REMARKS. SPECIAL PAPERS RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH. At the regular meeting of the board on October 14th, 1873, the following resolution was adopted: "Resolved, That no papers shall be published in the Annual Report of this board except such as are ordered or approved for purposes of such publication by a majority of the members of the board; and that any such paper shall be published over the signature of the writer, who is entitled to the credit of its production, as well as responsible for the statements of facts and opinions expressed therein." In accordance with this action, three special papers have been prepared and ordered published in this report, as follows: A paper on "Illuminating Oils in use in Michigan," one on "Poisonous Paper," and one on the Hygiene of School Buildings. ILLUMINATING OILS.-As stated in "Circular No. I.," the labors of this board "have for their object the search for and removal of causes of sickness and deaths among the people." One frequent cause of death and injury to persons and property has been so manifest as to require very little search to find it. Bad oil is now a recognized source of danger, and yet its removal from our midst calls for a certain special education of all classes of the people, and this can only be effectually done by presenting them with the results of careful and accurate experiments, conducted by competent and reliable persons, sufficiently skilled in knowledge of the chemical and physical properties of coal oils to appreciate the sources of danger from their use. Many people still class all coal oils alike, and regard them all as equally dangerous. On the other hand, many people, as no accident has ever occurred to them, think all so-called accidents the result of extreme carelessness. Prof. Kedzie shows that while some of these oils may, under any ordinary conditions, be used with safety, others may be characterized as more dangerous than gun-powder or nitro-glycerine. Prof. Kedzie's paper, published in this report, is an able treatise on a subject which so generally concerns all classes of people that it will undoubtedly be read with much interest and profit. Dr. Kedzie's labors in this connection have already attracted considerable notice to the subject, and it seems reasonable to hope will result in great good to the people by rendering life more secure in our own households and by our own evening firesides. POISONOUS PAPER.-As Prof. Kedzie well points out, this evil still continues, and is more wide-spread than is generally appreciated, and serious results are much more frequent than is commonly supposed, even by those who have given the subject some degree of attention. Instances have lately come under the notice of the writer, one of them since Dr. Kedzie's paper was written. In this case a child about one and a half years old untied a package brought from a store, and being attracted by a little bright green oval tag, tied to one end of a piece of goods, he put it in his mouth. His mother soon detected the mischief, took the tag away from him and the usual antidote was administered, but the child was sick and fretful for about a day notwithstanding, for the hydrated peroxide of iron given as an antidote was not freshly prepared. The pigment when tested was found to be arsenical. If one who has become familiar with the colors which usually contain arsenical pigment, will make it a point for a short time to notice all the places where it may be seen, he will be surprised to find how generally it is employed. In ordinary green blinds the pigment is put on in oil, and is more or less permanent. Iron pumps are frequently painted green, outside and inside of the pitcher part. This may also be reasonably safe, but it looks like an unnecessary risk. The same may be said of iron grates in hot air registers, where, as in the room in the State offices in which this is written, the only fresh air supplied has to pass over a highly heated iron grate painted with paris green. In this room the inside blinds are green, as also are many of the articles supplied for daily use, and which must be frequently handled. Wherever we go we may see poisonous green pasteboard advertising cards displayed, and not infrequently we are handed tickets to concerts, lectures, etc., colored with this same poisonous pigment. In every store grass-green boxes abound, bright green tags, upon which to write the price, are attached to various articles, and green paper bands are around packages of gloves and envelopes. The fact is that this particular green is one of the most attractive colors in nature, and upon whatever article it can be readily and appropriately put, it is almost certain to be used. But perhaps the greatest amount of it is to be found at book and stationery stores where paper hangings are kept for sale. It is astonishing to see what a large proportion of the wall papers in the shops have more or less of green arsenical pigment upon them. This is but a brief notice of a few among the hundreds of items which might be enumerated by a careful observer. In view of the extreme prevalence of such poisonous pigments, is it strange that there are so many mysterious cases of sickness where the cause seems to be past finding out? When the walls of so many rooms are covered with arsenic, is it strange that so many females who occupy them sink into a decline and die of consumption, to which disease such cases are charged? The cause of consumption itself may not be certainly known, and this may be true of about all other diseases, but so fast as causes of sickness or death are found they should certainly be dwelt upon until all are familiar with them. In his article on "Poisonous Papers," published in this report, Prof. Kedzie has thus performed good service for the people. In view of the fact that the green colors formed by arsenical pigments are so extremely attractive to the people, it is greatly to be desired that some mate rial be found that will give the same color without the danger. If any inventor will accomplish this he will be a public benefactor, and merit the approbation of humanity. THE HYGIENE OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS.