the old time quarantine. Instead of being held for many days for the infection to die out, at the larger ports, like New York and Boston, where facilities for rapid and efficient disinfection exist, the vessel is now retained for only a few hours, or a very few days. The vessel is then given a clean bill of her health and the trouble and suspense is done with.

Measles and Whooping Cough.

Whooping cough appears to

have been unusually prevalent in the State, it having been reported by sixty-six local boards. Measles was reported by only seventeen boards. As the law does not make the reporting of these diseases compulsory, it is likely that they were present in a considerably larger number of towns than the reports make it appear. These two diseases, though not among those specified in the law, nevertheless are often the cause of much trouble, and sometimes of a pretty high rate of mortality. They should not be ignored by the public and by local boards of health. When prevalent, the law for the protection of the schools should be put into operation, and, to keep the school-rooms from being the point for the diffusion of the infection the teachers should be instructed to cooperate with the board as the law provides.

Rabies and Hydrophobia. Quite a senation was produced in the State in the spring by outbreaks of rabies among dogs in Brunswick and Lisbon, and the death of a respected citizen from hydrophobia in each of these towns was a lamented result. Each of these towns took measures to check the spread of the infection by the destruction of all rabid animals and those supposed to have been bitten by animals affected with rabies, and the muzzling and restriction of the liberty of all dogs. At the meeting of the State Board in June, the following instructions were prepared for the use of local boards of health in case of future outbreaks of rabies: "To destroy all rabid animals and to confine under competent observation all bitten animals and all under suspicion of having been bitten, or having come in contact with rabid animals until the question of their being affected with the disease can be positively determined, and to require all dogs, without exception to be securely muzzled and not permitted to run at large."

Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis. This disease is interesting to the public health officer for the reason that the question as to its contagious or infectious nature is not satisfactorily determined, and for the additional reason that it is sometimes characterized by the

terrible rapidity of its onset, a high rate of mortality, and by certain serious lesions of the nervous system often left as sequels in the survivors. The doubt as to its contagiousness would justify reasonable precautions against its spread in this way. A few cases of this disease were reported in Houlton, Sanford, St. Albans and Veazie.

Drowning Accidents. Reports from seventeen local boards of health state that drowning accidents occurred in their towns in which one or more persons lost their lives. We find it stated in none of these reports that intelligent. systematic efforts were made to resuscitate any of these drowned. or apparently drowned persons, after their bodies were recovered. Nevertheless, experience in this direction shows that, if recovered within a little while after the accident occurs, a pretty good proportion of the unfortunates may be brought back to life, if prompt and well directed efforts be made in this direction. This is the reason why the State Board in 1886 published "Circular No. 29, Treatment of the Drowned," and has distributed it more or less extensively since, but we feel that its teachings have not become so widely known as they should be. Its practical methods for saving the drowned should become known by every citizen of the State, and teachers should use the little tract as a lessen in practical hygiene. A few minutes only are needed to read it carefully. The aggregate of time thus spent would be amply paid for if it should result in the restoration to life of a few of the victims of accidents of this kind.

"The evidence" says the Secretary of the State Board of Health of Michigan, in his report for 1874, "which leads to the belief that many of these lives might have been saved through the vigorous use of the proper means for resuscitation, is strengthened by the fact that it not very infrequently happens that persons supposed to be dead from drowning are accidentally restored to life. The following are instances: A clergyman in this city tells me that such a case is within his knowledge, being that of a young man removed from the water apparently drowned, but who recovered after having been somewhat shaken up by being rapidly conveyed some little distance in a wheeled vehicle of some kind. An editor in this city mentions a similar instance which occurred in the western part of this State a few years since. Two boys were bathing in the edge of a lake, when through some means the oldest sank beyond the reach of the other, and was apparently drowned. The

remaining boy ran to the house, a distance of about twenty rods, secured the assistance of his sister, and returned to the lake. The body of the boy was then recovered, and being unable to carry it home, they placed it in a 'pounding-barrel' and proceeded to roll the barrel homeward. It will be seen by the above account that the body must have been in the water some little time. Before they reached home the boy that was apparently dead when they started had so far recovered as to vomit, and he was eventually completely restored to life. From a letter received from Dr. J. H. Beech, of Coldwater, I extract the details of another case, as follows: I have learned from an intelligent young man who was at the 'Silver Lake, Hillsdale county, disaster,' that a young lady who was given up by all present as past hope, was put in a lumber wagon and covered with blankets, for decency's sake only, and the smart jolting effected resuscitation in a drive of a mile or two. She still lives, and it is possible that if some of those left near the lake until the next day, or whose bodies were carried thence with all the tenderness that refinement dictates, had been subject to the energetic shaking of lumber wagons, better result might have surprised the horrorstricken friends."

