Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-01-12
THE STATE LABORATORY.

Handsome Words of the British Medical
journal for IA Vermont Institution.
The following handsome compliment
for the Vermont Laboratory and State
Board of Health is from the columns of
the British Medical journal, the official
organ of tie British Medical association.
which unques tionably has the largest
circulation of any medical journal In the
world:
1t may be remembered that about a
year ago We mentioned that the legislat-
ure of the state of Vermont had passed
an act for the foundation of a laboratory
for the chemical and ARCHAEOLOGICAL ey-
animation of lwater supplies, milk and
all food products, and the examination
of cases OF suspeutt d cases of various In
fictitious disease. The laboratory was
opened on January l, 1900, and has
since done great deal of good work un-
der the direction of DR.. J. II. Linsley.
An interesting development of the work
of the laboratory was the holding last
July of a school of instruction for health
officers. The school, which is believed
States, was conducted for five consecutive
days. Papers were read by well.known
sanitary authorities from the large cities,
by members of the State Board of Health,
and by other professional men. The
subjects considered were numerous, and
included the following topics: The re-
lation of the public health laboratory to
the citizen; the powers and responsible
ties of health officers and the Local
Board of Health; public. water supplies
and sewerage : sanitary plumbing and
house drainage; the relation of animal
diseases to. ipublic health; schoolhouse
sanitation and inspection of school chill
dren; isolation of infectious diseases: the
prevention of diphthcria and tuberculosis {:
disinfection, disinfectants, and quaran-
tine; authorizations and dangers of milk !;
the menace of the pg-pen in country
towns; water supplies and the signif-
canoe of constituents as reported In the
chemical and. bacterial analysis; and a
discussion of the Vidal test for typhoid
fever. Daily demonstrations were held
at the laboratory for the purpose of
famlliarizing, as much as possible,
members of Health Boards and others
with the nature of the technical work
done in public health laboratories.
Working models of systems of correct
and faulty plumbing were used; disin-
fecting apparatus, filters, etc, were
shown and demonstrated. The sessions
were free to.all persons interested In the
subject of public hygiene, and no fees of
any sort were imposed. There was an
attendance of SO officers of health,
representing as many municipalities.
and, as there are only about 240 towns in
the state. the number present was
thought to be very satisfactory, especially
when the rural nature of the country Is
considered. 1t is now proposed to hold
these schools of instruction annually
hereafter. Moreover, the Vermont State
Board of Health is about to publish a
periodical devoted to the subject of
public sanitation, the first issue to APP
pear in January next $4,000. This
| journal will be furnished to all officers
of health gratis, and its object is to pro
mote interest in and the efficiency of
public health work throughout the state.
We trust this very laudable object may
be fulfilled.
Several fatal cases of plague are re.
ported from Honolulu.
great avalanche has done consider