CIRCULARS AND LAWS. CIRCULARS. The Board, since its organization, has printed and published seventy-five circulars, treating in a concise way of the most important sanitary methods, and directing as to the application of laws and the best mode of conserving the public health. A few of these were of special or temporary importance, and have not been reprinted. About forty of them, however, are of permanent interest, and, in addition to single supply, are now furnished to Boards of Health in bound form. They furnish a convenient manual for reference and guidance as to most sanitary questions and regulations. The additional circulars for this year are: Circular LXXI.-As to Sanitary Inspection of Hotels, &c., at Resorts. Circular LXXII.-On Vital Statistics and their Uses. Circular LXXIII.-Cities and their Sanitary Needs. Circular LXXIV.-October Circular (to accompany annual report blank). Circular LXXV.-Health Inspectors' Guide. Of these, Circular LXXII. is to be found in connection with the Report on Vital Statistics, on page 290. Circular LXXIII. is a reprint, with some changes, from a portion of an article to be found in the last report, pages 21 to 35, and so is not here reprinted. Circular LXXV. forms a separate article in this report. See pages 33-97. The other two, Circulars LXXI. and LXXIV., are here given. A list of all circulars printed by the Board is found in the sixth and eleventh reports, as far as those dates. Appended is a list of the circulars at present kept in stock for Local Boards. LIST OF CIRCULARS-1891. Circular VII.-Protection to Bathers. Circular XXVII.-Sanitary Instruction and Training in Schools. (School Circular, No. 1.) Circular XXVIII.-School and Health Circular, No. 2, for Parents, Guardians, Children, Teachers and Trustees. Circular XXXVII.-School and Health Circular, No. 3. Circular XXXIX.-To Local Boards of Health. Circular XL.-Health Counsels for Working People. (Industrial Circular, No. 1.) Circular XLI.—Health Counsels for Working People. (Industrial Circular, No. 2.) Circular XLII.-As to Petroleum, Kerosene, &c. Circular XLIV.-How to Prevent the Spread of Small-pox, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria and all Communicable Diseases. As to Vaccination. Circular XLV.-Cholera. Circular XLVII.-Prevention of Serious Injuries to the Mind, the Eyes, the Ears. Circular L.-The Contagious Diseases of Animals. Circular LIII.-Pure Drinking-Water. How to Secure it. Circular LVII.-To the Physicians of the State. Circular LIX.-Laws and Regulations Relating to the Adulteration of Foods or Drugs, and as to Petroleum. Circular LX.-Laws Relating to Public Health. Circular LXI.-Care of Household Wastes. Circular LXII.—Drainage for Health. Circular LXIII.-Farmers' Homes and their Perils. Circular LXIV.-Disinfectants, and How to Use Them. Circular LXV.-Construction, Plumbing, Ventilation and Drainage of Buildings and Outside Connections thereof, as Regulated by Local Boards of Health. Circular LXVI.-Marriage, Birth and Death Returns. Duties of all Concerned as to Vital Statistics. Circular LXVII.-To Funeral Directors and all Having in Charge the Care and Burial of the Dead. Circular LXVIII.-To Local Boards. (Spring Circular.) Circular LXIX.-Meat, Poultry, Game and Fish as Foods, and How to judge of their Quality. Circular LXX.-Occasional Bulletin Series-Laws, Health Inspectors, &c. Circular LXXI.-As to Sanitary Inspection of Hotels, &c., at Resorts. Circular LXXII.-Vital Statistics-Their Uses. Circular LXXIII.-Cities-Their Needs and their Regulations for Promoting the Health of their Inhabitants. Circular LXXIV.-October Circular of Directions as to Annual Report of Local Boards. (Also Circulars XIX., LII.-LV. and LXXV. in small book form.) CIRCULAR LXXI. OF THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH OF NEW JERSEY. AS TO SANITARY INSPECTION OF HOTELS, ETC., AT RESORTS. The State Board of Health of New Jersey has from time to time given attention to the condition of those localities which are largely frequented by visitors seeking recreation or benefit to health. This is no less a public policy than it is a sanitary interest. The relative position of the State, and its wonderful adaptation for health resorts, point to this as a source of revenue, and as a means of social and industrial development of the highest importance. The whole line of available locality, from Cape May to Sandy Hook, and such inland places as Vineland, Lakewood, Lake Hopatcong and Schooley's Mountain, together with such elevated ranges as are seen from High Point, in Sussex county, and in the region near the Water Gap, in Warren county, are but indications of unlimited supply in these directions. Because of these natural advantages, our attention has been turned to the need of supplementing nature by intelligent sanitary art, instead of, as too often happens, thwarting nature by artificial additions. Hence, the questions of