Four cases of scarlet-fever were found, the patients being isolated in an annexed building A careful inspection of the entire building was made, and the following directions for its disinfection subsequently given: OFFICE OF STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, Prof. C. B. Austin, Monett Hall, Delaware, O.: COLUMBUS, O., March 23, 1889. DEAR SIR: That there may be no mistake in carrying out the advice given yesterday in regard to the proper disinfection of Monett Hall, I have thought it well to reduce the directions to writing, as follows: The rooms in the main building, which were actually occupied by scarlet-fever patients, should be treated as follows: Remove the paper from the walls and ceiling by soaking it with a solution of corrosive sublimate-two drachms to the gallon; with the same solution, thoroughly wash every portion of the wood-work, windows, etc., the object being to apply the poison to all surfaces, crevices, etc., where invisible germs might have gained lodgment. Then close and fumigate the rooms with sulphur, according to printed directions herewith enclosed. Other rooms in the main building, which were not occupied by scarlet-fever patients, should be fumigated in the same manner, but need not have the paper removed. It would be well, however, to cleanse the wood-work and walls thoroughly after fumigation. Every room in the main building, including parlors, dining-rooms, etc., should be thus fumigated and cleaned. Carpets in rooms occupied by patients should, after fumigation, be taken out of doors, beaten, and allowed to hang for 8 or 10 hours. Clothing that cannot be boiled, should be left in rooms to be fumigated, and afterwards hung on lines out of doors and given a good airing. Matting in corridors should be removed and cleaned, the floors and wood-work washed with the mercury solution, and the walls and ceilings thoroughly brushed, a long dry whitewash brush being excellent for such purpose. After such disinfection and cleansing the building should remain open as much as possible, a week's airing being one of the best precautions you can take. In the annex, where the patients now are, there should be a complete disinfection of every room, and each article in it, after removal of the patients. Remove paper from walls and ceiling, be very liberal with the disinfectant solution, and see that all clothing and bedding are cared for, either by prolonged boiling or thorough fumigation and aeration. By such thorough treatment you will have removed all possibility of the disease being contracted by returning scholars, and will have fully satisfied the requirements of the State Board of Health. I am pleased to know that reports have been exaggerated and that the number of cases is so small. Command any service we can render you. Respectfully, C. O. PROBST, Secretary. By request I again visited the building on the following Saturday and saw evidence of these instructions having been fully and carefully executed. Accordingly I did not hesitate to authorize the statement that, in my opinion, all danger to returning scholars had been removed. [Scarlet fever occurred in three or four scholars returning after the vacation, but in each case it was found that exposure had taken place outside the building, there being at the time a number of cases in the city of Delaware. These cases at the Hall were promptly isolated and no further spread of the disease occurred.] LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH. Our local boards of health now number 244, of which 139 are new organizations. The mayors and councils of cities and yillages who have failed to report the formation of a board of health, were recently, and for the second time, notified of their failure to comply with the law. The correspondence with newly appointed health officers has been quite large, and our connection with local boards of health, I am pleased to state, is becoming a much closer one. Respectfully submitted. C. O. PROBST, Secretary. On motion, the Secretary's report was received and ordered filed for publication. Dr. Hoover, chairman of the Legislative Committee, presented an amendment to section 2 of the act creating the State Board of Health, which, having passed both branches of the Legislature, had become a law. The section, as amended, is as follows: SECTION 2. The State Board of Health shall have the supervision of the interests of the health and life of the citizens of the State, and may make such quarantine and sanitary rules and regulations as they may deem necessary therefor; they shall make careful inquiry in respect to the causes of disease, and especially the invasion or spread of any infectious or contagious epidemic, or endemic disease, and investigate the sources of mortality, and the effects of localities, employments, conditions, ingesta, habits and surroundings on the health of the people, and shall investigate the causes of diseases occurring among the stock and domestic animals of the State, the methods of remedying the same by quarantine or otherwise, and shall gather information in respect