At a recent meeting of the National Association of Railroad Baggage Agents, the subject was fully discussed and the following rules were presented and recommended to the several individual associations for adoption. They were also presented to a joint conference of representatives of State and Provincial Boards of Health, General Baggage Agents, and Funeral Directors' Association, and approved. They are as follows:

RULES RECOMMENDED FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF DEAD BODIES.

Rule 1. The transportion of bodies dead from small-pox, Asiatic cholera, yellow fever, typhus fever or bubonic plague is absolutely prohibited.

Rule 2. The bodies of those who have died of diphtheria, (membranous croup), scarlet fever (scarlatina, scarlet rash), glanders, anthrax or leprosy, shall not be accepted for transportation unless prepared for shipment by being thoroughly disinfected by arterial and cavity injection with approved disinfectant fluid (b) disinfecting and stopping of all orifices with absorbent cotton, and (c) washing the body with a disinfectant, all of which must be done by an embalmer holding a certificate as such, approved by the State Board of Health or some other health authority.

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After being disinfected as above, such body shall be enveloped in a layer of cotton not less than one inch thick, completely wrapped in a sheet and bandaged, and incased in an air-tight zinc, tin or copper or lead-lined coffin, or iron casket, all joints and seams hermetically soldered, and all enclosed in a strong, tight wooden box. Or, the body being prepared for shipment by disinfecting and wrapping as above, may be placed in a strong coffin or casket, and said coffin or casket encased in an air-tight zinc, copper or tin case, all joints hermetically soldered, and all enclosed in a strong outside wooden box.

Rule 3. The bodies of those dead from typhus fever, puerperal fever, erysipelas, tuberculosis, measles, or other dangerous communicable diseases other than those specified in Rules One and Two, may be received for transportation when prepared for shipment by filling cavities with an approved disinfectant, washing the exterior of the body with the same, stopping all orifices with absorbent cotton and enveloping the entire body with a layer of cotton not less than one inch thick, and all

wrapped in a sheet and bandaged, and encased in an air-tight coffin or casket, provided that this shall apply only to bodies which can reach their destination within forty-eight hours from time of death. In all other cases such bodies shall be prepared for transportation in conformity with Rule Two. But when the body has been prepared for shipment by being thoroughly disinfected by an embalmer holding a certificate as in Rule Two, issued by the State Health authorities, the air-tight sealing may be dispensed with.

Rule 4. The bodies dead of those diseases that are not contagious, infectious or communicable may be received for transportation when incased in a sound coffin or casket, and enclosed in a strong outside wooden box, and provided they reach their destination within thirty hours from the time of death. If the body cannot reach its destination within thirty hours from time of death, it must be prepared for shipment by filling the cavities with an approved disinfectant, washing the exterior of the body with the same, stopping all orifices with absorbent cotton, and enveloping the entire body with a layer of cotton not less than one inch thick, and all wrapped in a sheet and bandaged, and encased in an air-tight coffin or casket. But when the body has been prepared for shipment by being thoroughly disinfected by an embalmer holding a certificate as in Rule Two, issued by the State health authorities, the air-tight sealing may be dispensed with.

Rule 5. In cases of contagious, infectious or communicable diseases the body must not be accompanied by persons or articles which have been exposed to the infection of the deceased, unless certified by the health officer as having been properly disinfected; and before selling passage tickets agent shall carefully examine the transit permit and note the name of the passenger in charge, and of any others proposing to accompany the body, and see that all necessary precautions have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease. The transit permit in such cases shall specifically state who is authorized by the health authorities to accompany the remains. In all cases where bodies are forwarded under Rule Two, notice must be sent by telegraph to the health officer at destination, advising the date and train on which the body may be expected. This notice must be sent by, or in the name of the officer at the initial point, and to enable the officer at destination to take all necessary precautions at that point.

Rule 6. Every dead body must be accompanied by a person in charge, who must be provided with a passage ticket, and also present a full first-class ticket marked "corpse," for the transportation of the body, and a transit permit, showing the physician's or coroner's certificate, name of deceased, date and hour of death, age, place of death, cause of death, and if of a contagious, infectious or communicable nature, the point to which the body is to be shipped, and when death is caused by any of the diseases specified in Rule Two, the name of those authorized by the health authorities to accompany the body. The transit permit must be made in duplicate, and the signature of the physician or coroner, health officer and undertaker must be on both the original and duplicate copies. The undertaker's certificate and paster of the original shall be detached from the transit permit and pasted on the coffin box. The physician's certificate and transit permit shall be handed to the passenger. The whole duplicate copy shall be sent to the official in charge of the baggage department of the initial line, and by him to the secretary of the State or Provincial Board of Health of the State or Province from which such shipment was made.

