General Report of the Board. published in the report by Prof. H. L. Russell on "The Purification of the Water Supply of Ashland by Sand Filtration", as this subject is one of very great importance and this sys tem undoubtedly will have to be adopted in many parts of the state in the near future. The Board would also call especial attention to the very able production on Typhoid Fever by Dr. G. W. Harrison of this Board. The Board also desires to call especial attention to the report made by the Board on the different state institutions; a work which has been considered of great importance and which the Board purposes to continue. A careful perusal of the reports made by the health officers in the various cities and towns in the state will show to the reader very efficient work, and a work which should receive the support and encouragement of the state officials and the people at large. The Board believes that the work of sanitation in our state is one of the most important that can be considered and that the legislature should be more liberal in its appropriations for the use of the Board. At the present time the appropriation is very small compared with other states, and it is impossible to do the work that is necessary to be done, and money spent in the prevention of disease and saving life it would seem would be spent to the best advantage. The rapid growth of our state and the increase in the number of cities and villages, demand increasing sanitary supervision, and it is to be hoped that this work will receive attention enough from our state officials and our legislature to increase the appropriation to the extent that its importance merits. Respectfully submitted, SOLON MARKS, GEO. W. HARRISON, F. H. BODENIUS, Report of the Secretary. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. To the State Board of Health: GENTLEMEN-I have the honor to present the following report as your secretary for the biennial period ending September 30, 1896. MEETINGS. During that period, the first meeting, which was a special meeting, was held in Milwaukee on December 20, 1894; the next meeting was the regular annual meeting held in Madison on January 24, 1895; the next, a special meeting, was held in Madison on April 2, 1895; the next was the regular semi-annual meeting held in Milwaukee on June 27, 1895; the next was a special meeting held in Milwaukee on December 18, 1895; the next was the regular annual meeting held in Madison on January 23, 1896; the next was the regular semi-annual meeting held in Milwaukee on June 25, 1896, and the next was a special meeting held in Waupun on July 23, 1896. HISTORICAL. The following changes in membership have occurred during this period: On March 14, 1895, The Hon. William H. Upham appointed Dr. J. H. McNeel of Fond du Lac to succeed Dr. J. W. Hancock of Ellsworth; Dr. G. W. Harrison of Ashland to succeed Dr. Henry Day of Eau Claire, and Dr. Q. O. Sutherland of Janesville to succeed Dr. J. T. Reeve of Appleton. At the annual meeting of the Board during this period, held January 24, 1895, Dr. J. W. Hancock of Ellsworth was elected president for the ensuing year, he being succeeded in March by Dr. J. H. McNeel of Fond du Lac; Prof. H. L. Russell of the state university was elected consulting bacter iologist of the Board and Dr. W. S. Miller of the state university was elected consulting pathologist. At a special meeting held April 2, 1895, Dr. Solon Marks of Milwaukee was elected president for the ensuing year. At the regular annual meeting in January, 1896, Dr. Solon 1 Report of the Secretary. Marks was re-elected as president of the Board for the ensuing year and the following committees were appointed: Committee on stationery and printing: Drs. U. O. B. Wingate, C. H. Marquardt, and J. H. McNeel; committee on legislation: Drs. F. H. Bodenius, C. H. Marquardt, and Q. O. Sutherland; committee on finance: Drs. C. H. Marquardt, J. H. McNeel, and G. W. Harrison. LEGISLATION. At the regular annual meeting held on January 24, 1895, the secretary was instructed to have introduced into the session of the legislature a bill "To provide for an appropriation to be used by the State Board of Health for the purpose of making examinations of drinking water and water supplies in cities and towns and for the general furtherance of its work"; a bill "To provide for a contingent fund to be used for the prevention of cholera and other contagious diseases"; a bill "To provide for a more correct return of births and deaths"; a bill "To regulate the sale of vaccine virus, therapeutic serum, modified toxins, and similar products intended to be used in the prevention and treatment of contagious diseases"; a bill "To provide for registration of physicians, surgeons, midwives, and all others engaged in treating persons affected with disease", and a bill "To provide for vaccination". These bills were drafted and duly introduced into the legis lature and, with the exception of the bill "To provide for a contingent fund to be used in the prevention of cholera, and other contagious diseases", they all failed to pass. Some were killed in committee, and others were favored by the committee and killed in the house or senate. The great need of legislation, relative to the subjects herein named, I believe is apparent to you all. An investigation made by me during the past two years, relative to the regis tration of births and deaths with the different registrars of deeds throughout the state, shows that our statistics are of no value whatever, and unless some legislation can be provided whereby statistics can be more accurately kept it is impossible to gain that information which is so valuable from statistical study. It is very important also that some legislation be provided whereby the pollution of lakes and rivers may be prevented, and a law should be passed providing that no system of sew Report of the Secretary. erage or system of water supply be adopted in any locality without the approval of the State Board of Health. This provision of law exists in several other states and is of the greatest value to