to such matters and kindred subjects for dissemination among the people. They shall advise officers of the government, or other State Boards, in regard to the location, drainage, water supply, disposal of excreta, heating and ventilating of public buildings. They shall collect and preserve such information relating to forms of disease and death as may be useful in the discharge of the duties of said Board. It shall be the duty of all local boards of health, health authorities and officials, officers of State institutions, police officers, sheriffs, constables, and all other officers and employes of the State, or any county, city or town thereof, to enforce such quarantine and sanitary rules and regulations as may be adopted by the State Board of Health, and in the event of failure or refusal on the part of any member of said boards, or other officials, or persons in this section mentioned to so act, he or they shall be subject to a fine of not less than fifty dollars, upon first conviction and upon a conviction of second offense of not less than one hundred dollars. Dr. Hoover was complimented on having secured an amendment which materially enlarged the powers of the Board. The Secretary reported that the Board had been given an appropriation of $5,000, and a deficiency of $665.04 had been paid. He also spoke of the provisions of a law passed by the General Assembly, which makes it a punishable offense to create a deficiency without first obtaining the approval therefor of the Governor, Attorney-General and Auditor of State. A communication was presented from the health officer of New Lisbon, in regard to the unsanitary condition of their county jail. The Secretary was instructed to secure a report of the condition of the jail, and instruct the local board of health in regard to proper measures for securing the correction of unsanitary conditions. A communication was presented from the Secretary of the National Association of General Baggage Agents in reference to the transportation of dead bodies, with rules and samples of forms approved at the San Francisco meeting of the Association. The rules and forms were referred to a committee, consisting of the Secretary and Dr. Hoover, with instructions to report at the next regular meeting of the Board. A communication from Dr. Reed, Secretary of the Ohio State Sanitary Association, was read, in which was given the action of the Association in regard to making it auxiliary to the State Board of Health. The matter was referred to a committee-Prot. E. T Nelson and Dr. H. J. Sharp-with instructions to report at the next meeting of the Board. On motion of Dr. Cretcher, a vote of thanks was extended to Prof. Nelson for his earnest endeavors in securing a successful public session of the Board. It was voted to request Dr. Allen's paper, The Water-Supply and Drainage of Delaware, for publication in the proceedings of the Board. There being no further business, the Board adjourned. Attest: C. O. PROBST, Secr. tary. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JUNE MEETING. SANDUSKY, O., June 19, 1889. The June meeting of the board was held at the Sloane House, Sandusky, O., June 19 and 20, 1889. Present-Drs. Wise, Hoover, Sharp, Cretcher and Jones, and Prof. Nelson. The meeting was called to order at 8 P. M. by the President, Dr. Wise. After the reading and approval of the minutes of the last preceding meeting, the Secretary read his report, as follows: SECRETARY'S QUARTERLY REPORT. Mr. President and Members of the Board: Your Secretary would respectfully submit the following report: During the last two months the third annual report of the board has been going through press, and proof-reading has largely occupied my time. The report is at the bindery and will be ready for distribution soon. We will get 2,500 copies, 200 in cloth. We are still receiving reports of the organization of new boards of health. The number of boards enrolled to date is 257. The election of new members of council this spring has caused the re-organization of a number of boards and the appointment of new health officers. I am correcting the old list of health officers as fast as possible. Letters are constantly being received from local boards involving legal questions, often of a very complex nature. The statutes relating to the powers of boards of health frequently afford no explicit answer to such questions. I would ask, Would it not be a good plan to employ legal aid in drawing up a circular or pamphlet, setting forth explicitly the powers and duties of local boards of health, and giving plain directions for the legal steps to be taken in abating various forms of nuisances and enforcing other requirements of the public health service. Such a circular, carefully prepared, would, in my opinion, be of the greatest assistance to boards of health. I would ask also, in regard to issuing another circular on a subject of the utmost importance in preventive medicine, viz.: The Prevention of Pulmonary Consumption. Professional opinion seems to be strongly combining in favor of considering this a preventable