The Portland daily press., 1898-10-17
THE PEOPLES HEALTH.
How 1t Has Been Endangered and What
the Board of Health Has Done.

auonsta. October 15.-The third
biennial report of the State Board OF
Health for the two years ending Deem
Der 81, 1897, was made public today.
During the time covered by the report
the Eohief and the most important work
of the board has been the quiet dlreotlon
and coordination of the public health
work in the state. Though unusual
epidemic outbreaks have been In
FREQ uent, the work of aiding and advls-
ing local boards of health, and In supply
ing them with blanks anu circulars
needed in their work of preventing anu
restricting diseases, ia an ever present
one.
The most notable outbreak OF infect.
ious disease which occurred within two
years was the epidemic Of d1pntnerla III
and about Fort Kent. Through an I'M
fortunate serious of local circum stances,
the disease was found to be W!oely OK
tended among the poorer class OF p3opie
in the outlying parts of Fort Kent ana tne
resentative of the State Board OF. dea!bn
arrived. Nevertheless, the rapidly Win
which the disease was stamped out under
adverse conditions with the thorough,
use Of quarantine, antitoxin, and dis1n,
fection, should encourage other local
boards to employ the same efficient
measures if occasion should call for them.
A narration of the work done in conneo.
tion with this outbreak may be found
else where in this report. A few other
outbreaks are briefly referred to.
large part of this report Is devoted
to disinfection. A report by Prof. Robin.
SOD and Mr.. Bryant on the second years
disinfeotant, is q valuable contribution
to the literature of that subject. The
preparation of the paper entitled Notes
on DisinfectantS and Disinfection, IS
the outcome of an examination OF the
results which have been obtained in the
last Is years or 20 in the investigation OF
disinfecBing agents.
In the summary of the reports of the
local boards of health are the following:
Westbrook-Eight nuisances were abat-
cd. Five cases of diphtheria and three
each of scarlet fever and typhoid. Measles
in October and November. The board
keeps on hand small supply of anti
toxin with appliances for using for poor
people.
Deering-Thirty- three nuisances were
reported, all of which were abated.
Diphtheria, 49,; scarlet fever, 10; typhoid,
0 cases. Some prevalence OF measles.
Much effort has been expended to induce
the parties to enter the sewers, of which
we have q good system. and many nave
done SO. We think wo are doing very
good work and that the people are in
sympathy with 1t.
Portland-The only report made Is for
1896, when there were liz cases of d1ph-
liberia, Ill of scarlet fever and n of ty-
phoid.
the results of which are stated, are the
following:
From a well in Falmouth: 1.-THE re-
suits indicate a water neither very good
nor very bad. 1t was mistake TO bury
the contents of the vault SO near the
well. Seventy.five feet is altogether too
near for safety. particularly when the
the bottom of the we'll. Polluting matter
sometimes finds its way into wells from
a much greater distance than 70 feet.
To determine whether there is any soak
age into the well from the place where
you buried the excretA, would suggest
that next summer you dig a hole in the
same place where you buried the excreta
and pour in large quantity OF the solu.
ton OF lysol. If there is a soakage into
the we'll from that place you would be
likely to have some time after the taste
of lysol In the water. 1t would be an in
teresting experiment. to try and If you
will do 1T will furnish you with the
lysol next summer.
From a spring near a cemetery in Deer
ing: "In the case of this water, in the
absence Of any other apparent source of
pollution the Indications are that the
burying ground has an unfayorahle in
fluence upon this spring. do not see
how anybody who knows its source can
drink this water This spring was
only 20 or 80 feet from the burying
ground, the bottom of the spring WAS ten
or twelve feet lower than the surface
of the burying ground, there were three
or four feet of sand with clay substance,
and there had besn many burials in the
part of the cemetery next the spring.
From a well in Gray where there had
been cases Of typhoid fever in the family:
1.-THE analysis of the sample Of water in
dicates results which could be hardly
worse. The water is badly polluted and
should not be used as a drinking water. =