Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-07-11
SANITARY PLUMBING
Discussed at the Health Officers
School Yesterday.
Vital Statistics Blood Examination and
Drinking Water Among the Other
Subjects Considered-Sessio
Close This Morning.

| The school for health officers opened its
morning session at 900 o'clock yesterday.
Previous to this the working OF an appar-
atus for testing and disinfecting plumbing
was exhibited. The first paper was on
plumbing, by w. =. Gerhard, c. E., of
New York. The speaker said that the dan
ger from sewer gas had been exaggerated
by sensat iona reports in ill-advised hands
1t cannot be definitely said that dipht heria :,
typhoid or similar diseases do originate
from sewer gas and defective plumbing
| Nevertheless these conditions are a men
lace to health in that they undermine the
system and de-vtalze the individual. Fur
thermore, foul air, while it does not origin
ate infectious diseases. renders the sys-
tom less able to throw off the germs re-
ccfVed from other sources Great adj
vance has been made in plumbing but
more remains to he done The modern
system, in its attempts to remedy defects
has become so complicated that it's COM
pleSity is source of danger. A simpler
system is needed, which will he more CT
fective and less costly. Law should pro-
scribe. or at least allow, the simpler meth
cd. Inspection of drainage. sewage and
plumbing by the proper officials is of para
mount importance.
The discussion of Mr.. Gerhards paper
was postponed, and paper on vital stats
tics was read by DR.. Cressy l.. Wilbur.
Superintendent of Vital Statistics for
49, n'saa II oressy san that STATISTICS
49, 49, not suillclehtiy respected. Ihey rep
resent tabulated facts. Vital statistics
trace the movement of population; their
study is the study of the condition and
t,, 49," VI the race AS such zoo mu'h
~. az cannon ne dtriouted 10 'hem'
49, ~ no, o'.iE temporary osc"'a-
, ..o,.s W population put also inc greateran
., Sisi.'i'taflt chanees hey are OF Ut
i'.os' vaIue IN suding sanitary legislation
warning of epidemic and infecttous Olsen
not be taken in cor,',inp ,hosn s sn,G
The 6I,inp on, ~ eva hiaoi, ra,',i,1 ,,,
tho state po,rd &c uoai.h sh,,Il, 49,, ~
duty of Tho local bna1th 49,, ,e.'I
of school clerks nc ,ou, >or,,,o,, ,,.a,. o,,,
of tho first ION Statos 70 adnnt ,,,oas,,,a,,
for sottsfac,or,. nor,,,,io., ~, 1.
istics. hut Vernon, ha. ,,a. ,a
Drovidcd for thoir r,,hltontt i.,t'
tion Il, cnr,ra te.1n an" i'H'l l'u'
Gov. +ba. ,hora -, ts - !. 10
is nov, n rno,,or,a,,. ,aosn -! ~ ~
mont and vicbi,a 49,, ~, e., e. anu
tho ,,,n 'N '''N ''s' " "uoPt
r, L, huon 80 ,,t H.. , ,
cu,sion of ~ ,,-,,ts ul'eneu ,n' MS
rh,sizod tba tr,,,h nr ~ pwIpu ne en-
ments and ,,r,,o, i,,ui 9'a'c
onh ,,itarr,,,, ny oce9S.H 81 care
" Rrnr,,,u ;,, i a., VIZ anu non -
"
na.d 20 ,e.. ~, 'p'nc u, 'iie
rer,ieo.,os IL ~ n'ii.s out ueath
coo ,hat ~, ~ 20 nra'.n oi,ccrH 10
s,,,ad ga NO. a''i vac ulS,"l.ti'
,,rs ;, .drnre'.t, ~ ..., DC MAR jan
IT, .ho a,,a,, u1 uo"'
on nlnnhing ', XIX ~ w, VA tlatu Paier
c,,,,,,, % D. i, 49, io'ioN'u' MI
detcat W n,r"e,i'no'o po'il,eu OUT certain
- .oI''i,l'' ~! P'ui'pihe' ana spoke
~ ni,,ina 'P'''iS III 'ie arrangement
- PiPe'
AFTERNOON SESSION.
AL the opening of the afternoon session
"a demonstration of the smoke test for
plumbing was given by Mr.. Buckley
Dr j. H. MCCOllum OF Boston read
paper on prophalaxis in contag ous dis
eases The germ theory, he said. was now
thoroughly established: hence the import
ance OF hacteriologv, now the most i'm
rortant of medical studies looking toward
the eradication of disease. Or. McCollum
treated eXhaustively the subjects Of va
rious contagious diseases. OF cholera h.
said that it is mildly infectious: II is most
often communicated through the water
supply by means OF the alimentary canal;
Its germs do not readily live in the air
Isolation and disinfection are the best
weapons against it. Typhoid is often
transmitted by milk, more often by water
Chloride Of lime is a good disinfectant
itil'N FEVER Is not spread by personal
contact. Recent experiments seem to show
that it is conveyed only by mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes may be got rid Of by drain
age and disinfccton Of their breeding
places with kerosene, This is also true of
malaria, diphtheria and scarlet levers are
especially apt to spread in public schools,
hence schools should be thoroughly in
spccted by the proper officers Small pox
is hest controlled by vaccination Too
much care cannot be taken in disinfecting
for all contagious diseases.
DR.. John Blodgett of Saxtons River ex-
pressed satisfaction in Vermonts pro-
Rressiveness. and in the effective charac-
ter of the state laboratory. He believed
influenza to he contagious, and that 1t
should be so treated.
Dir. b. II, Stone of this city read a pa
per on the value of blood examination.
The science was too recent, he said. to be
correctly measured. II Is, however of i'm
menso value in diagnosis. Some progress
mas hecn made toward the discovery of
the nature of immunity. The serum re-
action is almost conclusive in identifying
typhoid. The value of this branch Of the
la laboratory work cannot be overs stimated. !
Following DR.. stones paper, DR.. NJ j. /
Niltse of this city read "A paper on the
value of our Laboratory to the People"
lie especially requested that specimens
for analysis he sent in good faith, and be
accompanied with all available data. Ex-
tracts were read form large
number OF letters from states at
torneys, health officers and others
complimontng highly the Charac-
ter OF the work done in our laboratory.