Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-13
HEALTH BOARD
The 18th Annual Report
Made Public.
Full Report Of Smallpox Epi-
dsmic of 1923.
Other Infectious O;seases.-Consump
ton Kills More than All Others.

The 18th aiEu.Il report Of the State
f,"Irl q. lirait,, If the State Of Maine
j. at hand The. report makes a book
or 30 rancs. and contains Il large
amount OF interesting Information con-
K, ming the work OF the Board, and
also many PAGES of valuable statistics
Ia pr,.l,orins tn. 'eroIt, DIR. A. G.
Young. the secretary o. the board. has
gone into tns. details of Tie work most
thoroughly. and has handled the sub
iect matter in u way that not only rem.
ders it valuable from a scientific stand
point. but also makes ii interesting
reading.
A q, omine.l; subject which is cOnsid-
s.rea in the report is that Of Smallyo
,2s pages being taken UP in deal!
| with the matter, and included in which
is a complete record of the cases which
| occurred in Maine in 1923, with the
treatment of the same, together with
| the rules and regulations made by tft
board in regard TO vaccination in lum-
her camps, and other regulations, as
well as special orders of the board re-
sarding the quarantine of lumber
camps and other places where smallpox
exists which We're made by virtue of
the authority which was conferred up
| on the board by the Revised Statutes
Of 1903.
Many valuable suggestions are also
given as to disinfecting camps, cloth
Ing etc, and an interesting description
is given OF the inspection stations at
Sandy Bay township. on the old Can
ada road. above Jackman. and at Low
elltOwn. the first station on the Cam
adam Pacific railway coming into the
State from the west. and which have
been maintained for the past two lum-
Der seasons. The stations proved to be
very effective as a preventive against
bringing the disease into the State.
At Sandy Bay. arrangements We're
made with the hotel keeper to use his
hotel as an inspection station. Men
coming from Canada seeking work in
the woods were put to bed. their cloth
ing and bundles We're disinfected, they
took {: bichloride bath, were re-clothed
in their disinfected suits. they were
vaccinated. and a certificate was given
them showing what had been done for
them. At LowelltOwn. small building
was built in the fall of 1903 to serve as
disinfection station and for the
Judgement of the men while their CLOTH
ing was undergoing disinfection.
Most of the men came through on
The night train. They were required to
stay over until the morning train. and
meanwhile they We're lodged comfort
ably. packed in hunks not very COM
modious but comfortable, in long mar
row room with a stove in one end to
keep them comfortable. They
provided with OveraIls, jackets. and
blankets. Before getting into them,
they We're required to take a disinfect-
ing bath NJ the sink at the farther end
Of the room. Their clothing was car
ried out and around to the end of the
camp opposite to that in which the en-
trance was found. Here. there was a
disinfecting cabinet or closet with an
entrance from the outside in which the
clothing was hung up on hooks. or
otherwise. The Novy formaldehyde
generator was operated from the in
terror of the camp. and with it the
small air-tight enclosed space in which
the clothing was exposed was heavily
charged with fOrmaldehyde. In the
morning. the clothing was returned to
the men. they were vaccinated. and
went on to Jackman or to the other
points of destination arriving in the
day time instead of n little past mid
night.
OF the hundreds Of men that have
come through these two stations in the
past two years. not one has developed
smallpox after he has arrived in camp,
nor has there been a history Of the i'm
portation of infection into any camp
by these men. While they have I'M
doubtedly regarded the arrangement as
an Inconvenience. it has been the wish
of the State board to make it as little
obnoxious to them as possible.
For the incipient cases OF consump-
ton, the report recommends the
modern sanatorium treatment as Of |
fering by far the best chances of cure. |
and aside from this. 1t sends its gradu- |
ate patients out as sanitary mission |
aries. Each one Of them has had a |
systematic training. which is invalu-
able as safeguard against the COM
munication Of his disease to other per-
sons. whether he goes on to final cure |
or not. AS to the curative value Of the |
treatment, the evidence Of the nearly 50 |
years experience in Germany and Of 20 |
years in this country since Trudeau
started the work of his cottage sana-
torium in the Adirondacks. has been 80
conclusive that the movement for thus
saving the consumptive may well be
said to have become world wide.
The board regards with much hope
and some degree Of satisfaction, its
action in 1870 in interesting the public
and in the initiation Of 4 movement for
the establishment OF 4 sanatorium fo.
the help Of consumptives. the doors of
which will soon be opened to it's first |
lot Of patients. Thus far. what has
been accomplished has been made pos
sible by The donations. mostly small. |
from the people of our own State and a
few outside. Though the guiding idea
has Deen to make it Of the utmost value |
to our people. in the lack Of endow-
ments for free beds. or for the partial
support Of patients who need help. it
is, for the present. necessary to charge
each patient the actual cost Of his
board and treatment.
The work Of the laboratory of
hygiene in Augusta has been Of
very great value. and the work
for the laboratory has gradually |
and mite raDidly incroa ced Thus