Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-12
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Act On Bill For State Consulnptiye
 Sanitarium.

SQnltQf1um.
 The Connecticut state board of health held their quarterly session yes-s lerday afternoon and evening in the office of the secretary at New Haven. Among the members of the board present were Professor William H. Brewer, Ph. D., president; ProIessor c. A. Lindsley, NJ. D., secretary; K. s. Goodwin, M. D., of SouthIngton; T. Fl. Mckenzle, c. E., of Southlngton, and Attorney H. G. Newton of New Ha- yea
 Besides the routine business of the meeting two important matters came up, one relating to a petition present. ed by citizens residing aIong West river, in complaint of the adjacent mills and factories which, they alleged polluted the waters of the stream, making it menace to health and a public nuisance. The other matter re- ferred to certain measures to be pro- posed to the state legislature at it's present session.
 The petition with regard to abating the West river nuisance was read by Professor Lindsley. During the heat of summer. when the stream is low, it is offensive to frequenters of the park and those who live by the stream. According to the report of one of the physicians present, there is from three to five times more sickness in that section than in any other part of the town.
 In regard to the Pond Lily mill, some dyestuffs which are manufactur- ed there occasionally escape into the river and dlscoIor it, but cause no fur ther harm. The dyestuns are valua ble and measures have been taken to pre- vent this waste in future.
 A member of the park commission was present to substatiate the com plaint, as well as A1r Sargent, who represented the Yale Field association The latter's remarks were directed against the soap factory located near the field. which. he said, would be come objectionable when the flats near the field should be filled and convert ed for athletic purposes. MT Sargent did not complain especially of the foul odor which comes from the factory which is not at present discernible to those who use the field, except in passing. In time of high water in the spring, however, the refuse products of the factory are washed into the StlSuIl anu SpIcdu stDOul lle uaCS, thus making an extension of the field objectionable until the factory is re moved.
 In view of the above mentioned pc tition it was voted that the entire state board of health should, at the call of the secretary, visit this stream for the purpose of Inspecting it and make a report. Later Professor Linds- mi tiYnfr t1,N for approval of the board, remarked upon this matter of abatement of nuisances, saying that during the past year many hundreds of cases had been presented to representatives of the board and had been met successfully, most of them without litigation. He objected strenuously 10 requiring writ ten and signed complaints, saying that they bred neighborhood Quarrels and tended against detecting nuisances The section of the annual report with regard 10 tuberculosis was of especial interest. pr Lindsley de- claring that consumption is no longer regarded as hereditary, that it is merely contagious. Certain persons I may inherit a weakness which makes them susceptible, but they must ''catch'' the disease and do not in- herit it. Consumptive germs are com municated from the dried spittlc of the | sufferers, which float about in houses and in public places.
 In this connection a. bill has recent | ly been prepared by Dr Pratt of Tor rington, to be presented to the ,legis. iature for an appropriation of $1OO.OOC l for the construction of q state Sanitar- | ium for consumptives. The board heartily approved of this measure. In l StitutionS of this kind have been used l by various European countries and in America with marked success, in Eng 1 land reducing the number of consump tives by 90 per cent during the last | half of the century. The disease caI be cured in its incipient stages, and the | advantage of q Connecticut santa Jun | will be in providing for the lasSes among whom are the majority of suf ferers. who cannot afford to leave fol a better climate, and remain here t( | spread the contagiOn among theil l relatives and friends. A committee was appointed iron the board to appear and argue for thi. bill before the general assembly. Pub lie interest has been aroused on tht subject and the measure will probabl,
 be adopted. The members of thi:
 committee are Professor William II
 Brewer, Ph. D., Professor C. A. Linds
 ley. NJ. D., and II. G. Newton. of New
 Haven, and R. s. Goodwin, NJ. SD., O.
 Thomaston.
 The members of the board are high
 ly gratitied at the award of q silve
 medal given to their exhibit at tn
 Paris exposition. Their system of re
 ports, documents of registration. etc
 is the best in this state, or of an,
 state in the Union. and it was votet
 last night to send the same exhibit t
 the coming exposition at Buffalo.