body had their origin in disease infections demonstrated to have resulted from the consumption of oysters grown in polluted areas.

The following is from the report of E. C. Sullivan of the United States Public Health Service relative to a survey conducted by him during June, 1925:

"This survey showed that Hampton Harbor was the only section in this State where clams were dug on a commercial scale. The entire coast-line was traveled by automobile and inquiries of clam dealers, roadside restaurants and U. S. Coast Guard stations, revealed no additional producing areas. The report on the Hampton Harbor section is given in the attached sheets.

Portsmouth Section

"There is a limited amount of clam digging by individuals, mainly from Portsmouth, for their own use, along the banks of the Piscataqua River above Portsmouth; along the main channel of the river at New Castle, below the City of Portsmouth; along the shores of Leach Island, southwest of New Castle, and along the shores of Little Harbor, south of New Castle.

"A considerable amount of sewage enters the Piscataqua River from the City of Portsmouth having a population of 13,568 (1920 census), and located about 4 miles from the mouth of the river, and also from the City of Dover of 13,209 population, located about 16 miles from the river mouth. There is also some sewage entering the river from the town of Kittery, located on the opposite side of the river in Maine.

"The sewage of the town of New Castle which probably includes not more than 150-200 houses (estimated), is discharged by two sewers, one into the main channel of the river, and the other into the shoal water toward Goat Island to the west of the town.

"The sewage disposal system of the Hotel Wentworth, at New Castle, a hotel having a capacity of 300 guests and 250 employees, was also investigated. It was found that the system discharged in a northwest direction, into a small cove, enclosed by breakwaters, located in the rear of the hotel. Inquiry was made as to where the hotel obtained the clams served to the guests, and it was learned that the clams were obtained from Ipswich, Massachusetts.

"It was likewise noted that there was a sewer discharge from a summer cottage into Little Harbor, within several hundred feet distance of a beach where clams are reported to be dug for individual use. This cottage is located on Wentworth Road to New Castle just before the bridge leading to the island is reached.

"When in Portsmouth, the establishment of Geo. A. Foye & Company, a local wholesale fish dealer, who is reported to handle most of the clams sold in Portsmouth, was visited. It was learned that the clams sold by this firm were obtained during the summer from Hampton Harbor and were sent to this firm by shippers at Hampton Beach, named C. H. Moody and E. A. Page. The summer shipments averaged about 11⁄2 barrels per week of shell clams and 25-30 gallons of shucked clams. During the winter months from September 15th to June 15th, when Maine no longer prohibits the shipping of claims out of the State, the Foye Company obtains clams from Ira A. Chadbourne, a shipper at Wells Beach, Maine. The shipments then average about 20 gallons per week of shucked clams and from 3 to 5 barrels per week of shell clams.

"The Foye store was a typical fish market, the general sanitary conditions being satisfactory. Most of the benches were metal covered and water from the public supply of Portsmouth was conveniently available in several sinks in the store.

"One decidedly objectionable feature in the handling of the clams by the Foye Company, was noted. It has been the practice to place the shell clams which were on hand at the end of the week on Friday or Saturday, in a box which was located on the bank of the Pascataqua River in the rear of the store, in order that the clams might be kept alive to be sold the following week. This box was located 200 or 300 feet below the outlet of one of the large sewers of the city. The Foye Company promised to discontinue the practice where attention was called to the danger of the practice.

"It is felt that it may be concluded even from a casual survey of the Portsmouth section, that there is a considerable possibility that individuals digging clams along the Piscataqua River might obtain them from badly polluted areas of the river. This is not so definitely true in the case of Little Harbor and the Leach Island area, but the danger of pollution of sections of the flats by the limited number of summer cottages cannot be entirely discounted. It would seem advisable that the proper official agency, such as the State Board of Health or the local health department of Portsmouth, warn the citizens accustomed to digging clams for their use of the danger involved. There is, to be sure, a factor of safety in the fact that the clams are soft shell clams, practically all of which are cooked before consumption.

Hampton Harbor Section

"The clams from this area are small green colored soft shell clams. It is stated that they must be made use of moderately soon after digging as they will not "hold up" for a very long period of time. The largest flat where the best clams are dug, is on the

South Seabrook side of the harbor. This flat includes a considerable portion of the harbor and is separated by the shore by a somewhat deeper channel. Clams, in addition, are reported to be dug along the shore on the Hampton side of the harbor and along the Taylor River and Hampton Falls River as far up as to where the Boston & Maine Railroad Line crosses the Hampton Marsh. The clams from these latter places are less satisfactory in color and it was stated that it is not advisable to obtain clams from the creeks during the summer months as they are likely to spoil quickly at that season of the year.

"From a general survey of the area, there does not appear to be any sewers from houses or groups of houses discharging into the streams or marshes inland. On the Seabrook side of the harbor, there is a group of eighteen or twenty cottages or shanties, grouped along the shore adjacent to the clam flat. There is also a few additional houses scattered through the marshland on this side of the harbor. Practically all of these houses are provided with open pit privies dug in the sand.

"On the Hampton side, there is located Hampton Beach, which has a summer population of from 5,000 to 8,000 people, which is well sewered. On Sundays and holidays, the population of the Beach is sometimes increased three or four fold by additional people, coming mostly by automobile. The winter population is reported to be very limited, not more than 30 families having resided there during the winter of 1924-25. Hampton Beach has a public water supply being derived from wells located inland near the town of Hampton. The State Board of Health reports the water to be of satisfactory sanitary quality.

