The State Board Of Health

The quarterly meeting oí the Stat Board oí Health was held in the oflic of the Secretary at Lansing July 8 President Kedzie gave a brief bistor of the legislation relativa to illurnina ing oils, beginning with the law o 1889. The law provided for count inspection, but was not generally er forced. The Legislature of I873,whic passed the law for establishing th State Board of Health, also passed law raising the flash test to 150 F In 1875 the Legislature reduced th flash test to 140 F., and increased th inspection fees. There were scarcel any casualties nnder this law, but th illuminating qualities of the oil wer not always good. Dr. Kedzie, as a com mittee of the State Board, devised th chili test, which was recominended t and adopted by the Legislature of 1877 The Legislature of 1879 abolisiied tli chili test and reduced the flash test t 10 F. Each time the law lias bee changed the costof inspection has bee increased, and the last law will enta an annual expense of about $12,000 fo inspection above the expenses incurre under the law of 1877. A letter was presented from M Avery, of Baltimore, relative to lea poisoning as set forth by Dr. Kedzie articles on that subject, and claimin that he had demonstrated that electro plating the tin cans used in preservin fruit and tin utensils of all kinds wiL a thin coating of silver would preven any poisoning thereby. A communication was presentec from A. J. Murray, veterinary surgeo at Detroit, relative to "cattle disease in Michigan," andtheir i'elation to pub I lic health ; also, a part of a letter from a memlter of the National Board o Health on a similar subject. Secretary Baker presented his repor of the work in the office during th last three months. Itincluded the dis tribution of a large number of the reg ular reports and other documents, an of the registration report of birth marriages, and deathfi. These wer sent to meteorologieal observers, regx lar correspondents, sanitary exchange and other persons interested in suc subjects in Michigan. Ñames and ad dresses of health offlcers were receivec from 760 townships, 113 villages, 3 cities. Weekly reports from over 6 observers of diseases have been re ceived, examined, and flled. Work o the compilation of these reports and o the meteorologieal reports has bee continuously going on. Quite a num ber of meteorologieal instruments hav been purchased and sent to observers and some new stations have been es tablished. The secretary has spen considerable time in supervising vita statistics, particularly those for 1877 and in studying deaths from certain diseases in a series of years. The board has in mind the examina tion of candidates in sanitary science and the examination papers on this subject used in the university of Lon don and other foreign colleges hav been secured for study in this connec tion, and Dr. Lyster reported a plan for the examination of Physicians in sanitary science. The standing committees were re organized as f ollows : Epidemie diseases, etc. - Dr. H. O Ilitchcock. Sewers and drainage - Dr. II. F Lyster. Food, drinks, and water supply- Dr R. C. Kedzie. Ventilation, heating, etc- Dr. D. C Jacokes. Climate, etc. in relation to health- Dr. J. H. Kellogg. Relations of schools to health, etc. - Dr. D. C. Jacokes. Sanitary survey - Dr. Jacokes, Dr. H B. Baker, and Leroy Parker. Death-raie - Dr. Baker. Legislation - Leroy Parker. Fin'ances of the board- Leroy Parker Mental hygiëne - Dr. Hitchcock. Diseases of animáis - Dr. Baker. Dr. Hitchcock made a report on depot privies, which included letters from the late Dr. Beech of Coldwater and J. E. Curtis, superintendent of the Michigan división of the L. S. & M. S. railroad, and made specific recommendations for remedying the nuisances which now prevail. Depot privies should never have a vault, but should be water closets connected with a sewer, or be supplied with dry earth or coal ashes ; and it should be made the special duty of a station employee to see that the lloors are scrubbed daily, ihe closets kept clean and in perfect operating order, and the whole closet thoroughly disinfected eaeh day. The committee on sanitary conventions recommended that one be held in Detroit in December or Janufiry, and the next at Grand Rapids. Efforts will be madetoget as large an exhibition of sanitary applications together as possible. A sample of red flannel from Dr. Nash of Lapeer, reported to have caused sores, had been examined by Dr. Kedzie, and found to have been colored with analine which eontained arsenic and tin. Leroy Parker made a report as to the proper method of bringing suit in cases of nuisances; also, relative to collecting the statistics for the next U. S. census, and relative to authority of boards of health to kill horses afflicted with the glanders. Dr. Kedzie made a report relative to the proceedings of the sanitary council of the Mississippi Valley, held at Memphis, and in conjunctiou with the National Board of Health at Atlanta. The usual number of bilis were audited and ordinary business transacted. The next regular meeting of the Board will be on October 14, at 9 A. M