APPENDIX B.

REPORTS OF INSPECTIONS.

- 1. Inspection at Natrona, Allegheny county, by J. R. Thompson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

2. Inspection at Mansfield, Tioga county, by E. D. Payne, M. D., Medical Inspector. 3. Inspection at Berwick, Columbia county, by Wm. Leiser, Jr., M. D., Medical Inspector.

4. Inspections at Oxford and Lincoln, Chester county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

5. Inspection at Greensburg, Westmoreland county, by W. E. Mathews, M. D., Medical Inspector.

6. Inspection at Rockwood, Somerset county, by C. L. Gummert, M. D., Medical Inspector.

7. Inspection at Bridgeport, Montgomery county, by Howard E. Murphy, C. E., member of the Board.

8. Inspection at Patterson, Juniata county, by A. B. Brumbaugh, M. D., Medical Inspector.

9. Inspection at Blairsville, Indiana county, by W. E. Matthews, M. D., Medical Inspector.

10. Inspection at Langhorne, Bucks county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

11. Inspections at Bensalem, Bucks county and at Mechanicsville, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

12. Action regarding an outbreak of Diphtheria at or near Monroeton, Bradford county, by E. D. Payne, M. D., Medical Inspector.

13. Inspection of the Devon Inn Drainage Scheme, Berwyn, Chester county, by Dr. G. G. Groff, Presidentpro. tem., Dr. Pemberton Dudley, Dr. S. T. Davis, Howard Murphy, C. E., and Dr. Benjamin Lee, Secretary.

14. Inspection of the Drainage of the State Normal School at Millersville, Lancaster county, by the Board.

15. Inspection at State College, Centre county, by C. B. Dudley, M. D., Medical Inspector.

16. Inspection at Edgehill, Montgomery county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

17. Inspection at Sharon Hill, Delaware county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

18. Report on contamination of the Loyalhanna river, at Saltsburg, Indiana county, by J. R. Thompson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

19. Report on the Beaver Falls river water, by J. R. Thompson, M. D., Medica¡ Inspector.

20. Inspection at Wallingford, Delaware county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

21. Inspection at Pottstown, Montgomery county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

22. Inspection of the Anderson Water Purifier Scheme, at Lardner's Point Pumping Station, Delaware river, September 27, 1890. Benjamin Lee, M. D., Secretary.

23. Inspection at Bethlehem, Northampton county, by Chas. McIntire, M. D., Medical Inspector.

24. Inspection at Newville, Cumberland county, by R. L. Sibbet, M. D., Medical Inspector.

25. Inspection of Devon Inn Drainage, at Berwyn, Delaware county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

26. Inspection of Horatio, Jefferson county, by Spencer M. Free, M. D., Medical Inspector.

27. Inspection at Sunbury, Northumberland county, by Wm. Leiser, M. D., Medical Inspector.

28. Inspection at Chambersburg, Franklin county, by R. L. Sibbet, M. D., Medical Inspector.

29. Inspection at State Line, Franklin county, by C. L. Gummert, M. D., Medical Inspector.

30. Inspection at Norwood, Delaware county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

31. Inspection at Dauphin, Dauphin county, by Paul A. Hartman, M. D., Medical Inspector.

32. Inspection at Bethlehem, Northampton county, by Chas. McIntire, M. D.,

Medical Inspector.

33. Inspection at Farrandsville, Clinton county, by Spencer M. Free, M. D., Medical Inspector.

34. Inspection of Punxsutawney, Jefferson county, by S. M. Free, M. D., Medical Inspector.

35. Inspection relative to Leprosy in Chester, Delaware county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

36. Inspection of Lenni and vicinity, Delaware county, by Wm. B. Atkinson, M. D., Medical Inspector.

1-INSPECTION AT NATRONA, ALLEGHENY COUNTY

By J. R. THOMPSON, M. D., Medical Inspector.

PITTSBURGH, November 27 1889.

A small run passes through a culvert under the railroad to the Allegheny river. On either side of the run we have the rear ends of the houses which front on the two streets running parallel with it towards the river. These houses probably number one hundred in all with privy annex buildings amounting to about fifty, which empty into the run. At places, the run is logged up on either side to make it deeper, and a better receptacle for hiding the filth thrown into it. At other places the run is full of growing weeds which retard the sluggish progress of the filth on its way to the river. The occupants of one of the houses have gone so far as to erect an open hopper and spout attachment to their privy, and the fæcal matter can be seen running along the spout and dropping into the run. The remedy for this state of affairs is to remove the culvert at the railroad and place it about three hundred feet down the said road in the direction of Pittsburgh, from thence the water will be conducted by a natural channel to the river,

thus avoiding the town entirely. This change, including new culvert under the railroad, will cost less than one hundred dollars. As long as this run passes through the town so long will these people continue to deposit filth of all kinds in it.

The justice of the peace is William H. Drury: the supervisor of Harrison township is James Mitchell Sr.; the town is not a borough. Besides the privies, two slaughter houses empty into the run.

2.-INSPECTION AT MANSFIELD, TIOGA COUNTY.

By E. D. PAYNE, M. D., Medical Inspector.

TOWANDA, PA., March 12, 1890.

I have made an inspection of the premises mentioned in that order, and have to report that, in my opinion, the conditions do not call for any action on the part of the State Board of Health.

