taken from COWS
suffering from tuberculosis. The germs
sent forth from dried saliva eXpector-
ated by consumptiveS was also men
toned as one Of the most prevalent
causes of the spread of consumption.
DIR. Price gave it as his opinion that
if proper restrictions were imposed on
consumptives and all animals suffer-
ing from it were killed that consump-
tion would he a disease of the past in
a few generations. DIR. Price, at the
close of his paper, produced micro
scope and gave those present an op-
portunity of studying consumption
germs taken from the saliva of con-
sumptives. The paper was discussed
by DIR. ]. c. Bateson.
ventilation of School Buildings"
was the title of a paper read by Prof
]. c. Taylor, county superintendent Of
public schools. He said the best au-
thorities give 1t as their opinion that
a room should be so ventilated that
each person will have 1000 cubic feet
of pure air an hour. He said the i'm
portance of good ventilation is not re-
allied by the average person. Because
bad air does not kill quickly and is not
followed by any Immediately noticeable
breathing of bad air for hours at a
time are not fully realized. In this
county during the last ten years some
gratifying progress has been made in
ventilating school buildings, but much
yet remains to be done. Window VEN
tilation is not safe and it is doubtful
If it is any better than no ventilation
at all. 1t should be the duty Of sani-
10 ha d.
ing erected is properly supplied with
ventilating apparatus. Discussion fol-
lowed by Secretary d. w. Brown and
Calvin II. Parsons. Questions We're
asked of the essayist by DIR. Heilman,
of West Pittston.
DISPOSAL OF SEWERAGE.
Calvin II. Parsons, sanitary engineer
of this city, read a paper on ''The Dis
posal of Sewerage in Villages" He
held that the general system employed
of turning the sewerage into streams
not only robs and impoverishes the
land, but makes the stream into which
the sewerage is turned very offensive,
besides setting free great quantities of
offensive gases. He held that the dry
earth system is the best now known
to sanitarians.
Attorney Van Wormer, of Montrose,
who with members of the board of
health of that town were present for
the particular purpose of hearing Mr..
Parsons paper, said that Montrose is
now confronted by serious problem
with reference to the disposal Of the
sewerage of that town. as it is impos-
sible for them to turn it into any of
the adjacent streams. Mr.. Parsons
said he thought the only method open
to the people of Montrose is irrigation.
DIR. d. A. Capwell, of this city, read
paper on Sanitation from a Physic-
ian's Standpoint" After citing many
cases that came under his notice as
physician, he said it is nothing less
than crime for the municipal author
tiles Of this city TO allow the caSSnooI