ORDER OF CONDEMNATION BY THE INDIANA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH OF SCHOOLHOUSE No. 15, OF BRIDGEPORT, MARION COUNTY, WAYNE TOWNSHIP, INDIANA. It having been shown to the satisfaction of the State Board of Health that the schoolhouse at Bridgeport, known as No. 15, Wayne Township, Marion County, Indiana, is exceedingly unsanitary, and it being further satisfactorily shown to said Board that the pupils have, on account of said unsanitary conditions, been attacked by coughs, colds, catarrhs, headaches, eye strain, nervousness and other ills, therefore, the State Board of Health of Indiana condemns the said schoolhouse as unfit for school purposes, and the Trustee of said township, Frank McCaslin, is commanded not to use said schoolhouse for school purposes, under pain of prosecution by the Attorney-General of the State of Indiana. Passed this date, June 12, 1903, by the State Board of Health of Indiana. ORDER OF CONDEMNATION OF SCHOOLHOUSE AT WEST BADEN, ORANGE COUNTY, INDIANA. It having been shown to the satisfaction of the State Board of Health that the schoolhouse at West Baden, Orange County, Indiana, and known as No. 8, is exceedingly unsanitary, dilapidated and dirty; and it being further satisfactorily shown to the Board that the pupils have, on account of the unsanitary conditions, been attacked with coughs, colds, catarrhs, headaches,, eye strain, nervousness and other ills, and it having been further shown there is a great danger from fire on account of the stairway and arrangement of the schoolhouse, therefore, the State Board of Health condemns the said schoolhouse as unfit for school purposes, and the Trustees of said schoolhouse, E. B. Rhodes, R. H. Owen and W. S. Lomax, are commanded by the Indiana State Board of Health not to use said schoolhouse for school purposes from this time forth, under pain of prosecution by the Attorney-General of the State of Indiana. Passed this day, June 12, 1903, by the Indiana State Board of Health, in special session. SPECIAL MEETING. OFFICE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, June 25, 1903. Present: Drs. Cook, Eisenbeiss, Davis and Hurty. The meeting was called to attend and assist in the conduction of the Health Officers' School. Meeting adjourned to meet at 8 a. m., June 26th. At 8:15 the meeting was called to order by Vice-President Cook. Present: Drs. Cook, Eisenbeiss, Davis and Hurty. Dr. Davis reported he had not been able to finish the rules satisfactorily, and was continued to report at next regular meeting. Moved by Dr. Eisenbeiss, seconded by Dr. Davis: Whereas, The first Health Officers' School is attended by 170 health officers, and the teachers engaged were promptly on hand and close attention and interest shown; therefore, be it Resolved, That the State Board of Health feels confident the School has been very profitable, and it is satisfied with the results. Unanimously carried. REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETING. OFFICE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, July 10, 1903. The meeting was called to order by Vice-President Dr. Clark Cook. Present: Drs. Cook, Davis, Eisenbeiss and Hurty. The minutes of the last regular meeting were read and approved. The minutes of the special meeting held June 12 were read and approved. The minutes of the special meetings held June 25th and 26th were read and approved. SECRETARY'S REPORT FOR QUARTER ENDING JUNE 30, 1903. There is to be noted a marked decrease in smallpox as compared with the preceding quarter, but there is an increase as compared with the corresponding quarter last year. The figures are as shown in the following table: SMALLPOX COMPARISON FIRST SIX MONTHS 1902-1903. From the above comparison it is plain that the virulence of smallpox increased 8 per cent. in the first quarter of 1903 as compared with the same period of 1902, and its virulency increased 78 per cent. in the second quarter of 1903 as compared with the same period of 1902. For tuberculosis in the quarter, compared with the corresponding quarter of 1902, there is to record a stationary condition, there being in the 1902 quarter 972 deaths, with a rate of 155.2 per 100,000, and in the 1903 quarter 978 deaths, a rate of 156.2. An increase in typhoid fever for the quarter, as compared with the same period in 1902, is to be recorded as follows: There were 124 typhoid deaths, a rate of 19.8 in 100,000 in the last quarter, and 102 deaths, a rate of 16.2, in the same quarter last year. During the quarter the Secretary has examined, at his own expense, thirty-four samples of sputum, forty-one samples of water, and twelve diphtheria cultures. Of the sputum samples, twentyseven were positive and seven negative. All but two of the water samples were polluted and the wells from which they were taken were condemned. Of the diphtheria cultures, seven were positive and five were negative. Visits were made by the Secretary as follows: April 4th, Elwood, account of smallpox. April 25th, Crawfordsville, to make a lecture before the April 30th, Bridgeport, to survey schoolhouse. June 15th, Cataract, account of inspection of dam. June 22d, Marion, Alexandria and Bluffton, account of stream pollution. June 25th, Greenwood, account of stream pollution. June 29th, Noblesville, account of smallpox case in court and account of strawboard pond. Full typewritten reports of these visits are herewith given. Elwood, April 4th.