Separated from the main building by the broad carriage-way is a smaller edifice, containing apartments for the superintendent and a portion of the staff.

The whole of the effluent water from the premises is sterilized. before being allowed to pass into the sewers.

In addition to this establishment, which cost in round figures 200,000 marks (£10,000), with a further 30,000 marks for the apparatus, two others have been erected (near the Eppendorf hospital and the Lohmühlenstrasse respectively) for the treatment of linen from the hospital. The disinfecting vats of wood are placed in the longitudinal wall dividing the room, and the covers are so arranged that only one can be opened at a time, thus preventing direct communication between the two sides of the premises. The linen is put into hot water, which is slowly raised to the boiling point, and at the end of a further ten minutes is taken out and washed, Dr. Rumpf having found that this treatment, in presence of a 5 per cent. solution of soap, sufficed to kill the most obstinate germs.

DISINFECTION OF SOILED LINEN.-Beyer (Fortschrit. de Médicine, No. 1, 1897), has tested different methods employed for the disinfection of bed linen and underclothing. The ordinary methods by boiling are not suited to these articles, as the presence of blood, pus, and feces causes an ineradicable stain if a high temperature is used. Soaking the garments in solutions of various soaps for one or two days failed in every instance to kill cholera, typhoid, and pyogenic organisms which were mixed with the feces with which the garments were smeared. In some cases the germs were killed when the solutions containing the linen were kept at 50° C. for a few hours. With lime-water the results were much better. Sample garments which were soaked in this solution for twenty-four hours were found to be sterilized. An equally good result was obtained in a hospital where about one-half a cubic meter of soiled linen was soaked in lime-water for forty-eight hours or for twenty-four hours if the clothing was first rinsed with lime-water and then placed in a fresh solution. The lime-water does not injure linen or cotton goods, but shrinks woolen to such an extent as to prevent its use.

AGGRESSIVE SANITATION.

THE RECENT MEASURES OF THE NEW YORK BOARD OF HEALTH TO ELIMINATE INFECTIOUS DISEASES FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

EDITOR OF THE SANITARIAN:

Gratified as I have always been with the aggressive spirit of THE SANITARIAN, as constant reader from the outset, I avail myself of the occasion to express my special appreciation of your remarks on page 466 of your May number, with reference to the obstacles with which the Board of Health has to contend in its progressive work, and to jot down a few reflections on the most recent "innovation" of the rights of people to propagate disease.

For several years past it has been observed that among the school children of public, parochial and industrial schools, there could always be found some form of contagious or infectious disease.

Measles, scarlatina, in the desquamative stage, mumps varicella tinea capitis, itch, and animal parasites were not infrequently detected.

The numerous loopholes through which many of these diseases were found to spread, notwithstanding the official precautions insisted upon by the various methods of isolation instituted by the Board of Health, seemed to be almost impossible to control. The apparent ignorance of and popular indifference to preventive methods against the spread of these diseases have always, heretofore, been the greatest obstacle to the efficiency of official effort in the control or suppression of communicable diseases. Unfortunately, no such dread of these exanthems, so common to childhood, is popularly felt as is felt with regard to smallpox; and it is with the greatest difficulty that persons of intelligence can be convinced of the possibility of controlling the communicability and propagation of these diseases. To the common idea among many people that such diseases are an unavoidable heritage of childhood and youth, may be attributed the chief difficulty of controlling them by the health authorities. Not alone is ignorance at fault, but indifference and selfishness on the part of some of the well-informed, also refuse acquiescence and even oppose the use of proper means for their prevention. Isolation of the person and prophylactic measures for public protection, are looked upon as largely interfering with personal liberty and inalienable rights.

In the schools may be found the most indubitable evidences of both this indifference to the welfare of others, and of the ignorance of parents regarding the spread of contagious diseases. A child just recovered from a mild attack of scarlet fever, whose cuticle is desquamating, another with the parotid glands swollen, or another with a few well-marked vesicular papules on the face and body, or one with symptoms of coryza accompanied with hoarse cough, slightly febrile, in a word-suffering with incipient measles in its most infective stage; others with well defined tinea of scalp or skin, and again others with indubitable scabies, to say nothing of the parasitic animals evident on the hairy scalp, are by no means uncommon sights on looking over classes of school children.

Heedless and indifferent to the rights and welfare of others, parents selfishly send such cases into the schools where multitudes of well children must be exposed.