disease. There is apparently good reason for considering a consumptive a dangerous person unless certain precautions are taken. No State Board of Health, so far as I know, has entered this field with a circular addressed to the public. Would it be well for our board, at this time, to publish such a circular? The following circular-letter, with a copy of the pamphlet named, has been sent to the press in every town in the State: OHIO STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, COLUMBUS, OHIO. To the Editor : DEAR SIR: We respectfully ask your attention to the enclosed pamphlet issued by the State Board of Health-The Care and Management of Infants and Young Children. The time of year is now at hand when diseases of childhood are unusually prevalent, and cholera infantum and other diarrhoeal diseases will, in the next few months, slay hundreds of children in this State. Many such deaths could, with certainty, be prevented if proper precautions were taken. Such precautions are given in the pamphlet we send you, and we trust your interest in the public health will induce you to give the entire article to your readers. A copy of this pamphlet will be furnished free to any one making application to the Secretary of the State Board of Health, Columbus, Ohio. Respectfully, But two cases of small-pox have been reported in the State since the last meeting. These were both in Columbus. A case of varioloid appeared in a colored family living in a tenement house. The patient was promptly removed to the pest house, and, with virus furnished by us, the inmates of the tenement house were vaccinated. They were also strictly quarantined in this house, after it was cleaned and disinfected. They were imprisoned fourteen days, and the second day after they were released one of them was found to have varioloid. She was removed to the pest-house, and the other inmates of the tenement house were again quarantined. They have now been discharged, no other case appearing. THE JOHNSTOWN DISASTER. On June 6th, Gov. Foraker sent for Dr. Hoover and myself and showed us a dispatch just received from Allen O. Myers at Pittsburgh, in which it was stated that the Ohio river was being grossly polluted with bodies of animals and men drowned at Johnstown, and urging that a representative of the State Board of Health be sent to look into the matter. After consulting with the Governor, a telegram was sent to Dr. Lee, of the Pennsylvania board, calling his attention to the matter, and asking what he could and would do in regard to it. Gov. Foraker also telegraphed Gov. Beaver, asking him to have the Pennsylvania Board of Health take some action in the matter. Gov. Foraker received a telegram from Gov. Beaver the same night, June 6, stating that the reports were greatly exaggerated, and that precautions were being taken. Prof. Nelson called at the office that day, and by his advice, after we had consulted the Governor, a communication was sent to the Associated Press, calling attention to the reports of the Ohio river, and advising that its water should be boiled before using for drinking and culinary purposes. Friday morning, June 7th, I received a telegram from Dr. Lee, of the Pennsylvania Board, saying measures were being enforced to guard the Ohio river, and requesting me to meet him in Pittsburgh. I consulted the Governor and was advised to go at once and do all that was necessary. I met Dr. Lee, by appointment, at 11 P. M. that night at Pittsburgh. Dr. Lee informed me that he had instructed the sheriffs of counties in Pennsylvania, bordering on the Conemaugh and Kiskenimetas rivers, to remove and overhaul drift, and burn all carcasses found. I met Dr. Lee the next morning, when the following plan was agreed on: He engaged a small steamer and a force of men, who were instructed to patrol the Allegheney river to the State line, and dispose of wreckage and dead bodies in the manner given above. I telegraphed the boards of health of East Liverpool, Steubenville and Bellaire directing that a patrol of the river be made at these points, with similar instructions in regard to wreckage. I also telegraphed Dr. Garrison, health officer of Wheeling, and member of West Virginia State Board of Health, asking him to co-operate with the Bellaire board in this work. 1 telegraphed Gov. Foraker and our President, Dr. Wise, of my action, and seeing no further steps to be taken for protecting the Ohio river, I offered my services to Dr. Lee. Dr. Lee had had but little sleep for several days, was greatly over-worked, and gladly accepted my offer. I secured a pass to Johnstown, where I arrived Saturday at 10:30 a. m. Dr. Lee, by a misunderstanding, left on an earlier train by another route, but did not arrive until Monday morning. Dr. P. M. Carrington, of the Marine Hospital service, went with me from Pittsburgh to Johnstown, having already been on duty at the latter place by direction of Surgeon-General Hamilton. I reported Sunday morning to Dr. Groff, member in charge, and offered my services. Dr. Carrington and I were furnished horses and requested to ride over as much of |