-I visited Elwood this date on account of an invitation by telephone from the Mayor. He reported many cases of an eruptive disease as present in his city and that the 4-Bd. of Health. physicians were disputing as to the nature and character and name of the disease. He believed it to be smallpox, and desired the assistance of the State Board of Health. Upon arrival at Elwood I was met at the train by his honor and taken in a carriage to visit five families afflicted with the eruptive disease supposed to be smallpox. In every instance the disease was smallpox. Quarantine was established in every place where smallpox was found, and the advice given to the Mayor and Common Council that general vaccination be made free for the people. The advice was accepted and 4,000 fresh tubes of vaccine were purchased and physicians employed to vaccinate the people, free of charge. These measures quickly suppressed the disease, and it is now calculated that fully 80 per cent. of the people of Elwood are protected. Crawfordsville, April 25th.-By special invitation I visited Crawfordsville on this date to lecture to a club known as "The Woman's Current Events Club." The lecture was entitled, "How May the Pure Food Law be Enforced?" My efforts were well received and a vote of thanks was offered. I believe the visit was attended with good results for the general health cause in Indiana. Bridgeport, April 30th. On this date I visited Bridgeport, Marion County, upon solicitation of many citizens of that town. The object of the visit was to inspect the schoolhouse. A full report of this inspection has already been given and was recorded in the records of the special meeting, held June 12th, and action was taken. Mooresville, May 1st.--I visited Mooresville on this date on account of an invitation from the town board, to inspect and advise concerning drainage of a certain institution known as Dr. Robbins' Sanitarium. I found that Dr. Robbins owns a hotel or sanitarium of considerable size, in which he receives patients from all parts. The drainage from the closets, bathrooms and kitchen passed through ordinary six-inch porous tile to a small creek situated about one-half mile east. The creek is just without the corporation line and the owner of the lot through which the creek passed immediately after receiving the sewage protested against. its use for that purpose. He had torn up the tiling which conducted the sewage from the sanitarium and permitted the said sewage to flow out into the gutter and be exposed for quite a dis tance before it was received into the stream. After examining the grounds and surveying the region I recommended to Dr. Robbins that the sewage be conducted to a small sewage bed which he could easily construct within the premises of the sanitarium. This was obviously the correct method for disposal. Rensselaer, May 14th.-Upon written invitation from Dr. Kresler, Health Officer of Rensselaer, who said the Mayor joined him in the invitation, I went to the city named on account of smallpox which existed there. Rensselaer had been warned by the State Health Officer that smallpox would sooner or later appear there and the town authorities had been urged to adopt general vaccination as the only known certain method of preventing the disease. The advice had not been accepted, but on the contrary much ridicule had been offered and some citizens had declared the expense of general vaccination was unnecessary. Upon arrival I found twelve cases of smallpox in seven different families. Some of them were mild, but three of them were very severe, and one I feared would prove fatal. Quarantine was established and a special order was passed by the Council, upon my recommendation in regard to the matter. Free vaccination was given to the people and a general cleaning up of the town was ordered. These directions seemed to have been efficacious, for no more cases of smallpox appeared and the place was declared free from the disease three weeks afterward. Greensburg, May 26th.-The City Health Officer of Greensburg joined with the Mayor in asking a visit from the State Board of Health on account of smallpox. Although the disease had appeared in this city twice before, still there were some doctors who were unable to diagnose it. Some one of this class had gotten hold of the cases of smallpox which now existed and declared them to be "Cuban itch." This prevented quarantine and the precautions ordered in the rules. Upon arrival, together with Dr. Riley, City Health Officer, I visited five houses in which there existed twelve cases of smallpox. Only one of these would have been called severe. They were pronounced smallpox and quarantine established. The authorities of Greensburg had previously offered free vaccination and will hold the offer open until further notice. Plainfield and Cartersburg, June 14th.-I visited Plainfield on this date on account of a questionable case of eruptive disease |