Burning Accidents. Several severe or fatal burnings have been reported that were clearly the result of gross carelessness. One of this kind, in which a man, his wife, and three children were all severely burned by trying to clean a tin dish by boiling kerosene oil in it. We have every year made inquiry as to kerosene accidents and should feel grateful for information from any source about accidents of this kind.

Domestic Economy. The growing interest in this subject evidenced in the establishment of special schools of cookery in various places, the founding of a department of household economy in one of our leading colleges for women, and the movement to provide instruction in cooking and sewing in connection with the common schools in a few places. The importance of all this, having so intimate a connection, as it does, with healthful and happy living, can hardly be over estimated. As an unusually valuable contribution on this subject, we are glad to be able to republish in this report, "Practical Sanitary and Economic Cooking."

SECRETARY'S REPORT.

It is with pleasure that we can again begin an annual report with the statement that, in the year just passed, the State Board of Health and the local boards have had but few serious epidemics of contagious diseases to contend with; nevertheless infection in some of its dangerous forms is always near, and not a week nor hardly a day has passed without the receipt of intelligence of outbreaks of infectious diseases which, if neglected, would, in some cases, have assumed the proportions of epidemics. That these outbreaks have not more frequently spread from the houses in which they have first appeared, we feel sure is due, in a large measure, to the faithful and intelligent action of the local boards of health. On the other hand we are sorry to say that the non-observance of, or tardy compliance with, the plain provisions of the law on the part of some physicians, or local boards of health, or other persons, has sometimes provided the opportunity for the spread of the infection, and necessitated a final struggle much more troublesome and costly than it need have been.

In the office of the State Board of Health the work has steadily increased, and its demands upon the Secretary are never-ceasing. The daily correspondence with local boards of health and other persons is extensive, the calls for advice on questions of public health are frequent, the reports of outbreaks of infectious diseases have to be responded to with the supplies of the necessary circulars and other printed matter furnished by this office, unless the records indicate that they are on hand in sufficient numbers or quantities. Analyses of samples of water for the purpose of determining their suitability as drinking-water supplies have been made upon request, as far as the other work of the office would permit, for local boards of health, physicians, water companies and private citizens of the State. As usual we reproduce but

little of the correspondence necessary to carry on this work, and save as large a space as possible for matter of lasting interest and value.

The names and addresses of the Board at the end of the year with the dates at which their terms of office expire are as follows: CHAS. D. SMITH, M. D., Portland, term expires January 31, 1891. J. O. WEBSTER, M. D., Augusta, term expires January 31, 1892. E. C. JORDAN, C. E., Portland, term expires January 31, 1893. O. A. HORR, M. D., Lewiston, term expires January 31, 1894. PROF. F. C. ROBINSON, Brunswick, term expires January 31, 1895. HUGH R. CHAPLIN, Bangor, term expires January 31, 1896.

The sad death of the Hon. Lewis Barker of Bangor, who had been a member of the Board since its establishment, necessitated the filling of the vacancy thus caused, and Hugh R. Chaplin, Esq., of the same city was appointed by the Governor as a member of the Board to fill the unexpired term.

At the annual meeting March 31, 1890, E. C. Jordan, C. E., was unanimously elected President for the ensuing year.

The following standing committees were appointed or re-appointed for the year:

On Finance-Hon. Lewis Barker, J. O. Webster, M. D., and the Secretary.

On Publications-C. D. Smith, M. D., J. O. Webster, M. D., and the Secretary.

On Disposal of Excreta-C. D. Smith, M. D.

On Ventilation-O. A. Horr, M. D., E. C. Jordan, C. E., and the Secretary.

On Summer Resorts-E. C. Jordan, C. E., and the Secretary. On Sewerage and Drainage-E. C. Jordan, C. E., and Prof. F. C. Robinson.

On Water and Water Supplies-Prof. F. C. Robinson, and the Secretary.

On School-Houses and School Hygiene-J. O. Webster, M. D., and the Secretary.

On Sources of Animal Vaccine-C. D. Smith, M. D.

At the quarterly meeting of the Board in December, the following resolutions were passed: