it is possible to attain. Until our death records show a vastly reduced mortality from consumption, diphtheria, scarlet fever, typhoid fever, and other preventable diseases, there must be maintained an unceasing and untiring effort, educational and executive, to accomplish the grand and beneficent results which sanitary science has made possible.

SANITATION AT OUR SUMMER RESORTS.

The sanitary condition of our summer resorts hotels, boarding houses, parks, and even farm houses where summer boarders are taken There - is, as a whole, most excellent. has been during the past few years an increasing appreciation of the advantages of sanitation among the class who receive summer boarders. With this class it has become identified with full houses and financial prosperity-a lesson which should with equal force be impressed upon town and municipal administrations. The summer tourist is contributing to the prosperity of the State to a degree surpassed only, if at all, by the manufacturing and agricultural interests. Indeed, may be truthfully said that but for the summer visitor, agriculture in New Hampshire would be at a much lower ebb than it is at the present time.

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The average tourist has a wholesome fear of unsanitary conditions and unhygienic surroundings, and our State would not be the resort of the thousands who annually visit it if sanitation were not carefully and duly considered by those who entertain them at hotels and country homes. Large sums of money are annually expended to maintain and improve the sanitary conditions of our hotels, boarding and farm houses, for the special purpose of providing every essential to the comfort and good health of the visitor. work is so effectively done that an outbreak of any disease traceable to defective drainage, polluted water or the like is remarkably rare among the tens of thousands that sojourn with us during the summer and autumn months. We have always maintained that the State should protect to its utmost ability the health of the summer visitor, and to that end we

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have constantly sought to secure the most healthful environments at all places to which he is invited. The results have been of the most gratifying character. Many of those who have money invested at summer resorts fear an outbreak of any disease of a zymotic nature more than they do a fire, for such an occurrence means an injury to their business from which it would take a long time to recover; hence good sanitation, with constant watchfulness to maintain it, is their only insurance against loss from disease. To this fact may be attributed very largely the excellent sanitary conditions that characterize most of our summer resort hotels. Of course it is not to be asserted that there are no exceptions to this general statement, but it is a matter of state congratulation that they are so few.

With our grand mountains, the charming valleys, the beautiful lakes and streams, the invigorating atmosphere, delightful hotels and attractive farm houses, and good sanitation, we can welcome the constantly increasing thousands to our State with every reasonable assurance that the chief objects for which they come - health, recreation, and happiness - will be secured.

LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH.

Legally, every town in the State has a board of health or a health officer, by virtue of the law that makes the board of selectmen a board of health if none other is elected or appointed; but as an actual fact, many of the smaller towns have no active board. In only a very few towns do the selectmen make efficient health officers. They are elected wholly for the purpose of administering the business and financial affairs of the town, without regard to any qualifications as health officers, and they not infrequently know little or nothing of the duties pertaining to the latter office. This is not as it should be. There is no town in the State, however small, that may not be benefited by the wise and intelligent work, instructions, and recommendations of a well qualified health officer or board of health. The law provides

that the selectmen may appoint health officers when none are elected, but that they shall appoint if so petitioned by ten legal voters. In some towns the selectmen, recognizing the importance of the office, appoint without delay; in others a petition has been necessary to secure the appointment; while in a larger number of instances no action whatever is taken. However, there are a good number of local boards of health in the State doing valuable and efficient work for their respective towns, and among this number are a few boards of selectmen than whom no better health officers could be found. Nevertheless, the average board of selectmen does not make a competent board of health, and we would recommend that the law be so changed as to require in the smaller towns the appointment of a well qualified person to act as health officer, and a board of health in the larger towns. We believe such action would improve the public health service of the State.

The aggregate amount of work accomplished by local health officers throughout the State is very great, and is of incomparable benefit to the commonwealth. The progress in this direction from year to year is one of the tangible proofs of an increasing public recognition of the value of sanitation to public and private interests.

WATER SUPPLIES.

Until within a comparatively recent period a public water supply, from an ample source, distributed by means of pipes, and for which a reasonable annual charge should be made, was thought to be impracticable and unprofitable, except in the cities. Even the larger towns, like Rochester (now a city), Laconia, Lebanon, Littleton, Claremont, Lisbon, and others, until recently had no system of water-works that could be called a public supply. These towns, as well as nearly every village in the State, depended almost wholly upon wells for water for domestic uses. Ten years ago this Board commenced the work of pointing out to the public the manifest dangers lurking in the wells of a settled community, or

in any locality where soil pollution exists, and the work has been continued to the present time. Diseases due to contaminated water have been repeatedly shown up in our annual reports. The analysis of the water in hundreds of wells in the State have proven the truth of the doctrine taught, until the public mind has become thoroughly convinced upon this exceedingly important subject. As a result of a more general and wide-spread knowledge of the dangers arising from the use of contaminated well waters, there has come to be a demand for water for domestic purposes from sources free from the dangers alluded to; hence a great many of our villages are now supplied with good water at a reasonable and moderate cost to the taker. The list of the towns thus supplied is a long one and is increasing yearly. At each session of the Legislature charters for new water-works are granted. The direct result of a better water supply has been manifested in every place that has been fortunate enough to secure this great public improvement.

SEWERS.

Not less important than an ample supply of pure water is a good system of sewers for every village and city. A polluted and sewage-soaked soil is as dangerous a condition as can surround a home. This fact is well recognized, at least by the more intelligent citizen, and each year witnesses many improvements in this direction. Many of our towns and cities have expended during the year no insignificant amount of money in the extension of sewer systems already commenced or in the construction of new ones. Among the latter, and also the most notable, is that of Laconia. This enterprising and growing town recently constructed a splendid system of water-works, and the need of a complete system of sewers immediately became most urgent. At the last town meeting an ample appropriation was voted for the purpose, and the system is now nearly completed. This work will be of incalculable benefit to the town. Nashua, Manchester, Concord, Dover, and Claremont are among the

places that have expended considerable money in extending their sewers. Many of the smaller towns have built sewers in their more thickly settled portions, and will extend them as rapidly as the demand and a prudent expenditure of the public money will warrant.

The progress made in this direction is very gratifying, and is another indication that the people are awake to the fact, that it is cheaper to evade some of the dangers that accompany the aggregation of communities than to be subjected to the disastrous results that often follow their neglect.

PUBLIC ALMSHOUSES.

The several county almshouses are inspected by the Board every few months, and such suggestions as are deemed advisable made to the administrative authorities. It is gratifying to be able to state that since the inauguration of these inspections there has been a great improvement in these institutions. The county almshouses afford a home for some twelve hundred unfortunates, better than many of them ever had before. They are compelled to endure no hardships, have plenty of good food, good beds, in fact, enjoy the comforts of life to a degree before unknown to some of them at least. Of course there are some of the inmates who have seen better days, but even for them this refuge is a blessing in the time of their misfortune.

The management of these institutions is good and most of the counties take more or less pride in them. We have made frequent reports upon the general condition of the almshouses. The annual report of this Board for the year 1889 contains a detailed description of each almshouse in the State. A brief report concerning their present condition is also given elsewhere in this volume.

RAILROAD SANITATION.

The various railroads of the State are giving more attention to sanitary questions than formerly. There is now a disposition among railroad corporations to give due consider