Rule 7. When the dead bodies are shipped by express, the whole original transit permit shall be placed upon the outside of the box, and the duplicate forwarded by the express agent to the express agent and the secretary of the State or Provincial Board of Health of the State or Province from which said shipment was made.

Rule 8. Every disinterred body, dead from any disease or cause, shall be treated as infectious or dangerous to the public health, and must not be accepted for transportation unless said removal has been approved by the State or Provincial health authorities having jurisdiction where such body is to be disinterred, and the consent of the health authorities of the locality to which the body is consigned has first been obtained; and all such disinterred remains must be enclosed in a hermetically sealed (soldered) zinc, tin or copper lined coffin or box.

Bodies deposited in receiving vaults will be treated and considered the same as buried bodies.

These rules will come before the several State and Provincial Boards for adoption or revision.

The rules and regulations of the Iowa State Board of Health respecting the transportation of corpses, now in force, and observed by all railway lines operated in Iowa, are printed on page 43.

MINER'S OIL.

Since the state entered upon a systematic supervision of mining for the protection of the lives and health of the miners, the quality of the oil used in miners' lamps has been the subject of more or less criticism of the State Mine Inspectors. It has caused alarm, not only for the health of the miners, but for the safety of the mines.

The smoke thrown off by the lamps is so dense as to hide other elements of danger; retard the flow of the necessary volume of air, and also render even the restricted air unfit for respiration.

Originally the tallow candle was used for lighting purposes; then came lard, both of which were satisfactory. Lard, when pure and made from healthy hogs, has a specific gravity of from twenty-three to twenty-three and one-half degrees; gives a clear, bright light quite free from smoke or offensive odor, but when made from hogs long dead, and offal, partially decomposed, gives an odor very offensive, and highly objectionable for use in mines.

A few years ago cotton seed oil came into market. It proved to be adapted to miners use and being sold at much less price, soon forced lard almost entirely from use. This oil of Winter weight has a specific gravity of twenty to twentytwo, and congeals at about thirty-two degrees Fah. The Summer weight has a specific gravity of twenty-two to twenty-four, and congeals at forty-five to fifty degrees. The heavy grades burn slowly and generate objectionable quantities of smoke, especially when the seed has been improperly stored, and becomes heated and musty.

Miners soon discovered that this heavy oil could be improved in illuminating by adding mineral oil, which became known as "bung-hole" mixing. Experience proved that mixing could not be successfully accomplished in that way.

The mixing scheme of the miners was quickly seized by refiners and dealers in mineral oil, and an unscrupulous system of adulteration commenced which increased to such proportions as to create alarm, not only regarding the lives of

miners, but of the mines. Ohio and other States commenced a thorough and systematic investigation of the extent of this adulteration, the result of which is given in the official reports of their mining departments. Samples of oil taken in various districts were submitted to inspection and analysis by expert chemists. In one instance of thirty-eight samples tested in Ohio, only eight were found pure. The remainder were adulterated with a mixture of eight to eighty per cent of mineral (kerosene) oil. Some barrels did not contain three gallons of cotton seed oil in the entire contents. The brands on the barrels were no indication of the contents. Barrels made by the same refiner and bearing uniform labels of quality contained different degrees of mixture, the variation being eight to fifty per cent.

The adulteration is limited only by the competition of the trade, and the price becomes the standard rather than the quality.

Not only does this adulteration endanger the health of miners and those employed in mines, but causes the condition of the mine to become dangerous. The miners are also most grossly defrauded in the price paid for oil. Pure cotton seed oil, refined for miner's use is worth forty cents per gallon. So-called miner's oil is sold at twenty-seven to thirty cents to the retail dealer, and by him to the miner at ninety cents to one dollar. The refiner by withdrawing fifteen gallons and substituting for cotton seed oil an equal amount of mineral oil at ten cents a gallon, produces an article that sells at twentyseven cents, thereby receiving three cents a gallon for compounding.

This oil is retailed to the miners at ninety-five cents per gallon and the profit is thirty dollars per barrel.

In 1892 there was very near a failure of the hog crop of the country, which largely increased the price of lard. In sympathy with this, and the increasing demand in various industries, cotton seed oil rapidly advanced in price thirty-five cents per gallon. This was the opportunity for unscrupulous dealers to increase the compounding and reap the benefit. They even purchased empty barrels bearing the brand and label of the American Cotton Oil Company, and filled them with compounds.

The high price of lard and cotton seed oil in 1892 brought into market an illuminant known as Miner's Sunshine. It is paraffine wax, a residuum of petroleum, a pure mineral product,