the inhabitants. The importance of some law whereby physicians and midwives can be registered is evident to every one who gives any attention to the subject, and it is to be hoped that some effort will be put forth during the session of the next legislature to accomplish this end. The bill "To provide for a contingent fund to be used for the prevention of cholera and other contagious diseases" should also receive careful and earnest attention, and it is very desirable that the Board be supplied with a larger appropriation in order to do the work which is being crowded upon it. RULES AND PUBLICATIONS. At the regular meeting held in January, 1895, the following rules relating to the transportation of bodies of persons dead from contagious diseases were revised to conform with those of other State Boards of Health and the National Association of General Baggage Agents. RULES OF THE WISCONSIN STATE BOARD OF HEALTH FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE DEAD (IN PUBLIC CONVEYANCES). As adopted by the Board January 25, 1895. These Rules having been duly adopted and properly published, have the force of law in the State of Wisconsin. RULE 1. The transportation of Bodies of persons dead of Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever, Small Pox, Asiatic Cholera, Leprosy, Typhus Fever or Yellow Fever is absolutely forbidden. For all sanitary purposes Membranous Croup must be considered and treated as Diphtheria. RULE 2. The bodies of those who have died of Anthrax, Puerperal Fever, Typhoid Fever, Erysipelas, Measles and other contagious, infectious or communicable diseases must be wrapped in a sheet thoroughly saturated with a strong solution of bi-chloride of mercury, in the proportion of one ounce of bi-chloride of mercury to a gallon of water; and encased in an air-tight zinc, tin, copper or lead (lined) coffin, or in an air-tight iron casket, hermetically sealed, and all enclosed in a strong, tight wooden box; or the body must be prepared for shipment by being wrapped in a sheet and disinfected by solution of bi-chloride of mercury as above, and placed in a strong coffin or casket, and said coffin or casket encased in a hermetically sealed (soldered) zinc, copper or tin case, and all enclosed in a strong outside wooden box of material not less than one inch and a half thick. RULE 3. In cases of contagious, infectious or communicable diseases, the body must not be accompanied by articles which have been exposed to the infection of the disease. And in addition to a permit from a Board of Health or proper health authority, Station Agents will require an affidavit from the shipping un Report of the Secretary. dertaker, stating how the body has been prepared, and kind of coffin or casket used, which must be in conformity with Rule 2. RULE 4. The bodies of persons dead of diseases that are not contagious, Infectious, nor communicable, may be received for transportation to local points in same State, when encased in a sound coffin or metallic case, and enclosed in a strong wooden box, securely fastened so it may be safely handled. But when it is proposed to transport them out of the State (unless the time required for transportation from the initial point to destination does not exceed 18 hours), they must be encased in an air-tight zinc, tin, copper or lead-lined coffin, or an airtight iron casket, or a strong coffin or casket encased in a (soldered) zinc, copper or tin case, and all enclosed in a strong outside wooden box of material not less than one inch thick. In all cases the outside box must be provided with four iron chest handles. a RULE 5. Every dead body must be accompanied by a Transit Permit from Board of Health or proper health authority, giving permission for the romoval, and showing the name of deceased, age, place of death, cause of death (whether of a contagious or infectious nature), the point to which it is to be shipped, medical attendant, and name of undertaker. RULE 6. It is intended that no dead body shall be removed which may be the means of spreading disease, therefore, all disinterred bodies, dead from any disease or cause, will be treated as infectious and dangerous to the public health, and will not be accepted for transportation unless said removal has been approved by the State Board of Health, and the consent of the health authority of the locality to which the corpse is consigned, has been first obtained, and the disinterred remains enclosed in a hermetically sealed (soldered) zinc, tin or copperlined coffin or box, or box encased in hermetically sealed (soldered) zinc, tin or copper case. NOTE. Local Boards of Health should refuse to grant a permit where the cause of death is given as "Heart Failure," unless the physician states that it was not the result of Diphtheria. In case of disinterment the perm from the State Board of Health must be attached to the Transit Permit and delivered to the person in charge of the corpse. If more than one body is shipped at one time, a separate permit must be issued for each body. The above rules are in conformity with the rules of the National Association of General Baggage Agents, and other State Boards of Health. At this meeting also it was voted to issue a circular pertaining to the prevention of tuberculosis or consumption. At the special meeting held in April, 1895, rules and regula tions pertaining to contagious diseases were adopted as fol lows: WISCONSIN STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, Notice is hereby given that at a regular meeting of the Wisconsin State Board of Health, held at Madison, on Jan. 23-24, 1896, the following amendments were made to the rules and regulations of the State Board of Health, relative to contagious diseases, adopted June 27, 1895. After the first appearance of the word diphtheria, insert the following: "For all sanitary purposes membranous croup must be considered and treated as diphtheria," and wherever the word diphtheria occurs in the said rules insert im mediately thereafter the following: "(membranous croup)," SO that when amended they shall read as follows: |