The facts are these: In the village of Mansfield, Tioga county, there is a lot situated on Sullivan street, in a well settled part of the town, owned by a Mrs. -- -. This lot has a depression in it of an area of fifty by one hundred feet and could be brought to the general level of the rest of the lot by a filling of one foot and a half on the average. I can see no conditions about it to justify the designation of a swamp. Adjacent to this lot lives a Mr. father of the young man who made the complaint. has some chronic illness which the family attribute to the fact of her living near this place. But two different physicians who have attended her inform me that her illness and this low ground complained of, do not bear to each other the relation of cause and effect; neither is there, nor has there been, any other cause of illness which is thought to be due to this place as a cause.

Mrs.

In my opinion it is simply a question of drainage, to be determined by the borough authorities, as to whether it shall be filled up to the general level or to wait the completion of a proposed system of sewerage and then drain into that. One or the other of these methods will need to be adopted, for the ground is too low to drain into the streets.

3-INSPECTION AT BERWICK, COLUMBIA COUNTY.

By WM. LEISER. Jr., M. D., Medical Inspector.

LEWISBURG, UNION Co., PA., December 18, 1889. I visited Berwick, Columbia county, Pennsylvania, on Friday, November 30, 1889, and inspected its contemplated new water supply. Berwick is now supplied with water from a spring situated at the 7 BD. HEALTH.

base of the hill on which the town is built, right along the river bank, and but little above low-water mark. This spring is subject to overflow in all moderate freshets, at which time its water and that of the river freely mix and are in a manner one.

The town is built on a hill of stones and gravel, and it is probable that the spring above-mentioned drains the sewage of the town. Surface water and water thrown into cesspools immediately sink away out of sight. The town, however, has always been healthy, and the water is pronounced "good" on chemical examination. The present supply is said to be insufficient for the demands of the place. The principal manufacturing establishment, the Jackson & Woodin Manufacturing Company, requires about six hundred thousand gallons per day, but do not use the water from the above spring on account of its being hard. This company is very anxious to have soft water for its manufacturing purposes, and hence seeks another source of supply. The distance from the town to where it is proposed to make the dam or reservoir for the new supply is about three miles. The stream that is to furnish the water is large and capable of furnishing about one and a half millions gallons of water per day, when down to low-water mark, a quantity sufficient for the use of the town. This stream has its origin in mountain springs, and drains the surface water from barren waste lands and about twenty-five farms under cultivation and with dwellings and barns and out-houses, etc., thereon. At present the refuse from houses and barn-yards drains directly into this stream. The advantages of the proposed new water supply are, first, that the supply is abundant, thus diluting impurities; and, second, the habitations within the area drained by it are comparatively few. The disadvantage is that there are any habitations at all drained by it. If the entire basin were bought by the company and all habitations removed therefrom, and the land allowed to remain as waste land, the stream would furnish typical water. But if this should be impracticable, owing to the value of the land, yet, if the company should keep a vigilant supervision over the stream and the area drained by it, preventing all direct contamination of the water from the barns and dwellings now thereon, or that may hereafter be erected thereon, and should have those barns and privies that are now adjacent to the stream removed therefrom a proper distance and prevent any others from being located near the stream, in such case I should be inclined to consider the water reasonably good for domestic use.

4-INSPECTION AT OXFORD AND LINCOLN, CHESTER COUNTY.

By Wм. B. ATKINSON, M. D., Medical Inspector.

I went to Oxford on March 24, and carefully examined into the condition of affairs in connection with the cases of diphtheria that had occurred in that place. By the most thorough investigation I was not able to trace a direct connection between them, but I am satisfied that the vital importance of the most complete isolation is not always understood. In every case of infectious disease, it is the first duty of the medical attendant, after the diagnosis is no longer doubtful, to see that the case is placed under thorough quarantine; that every person should be forbidden to hold any communication in any way with the affected person and nurse, unless under special necessity, and then with every precaution to prevent the spread of the disease. It would be well to remove, at least from the floor occupied by the patient, if not from the house, every inmate that could be sent away.

While taking care not to alarm the inhabitants of the vicinity, care should be taken that they are informed of the infectious nature of the attack and are duly cautioned against unnecessary exposure to it.

The disease having ceased to exist, no further action will be needed in this locality. I was informed that in each instance, disinfection was practiced under the advice and direction of the medical attendants, and tnat all infected clothing had been properly disposed of.

On the same day I went to Lincoln, and found but one person ill, and that with a mild form of the disease. At the same time I examined the premises of the university and made sundry suggestions which I deemed useful relative to the hygienic surroundings.

I have not thought well to burden my report with a record of the cases. I took the opportunity to see each person that I could learn had, in any way, been brought in contact with these cases, and impressed on each the great danger of involuntarily aiding in the spread of disease and the importance of avoiding future cases.

I am glad to announce that at latest accounts both of these places were free from the disease.

5-INSPECTION AT GREENSBURG, WESTMORELAND COUNTY.

By W. E. MATTHEWS, M. D., Medical Inspector,

I made inspection at Greensburg yesterday. The charter of the place was granted in 1799, and no changes have been since made. Under this charter the borough authorities cannot enforce any law that conflicts with private property-e. g.-Here is a man that has a privy