REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY AND SANITATION

Dr. Charles Duncan, Secretary, State Board of Health.

DEAR SIR-Herewith is a report of the work of the Division of Chemistry and Sanitation for the biennial period ended June 30th, 1926.

Staff Changes

The activities of the division have been more than usually handicapped during the period in consequence of resignations. In June, 1924, Mr. Alfred H. Fletcher was appointed assistant sanitary engineer and served until February 1925, when he left to assume a similar state position elsewhere at a largely increased salary. Mr. Paul B. Marner, appointed as Mr. Fletcher's sucecssor, remained but a year, resigning early in the spring of 1926 to avail himself of a much more remunerative position in the health department of another state. He has been succeeded by Mr. Leonard W. Trager, . a graduate of the University of Iowa. Such short periods of service have unavoidably meant interruption of investigations commenced, as well as no little time lost incidental to gaining the necessary familiarity with methods and the field of operation involved. While both of these gentlemen did good work, no detailed statement indicating their operations along the various lines involved can be presented here.

During the past three summer seasons Mr. Bernard E. Proctor, an instructor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has given valuable aid as assistant sanitary engineer on camp inspection work. Early in 1926, Mr. John P. Head, who had served efficiently as senior assistant chemist for five years, resigned, being succeeded by Mr. Nathan Civen. It is unfortunate that under the inflexible system in force it is impossible to give adequate recognition, financially, to special ability. Because of the technical

and highly varied nature of the duties involved in this office, the resignation of the clerk who had for a considerable period rendered service of an exceptional order operated as a serious handicap.

In view of the growth in recent years of the activities and demands upon this division, as well also because of the increase in the amount of diagnostic work, it has for some time been obvious that one clerk serving both branches of the Laboratory of Hygiene is not enough, whatever may have been true for the conditions of a dozen years ago. Attention may be called to the fact that this situation has already been referred to in each of the three preceding reports of the Board. Because of its nature, the work of the diagnostic department is properly to be regarded as the more urgent, and its reports and correspondence therefore entitled to receive the right of way over all other matter, the result being that this division has available only such of the clerk's time as may not be otherwise connsumed.

It should not require much investigation to reach the realization that at this day the work of the Division of Chemistry and Sanitation also is of such nature and extent as to very easily call for the full time of at least one clerk, and that its really proper and effective conduct renders this indispensable. To be compelled to endeavor to get on with but part time clerical assistance means an intolerable situation, one it is quite safe to state is unequalled in any other continuously functioning state office.

It is to be admitted that a considerable obstacle in the way of a solution of this problem is in the fact that the only office space available for the work of both divisions is a tiny room 9x13', already absurdly overcrowded by necessary office furniture and supplies. Some arrangement must however be worked out.

Investigations for Other Departments

Under a construction of a clause in the Medical Referee law this department has hitherto been called upon to per

form a relatively large amount of work in connection with the making of analyses of intoxicating liquors for the Prohibition Office and local police departments, to the detriment of its more legitimate activities. Fortunately, under a changed policy in the prosecution of cases of this character, the submission of samples during the past two years has dropped off quite substantially. At the present time a majority of the samples brought in are such as involve question as to the degree of fermentation, and but few spirituous liquors are received.

Investigations in Criminal Matters

The work along chemico-legal lines under the Medical Referee law has continued in about the same volume as formerly. As is but little appreciated, this work is of highly specialized character, being outside the scope of normal health department activities, demands a great deal of time, and is handled exclusively by the Chemist personally. The conditions under which it must here be carried out, in the general chemical laboratory and in conjunction with routine analytical operations, are not satisfactory and not in keeping with practice elsewhere. Another room for special chemical operations is one of the needs of this department.

New Laws

Four new laws enacted at the 1925 session, the enforcement of which devolves upon this division, are (1) bottler's licensing and registration law, (2) juvenile camp licensing law, (3) household chemicals law, and (4) law regulating the composition of embalming fluids. While but little has as yet been done on the latter, a great deal of time and attention have been devoted to the enforcement of the first three named, and the present situation as to all these is satisfactory. Manifestly, the three named not only add materially to the work of the laboratory but call for increased clerical and inspection service, something which should be provided. That all of these are very worth while

to our citizens is evident not only from the conditions revealed but from the knowledge that other states already have or are planning to adopt similar laws.

Legislation Recommended

Tourist Camps. Legislation is needed for the more effective handling of the problem of tourist camps and roadside places of refreshment. This should provide for a system of licensing, with specific provision empowering the state board of health to formulate appropriate regulations for the sanitary conduct of such places. In so far as the Sanitary Food law applies to this proposition considerable attention has already been given. Other aspects involved, however, are not adequately covered by existent statutes.

Dairy Laws. The milk inspection law of the state is both meager and antiquated. Practically, this deals only with the adulteration phase, nowadays recognized as of relatively minor importance. There is need of a complete new code, in which shall be embodied rules of sanitary conduct and standards of quality, along the lines contained in laws now generally in effect in other progressive states.

Household Chemical Law. The household chemical law has amply proven its worth but it is sufficiently obvious that this requires amending, so as to extend its provisions in a number of particulars. A unique feature of this law is the safety branding requirement as applying to household ammonia. Incidentally, investigations by this department have disclosed that there is a considerable tendency to fraud and misrepresentation in the sale of this very commonly used article, a legion of brands of which are on sale at the present time. The variation in strength on bottles of the same size and selling for the same money has been found to be enormous, no small number of manufacturers being free at offering products, weak almost to the point of worthlessness, as "strong," "very strong," "extra strong," "high test" and "concentrated." There is obvious need of an official standard of strength, and on this point our investi

gation have satisfied us that ten percent is a fair and reasonable figure, one that is already being met by many manufacturers and which would, it is believed,be acceptable to all save a few rather prominent makers, who have become wedded to the making of low test products and some of whom are distributing these under false and misleading claims.

As

Water. What has been said concerning needed milk legislation, also applies in somewhat lesser degree to our laws concerning water and water supplies, some of the more fundamental of which were adopted upwards of a generation or more ago, at a time when ideas and practices in this respect were quite different from what they are now. was necessary at the time, these older laws place the control of purity largely upon the city or town, whereas under modern laws everywhere, this control is properly vested in the state health department, as being an impartial body peculiarly competent to administer such matters..

It is of course a fact that, in actual practice, the state board of health does exercise active inspection and control, and has done so for many years, but this does not alter the fact that its statutory powers in this respect are weak or vague in character. Cases arise where communities must be protected against their own ignorance and indifference and at times this calls for direct action based upon the exer; cise of clearly defined mandatory powers.

Cosmetic Control. A bill to this end introduced at the 1925 session failed of passage. No one can question the value or salutary effects of our laws regulating the sale of foods and medicines. Those preparations, however, designed for the enhancement of personal appearance, do not in most cases come within the purview of these laws and we are powerless to check, by any effective means, the abuses and health hazards which have long been associated with the distribution of certain forms of these articles.

As serving to give some idea concerning the present remarkable extent of this industry and the corresponding