-In these days when the very foundations of our republican government are claimed to rest upon our school system which includes much of the mental training of those who are soon to be "the people" of the State, and when it is considered how much time the young spend in school buildings, that during the school ages the physical system is also being formed for life, and that upon this physical structure the intellect is dependent for its force and endurance, one may then, to some extent, realize the very great importance of any and all questions which relate to the conditions which prevail in our schools and which thus control the immediate future of the race, as well as our own happiness in the welfare of those dear to us and who are to care for us in our declining days. The paper in this volume on the "Hygiene of School Buildings," by Prof. Kedzie, is something more than an ordinarily valuable paper. It contains much that is a positive addition to our knowledge of the subject, especially as regards the condition of the air of school-rooms as commonly constructed. It points out the essentials to the proper ventilation of school-rooms, and indicates a method by which it seems probable that this may be accomplished for ordinary school buildings. 5 ILLUMINATING OILS IN USE IN MICHIGAN. Inspector; when appoint. Duties of. BY R. C. KEDZIE, CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE ON POISONS, EXPLOSIVES, I begin the consideration of Illuminating Oils by quoting the laws now in force in this State concerning the inspection and sale of Illuminating Oils. Sections (1501) to (1508), Chap. 33, of Compiled Laws of 1871, as amended by Act No. 103 of Session Laws of 1873, are as follows: An act to provide for the inspection of illuminating oils manufactured from petroleum or coal oils. [Approved April 3, 1869. Laws of 1869, p. 223.] (1501.) SECTION 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact, Governor may In any county of the State wherein any illuminating oils are manufactured for the purpose of burning in any kind of lamp as an illuminator, or where the same is sold for that purpose, the Gorernor, upon the application of five or more persons, residents of said county, shall appoint a suitable person, who is not interested in manufacturing, dealing, or vending any or either of said oils, whose duty it shall be to examine and test the quality of all such oils that he shall be requested to examine and test by any manufacturer, vender, or dealer; and if, upon such testing or examination, the oils shall meet the requirements hereinafter specified, he shall fix his brand or device, viz.: "Approved," with the date, over his official signature, upon the package, barrel, or cask containing the same, and it shall be lawful for any manufacturer, vender, or dealer to sell the same as an illuminator; but if the oil so tested shall not meet said requirements, he shall make in plain letters on said package, cask, or barrel, over his official signature, the words, Rejected for illuminating purposes," and it shall be unlawful for the owner thereof to sell such oil for illuminating purposes. ' How he shall mark barrels or casks. Inspector to provide necessary apparatus. 66 1 (1502.) SEc. 2. It shall be the duty of the inspector to provide himself, at his own expense, with the necessary instruments and apparatus for testing the quality of said illuminating oils, and, when called upon for that purpose, to promptly inspect all oils hereinWhat to report before mentioned, and to report as dangerous all oils which, at the temperature of one hundred and fifty degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, will emit an explosive gas or take fire on applying thereto or plunging therein a well-lighted match: Provided, The quantity as dangerous. Proviso. 1 As amended by Act 45 of the Laws of 1871, p. 45, approved and took effect March 22, 1871. of oil used in this test shall not be less than half a pint; and it shall be the duty of said inspector to designate by his brand the temperature at which said oil will ignite.1 making or sell (1503.) SEC. 3. All illuminating oils manufactured or refined in All oils to be inthis State shall be inspected before removed from the manufactory spected. or refinery. And if any person or persons, whether manufacturer, Penalty for vender, or dealer, shall sell or attempt to sell to any person in this ing, etc., before State, any illuminating oils, whether manufactured in this State or inspection. not, before having the same inspected as provided in this act, he shall be subject to a penalty in any sum not exceeding five hundred dollars; and if any manufacturer, vender, or dealer of either Penalty for falseor any of said illuminating oils shall falsely brand the package, ly branding, etc. cask, or barrel containing the same, as provided in the first section of this act, or shall use packages, casks, or barrels having the inspector's brand thereon, without having the oil inspected, he shall be subject to a penalty in any sum not exceeding five hundred nor less than one hundred dollars, or be imprisoned in the county jail not exceeding six months, or both, at the discretion of the court. ties. (1504.) SEC. 4. The several inspectors provided for [in] this act Inspectors may are hereby empowered, if necessary to the convenient and prompt appoint depudispatch of their respective duties, to appoint a suitable number of deputies, for whose official acts they shall be accountable, which deputies are hereby empowered to perform the duties of inspection, and shall be liable to the same penalties as the inspector. (1505.) SEC. 5. Every person appointed inspector or deputy oaths of office. inspector shall, before he enters upon the discharge of the duties of his office, take an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution of the United States and the State of Michigan, and to discharge the duties of inspector with fidelity. He shall also execute a bond to Bond of inspectthe State of Michigan, in such sum and with such surety as shall be or. approved by the judge of the circuit court where appointed, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties imposed on him by this act, which bond shall be for the use of all persons aggrieved by the acts or neglect of said inspector; and the same shall be filed where filed. with the clerk of the county where the inspectors reside. (1506.) SEC. 6. The term of office of an inspector shall be for Term of office. three years, and every inspector or deputy inspector shall, upon the Duties. requisition of any manufacturer, dealer, or vender of the oils herein mentioned, proceed, without unnecessary delay, to the inspection thereof; and said inspector or deputy inspector shall be entitled compensation. to demand and receive from the owner or party calling on him, the sum of ten cents for each and every package, barrel, or cask inspected and branded by him; and it shall by [be] the duty of every inspector or deputy inspector to keep a true and accurate record of all oils so oils inspected. inspected and branded by him, which record shall state the date of inspection, the number of gallons or barrels, and the name of the person for whom inspected, and the record shall be open to the inspection of any and all persons interested. And it shall be the 1 Amended by Act 103 of the Laws of 1878, p. 136. To keep record of |