"The sewage of Hampton Beach is discharged into the ocean by means of 3-12" outlets. One of these outlets is located near Boars Head and another about midway down the beach, approximately in front of the Casino. The third outlet is situated near the entrance to the Hampton Harbor. These outlets originally extended 800' into the sea. Due to damages to the sewer outlet near the entrance of Hampton Harbor, there has been a plan to relocate this outlet more directly at the mouth of the river, but no definite action has been taken.

"Prior to the construction of the sewerage system at the Beach, the Casino, a moderately large amusement building had a private sewer discharging into the marsh in the rear of the beach. According to the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen of the town, this sewer is still in existence, connected into the beach system, but with a plug in the line to prevent discharging ordinarily into the marsh. This connection said to be an 6" one, was last used according to the Selectmen in the spring of 1924, at the time of the

spring freshets. An inspection in the rear of the Casino showed a ditch, full of water, leading out to a pool or rivulet in the marsh. Deposits of waste material, mainly kitchen waste, was present in the ditch. Whether the old Casino sewer discharges into this ditch could not be definitely ascertained.

"At the lower end of Hampton Beach, near the entrance to Hampton Harbor, at the section known as White Rocks, there is a group of perhaps fifty houses which are not connected to the sewerage system. The sewage disposal for these houses consists of pit privies dug in the sand. Similarly, through the marsh back of the beach, there is a scattering of about 35 houses and shacks located at various places. A few of these houses are located along the shore of Hampton Harbor. With the underlying sandy soil, however, the danger from the pit privies would seem limited.

"Most of the persons digging clams live on the South Seabrook side of the harbor and scattered through the village of South Seabrook. A few live on the Hampton side of the harbor. Many of the Seabrook group dig clams during the summer months but work at pegging shoes or in shoe factories during the winter months.

"The scheme under which clams are handled is for the individual to dig them, then to take the clams to his house where the shucking is done, often with the assistance of other members of the family. Later, the shucked clams are either collected by or delivered to one of the several dealers or shippers. The dealer or shipper washes the shucked clams of their shell liquor, packs and ices them and then distributes them.

"The shucking of the clams is usually carried out in a very primitive fashion, either in insanitary barns or sheds, in the yard or in the house. In one instance noted, the work was being done in an old disused stable. Various members of the family were seated on the floor of the stable shucking the clams into rusty tin pails, old wooden buckets and even into a small wash basin partly filled with unshucked clams and liquor from previous shucking Children would shuck a few clams, roll on the floor for awhile and then resume the work.

"The most customary method of work, however, usually is to have a large galvanized iron wash tub. In the tub is placed a bucket full of unshucked clams and a tin can, often very rusty, for holding the shucked clams. The shells, after shucking, are dropped into the wash tub between the cans. The person doing the shucking sits over the tub while shucking in such a manner that the surplus liquid on his hands often drips down upon the clams previously shucked. One man can dig about three bushels of clams, or from five to seven gallons when shucked, per tide.

"The village of South Seabrook, includes 150 to 200 houses. There is no public water supply, water being obtained from individual wells near the houses. It is fortunate that the washing of the shucked clams is done by the shipper rather than the shucker since this limits somewhat the further contamination of the clams with polluted well water. The sewage disposal in the village is practically entirely by means of pit privies. The only other principal source of revenue to the townspeople besides clamming, is farming and the pegging of shoes, the latter being a considerable industry in this section a generation ago.

"The largest shipper of clams is Jerome A. Chase whose residence and shipping plant is located on the main road to Hampton Falls about one-half mile north of Smithtown. At the present time, he purchases clams from about ten men who dig, collecting them daily by automobile. Mr. Chase stated that he handled mostly shucked clams, although he does no shucking at his shipping plant, all the shucked clams purchased being shucked by the persons who dug them. His shipments of clams average about 100 gallons per week of shucked, and 2-3 barrels per week of shell clams. The shipments of shucked clams sometimes reach as much as 200 gallons per week and sometimes drop as low as 75 gallons per week.

"Clams which are dug in the morning, are then shucked, and later collected by Mr. Chase. They are then washed by the latter at his open shed and placed in tin shipping cans which are used for repeated shipments until quite rusty. Some of the cans, just returned, were noted to be rusted considerably. After packing, the cans of clams are placed in an old disused large ice box in which there are several water-tight boxes in which the cans of clams are placed surrounded by ice water. The following morning, as a rule, they are shipped, a small amount of ice being placed in the crate around the can. Mr. Chase estimates that it does not take more than two days from the time the clams are dug until they reach the retail dealer. It was stated that there is sometimes a surplus of five to ten gallons of clams which are held over until the next day before shipment. Mr. Chase has not special provisions for the washing of the tin cans used for shipments, when returned or before use. It is claimed that they are washed out with hot water carried from the house.

"On the whole, the sanitary conditions at Mr. Chase's place of business are fairly satisfactory, although there is considerable room for improvement. Better facilities for the handling of the clams, proper facilities for the sterilizing or scalding with hot water of all utensils and cans used, and improved icing facilities would seem to be advisable improvements. Also, the repeated use of the tin cans used for shipments until quite rusty, should be discontinued.