water-supply, drainage, sewerage, &c., have all along received attention. But each year has more and more revealed the fact that the chief dangers to health are to be found within buildings, or in their close surroundings. The changing character of occupancy; the rapid filling and emptying; the imperfect housekeeping, and the rapid accumulation of waste products and foul liquids, tend to saturate soil, to quickly multiply the gases of decay, and so to imperil health. To this is added a greater average than usual of bad plumbing and of other evils, which result from hasty construction. We could adduce instance after instance where, despite a fairly good condition of a town, the condition of single houses or hotels has been the cause of individual cases of serious sickness, or of more general outbreaks. For the public safety and the welfare of the State, this must not be. We cannot be satisfied with as good a condition as the resorts of other States, but must be able to claim special sanitary security. Already, at one of our resorts, the visitor can find at the Health Office each spring a true record of the sanitary condition of each house. To aid in this good work, we are now in a more formal and thorough way carrying on an inspection at health resorts of buildings which receive guests. It is conducted to protect the health of the people, and also for the benefit of the owner or occupant. If defects are found, they are reported only to him, and the report is of the nature of a confidential communication, unless persistence in neglect renders exposure necessary. There will be no intrusive fault-finding or undue particularity, but only that right of inspection given us by law in the interest of owner, occupant and guests. We had only just started this work when a leading New York journal made this comment: "The New Jersey State Board of Health has undertaken the important work of investigating the sanitary condition of premises where persons lodge or eat. In the nature of things, this great task will be only imperfectly accomplished. Sources of disease will be overlooked and elements of danger underestimated, and possibly ignorance or over-solicitude may do some injustice; but if carried through with only average intelligence and energy, this extensive exploration intothe hiding-places of contagion must produce results of great value. * * * The relation between filth and disease is pretty well understood, in a broad way, even by persons of moderate sagacity; but because nobody really expects to belong to the minority in whose systems the busy germs find lodgment, and because it costs a little money and time to provide against a remote contingency, the demons that riot on corruption live and flourish. Everybody admits the theory that pure air and water and the comprehensive cleanliness that they imply are a good investment, and would acknowledge, for instance, that one cent out of every dollar that the recent epidemic of yellow fever in Florida cost, directly and indirectly, would have made the State safe against its assault; but when it comes to a question of individual effort, almost everybody is willing to let his neighbors put the theory into practice, and, if his neighbors refuse, to shift the responsibility to official shoulders. "It is, however, a thing to be grateful for that in most communities a majority of the people have been educated up to the point of willingness to be taxed for the support of a Health Board. The investigation just ordered in New Jersey will most certainly supply to the people of that State new arguments for the existence of such a body, and there are few Commonwealths in which work of that character would be followed with so much interest by their neighbors. A special feature of the undertaking will be a rigid examination of the sanitary conditions prevailing at the summer resorts which fringe the sea-coast from New York to Cape May. A better advertisement could not be devised by selfish shrewdness than this proclamation of a sound public policy." We believe it will prove more than a policy, both for the proprietors and the people, and so ask the most hearty co-operation of all concerned. 1890. E. M. HUNT, M.D., Sec'y. For Circular LXXII., see introduction to Vital Statistics. Circular LXXIII.-Cities-Their Needs and their Regulations for Promoting the Health of their Inhabitants. As much of this circular was in the last report, it is not reprinted, but can be had on application. It is important for all cities. Circular LXXIV.-See pages 182-184. Health Boards and Health Officers need to have frequent reference to the various circulars gratuitously furnished by the Board, and they also serve as manuals for institutions, schools, and private families. They have been from time to time reviewed, so as to express the latest information on the subject with which they deal. They now furnish a permanent collection of lasting value to the State. |