Extracts from Correspondence.

EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE.

The correspondence of the Secretary's office is large and increasing. I present herewith such extracts therefrom as will serve to show something of what has been done in the way of sanitary work and organization in the State during the year. It will be observed that from a few counties no special matter appears in these pages: the explanation is that while returns were received from all parts of the State in such numbers as to give a very good general idea of the health conditions and the work done for their improvement those from the omitted counties were of such condensed character that it seemed impracticable to put them in form for publication without changes and additions which would have been so extensive as to be in violation of the rule adopted in preparing such matter for the press, viz., that of giving the reporter's own words, with such changes only as would put the matter into the form of a consecutive narrative.

The extracts that follow are arranged under the names of the counties from which they come, and, so far as practicable, the towns in each county stand in alphabetical order.

Sincere thanks are again tendered to all correspondents who have favored the Board with information of value not otherwise or more formally acknowledged heretofore or elsewhere.

ADAMS COUNTY.

Adams. There has been no form of epidemic sickness during the year in this place, and consequently no special sanitary work has been deemed necessary. Dysentery, Diarrhoea,

Extracts from Correspondence.

Cholera Morbus and Typhoid Fever have been the most important forms of sickness, but none of them has been remarkably severe; there were also a few cases of Measles. The health officer's compensation is per diem, and he is allowed travelling expenses at the rate of ten cents per mile. The chief obstacle encountered has been ignorance of the necessity for cleanliness; when people are better informed in this respect they become cautious and better results are obtained,

W. E. MCGOWAN, M. D., Health Officer.

Preston. A health board was organized in this town, but has met only once since organization. The health officer has no salary and no expense has been incurred.

An inspection of the town has been made, and such directions given as circumstances seemed to require. The place is in tolerably good condition, and nothing is known in the way of dangerous unsanitary conditions within our jurisdiction at present.

There has been nothing worse than Measles so far as contagious disease is concerned, during the past year, and thus far the health board has had very little to do.

G. W. BINGHAM, Health Officer.

ASHLAND COUNTY.

Ashland: city.-A board of health has been organized here, and endeavors to hold regular sessions. The health officer receives a salary, in addition to which there have been payments on account of sanitary work from the public treasury, making an aggregate expenditure of $800.00 on sanitary account for the part of the year covered by this report.

All back yards, alleys, etc., have been cleaned out, and some parts of the city that were in a very filthy condition, were greatly improved. Of existing unsanitary conditions, the worst is the lack of any system of sewerage, and the

Extracts from Correspondence.

consequent running of sewage water in our streets and alleys.

Diphtheria, Typhoid Fever, Measles and Diarrhoea have been the most important forms of sickness with which we have had to do. Of the last mentioned, there were some 500 cases, and of Measles, about 100, with an unusually large proportion of deaths. Typhoid Fever was severe in type, the deaths being ten in number, out of thirty cases.

The requirements of the law with regard to contagious diseases are not met as they should be.

J. A. MARCHESSAULT, M. D., Health Officer.

Butternut. A board of health was organized in April last, and has met with tolerable regularity, once a month since that time. The health officer has a per diem compensation, but beyond payments to him and the fees to the other members of the board, no expenditure has been made.

Yards, privies and wells, have been inspected once a month in the beginning of the season, latterly not so often. One well was found into which the drain from house and garden leaked, notwithstanding which the family, who had used the water for years, had experienced no ill effects and had had no serious sickness. Another case was found where the family had had their privý set over a drain or ditch so that with every heavy rain it was well flushed, but the excreta were washed down through the main street of the village and so into the creek. Both of these were promptly corrected. Considerable progress has been made in a sanitary direction, during the season, and we shall do more as fast as we can. Stagnant water stands in places where the main street is not properly ditched and graded, but this will soon be remedied.

We have had no contagious disease, beyond a few cases of Mumps, which occurred last spring. During July and August we had a large number of cases of Dysentery and Diarrhoea and a few of Cholera Infantum. Apart from

Extracts from Correspondence.

these, the sickness in the place has not differed from that of former years. We had four cases of Typhoid Fever, none fatal. Contagious diseases would be reported if any occurred.

JOHN R. THOMPSON, M. D., Health Officer.

Hurley.- A board of health has been duly organized in this place, and though meetings have been held only as called by the health officer, some effective work has been done. The health officer was instructed to spare nothing to benefit the sanitary conditions of the town, and about $200.00 has since been expended with that object in view, independently of the health officer's salary. All forms of nuisance have been continually watched and promptly abated whenever they appeared.

The special unsanitary condition here at present is the lack of any system of sewerage and the consequent poor drainage.

Typhoid Fever, Dysentery, etc., are the most important forms of disease with which we have to deal. There is very little of contagious character, and nothing worthy of special note in the manifestations of prevalent disorders. There is a total disregard of the requirements of the law so far as respects the reporting of contagious cases.

The chief obstacle here is the total ignorance of hygienic laws on the part of the community, a result of which is the complete disregard of all sanitary rules. Such defects could be remedied by the vigorous enforcement of our state laws. A. DESJARDINS, M. D., Health Officer.

BARRON COUNTY.

Barron: town and city.- Boards of health have been organized in both town and city for the present year, and in the latter the common council required the health board to meet regularly once in each month from May to October, both inclusive. The health officer is paid $2.00 a day for

Extracts from Correspondence.

actual services, but the time spent in attending meetings is not reckoned as service.

The health officer has made as much of a sanitary survey of the city as could be accomplished in one day. All the privies have the abominable vault, and as the soil is sandy, the question of soil contamination is only one of a little longer or shorter time, and the contamination of the wells will soon follow.

Pig-pens and manure heaps form the worst nuisances here in addition to the one just mentioned, and although orders have been given for their removal, it has not been satisfactorily accomplished.

Whooping Cough has been the most important form of contagious disease, and has caused a few deaths of small children; next to it Measles has ranked in point of number, and there have been some cases of Typhoid Fever and Diphtheria, the former having been the more severe.

The chief obstacle in the way of sanitary improvement here is the small value set on the services of the health offi. cer. No community has a right to expect that a physician in active practice will neglect his patients and act efficiently as health officer for the trifle that is offered by way of com. pensation.

W. H. ELLIS, M. D., Health Officer.

Cumberland: town.- A board of health has been organized here and holds meetings at intervals not more than thirty days apart, though not at any set times.

The health officer is paid per diem: three hundred dollars has been expended in all for sanitary work in this township during the year. Any member of the board may call a meeting when he deems it necessary. Slaughter-houses near the city of Cumberland are the most important forms of nuisance with which we have to deal.

Typhoid and Scarlet Fevers have been the chief contagious diseases that have visited us; the amount of sickness during the year has been much below the usual average.