Until recently no special efforts have been made to check this indiscriminate exposure and heedless propagation of infectious diseases. The anxious parent desires his children to be in school, the law requires no truant to escape, so the doors of the great school buildings are thrown wide open to receive and, unfortunately to over-crowd and pack the children of school age into these human hives without a thought of the dangers involved. Germs of contagious diseases enter into the bodies of children more insidiously and, under such conditions, with more favorable receptivity, than mental pabulum or its improvement. The more crowded these youthful multitudes, the greater the opportunities for contracting and disseminating preventable diseases.

To prevent this means of propagating disease, the New York Board of Health has recently instituted a daily medical inspection of school children, in the schools, and although the system is not yet perfected, the results from the outset have shown the great importance of the measure as a means of preventing the spread of contagious diseases. Parents are quickly appreciating the necessity of keeping infected children at home and of greater care of their persons; and a higher appreciation of the rules and advice of the Health Officers.

As may be seen by the report of the Chief Inspector of the Medical School Inspection, for the week ending April 9th, 364 children were found to be affected with infectious diseases, and excluded from the schools, out of a total of 7.398 examined-over 4 per cent-as follows:

Number of males examined, 3,316; females, 4,082; total, 7,398. Number of cases of measles, 3; diphtheria, 13; scarlet fever, 1; croup, 3; whooping cough, 4; mumps, 10; contagious eye diseases, 59; chickenpox, 15, and skin diseases, 19.

With this system further extended and perfected, not only the sickness rate but also the death rate will doubtless be reduced. It will also promote the intelligence and education of the people on the necessity of greater care of such cases occurring in their families, and may we not anticipate the possibility of stamping out in the near future some, at least, of these devastating diseases of childhood. OLD INSPECTOR.

New York, May 7, 1897.

VENTILATION OF SCHOOL-HOUSES AND OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

One of the most important laws enacted by the recent session of the Legislature of New York emanated from the Manufacturers' Association of Kings and Queens counties-an amendment to the public health laws of the State, adding to chapter 661, at the end of article 12, several sections, in part as follows:

Sec. 211. It shall be the duty of the Board or Department of Health or Health Commissioner or Commissioners of any city or town or incorporated village to inspect and supervise every public building and every school house and every public building and every school house shall be kept in a cleanly state.

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Sec. 212. Every public building and every school house hereafter erected shall be ventilated in such a manner that the amount of foul or vitiated air exhausted or removed shall be effected by methods positive and independent of atmospheric changes and shall not be less than twenty cubic feet per minute for each person, and the quantity of fresh air admitted shall not be less than twenty cubic feet per minute for each person that such public building or school house can accommodate; and the Board or Department of Health or Health Commissioner or Commissioners of any city or town or incorporated village where such public building or school house is located shall within one year from and after the passage of this act inspect all the buildings therein which are so used within the meaning of this act, and thereafter shall inspect every six months all buildings therein so used. * * *

Sec. 213. Whenever it shall appear to the proper Board or Department of Health or Health Commissioner or Commissioners of any city, or town, or incorporated village, upon the inspection of any public building or school house therein, erected prior to the passage of this act, that the sanitary conditions or means of ventilation are insufficient to conform to the requirements of this act; and whenever the Board or Department of Health or Health Commissioners shall determine that, because of the construction of such public building or school house, it cannot at a reasonable cost be made to conform to the requirements of this act, such Board or Department of Health or Health Commissioner or Commissioners shall issue a written order to the proper person or authority having charge or control of such public building or school house, directing that such sanitary provisions or means of ventilation be supplied, as in the judgment of said Health authorities can be accomplished and the same shall thereupon be supplied by the public authority, corporation or person having charge, owning or leasing such public building or school house.

Sec. 214. Any public officer, corporation or person neglecting for three months after the receipt of a written order from the proper Board or Department of Health or Health Commissioner or Commissioners, as hereinbefore provided, to provide the sanitary provisions or means of ventilation required thereby, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars.

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Sec. 215. The expression, "public building." used in this act shall include any public or private building or premises used as a place of public entertainment, instruction, resort or assemblage. The expression, "school house," shall mean any public or private building or premises in which instruction is afforded to not less. than twenty pupils at one time.

Sec. 216. It shall be the duty of the Board or Department of Health or Health Commissioner or Commissioners appointed to town or incorporated village to cause this act to be enforced, and whenever any of the provisions of this act are violated, to cause all violaters thereof to be prosecuted. * ** It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with or obstruct or injure by force or otherwise any officer or employee of any Board or Department of Health or Health Commissioner or Commissioners appointed to enforce the provisions of this act, while in the performance of his or her duties, or to refuse to properly answer questions asked by