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made within a few hours if the brain is in good condition. These reports will be sent by telegraph at the expense of those concerned whenever requested.

6.

Examination of water supplies. The examination of private wells will be undertaken at the request of a health officer when the physician has good reason for suspecting the water to be the cause of some water-borne disease. Public water supplies will be examined for their fitness for drinking purposes as frequently as our facilities will permit. The samples must be sent in containers furnished by our laboratory and must be accompanied by data cards carefully filled out. Full information is sent with every outfit. The outfit will be sent in care of the health officer. The examinations require about five days.

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7. Anthrax, actinomycosis, glanders and trichinosis. These examinations will be made on request of a local health officer, physician or state consulting veterinarian. Glanders material must be packed in ice and sent to the laboratory labeled “SUSPECTED GLANDERS,” as such material is very dangerous to handle.

8. Diagnosis of syphilis. The laboratory will make microscopic examinations of smears from suspected syphilitic lesions for the presence of the spirochaeta of syphilis. Slides. in proper mailing cases with data cards will be sent on requet.

9. Intestinal parasites. Feces will be examined for the hookworm, lapeworm, round worm, and threadworm. For this purpose outfits will

be sent to any physician on request. Outfits will also be found at the distributing stations in each county.

10. Diagnosis of meningitis. Specimens of meningeal fluid will be examined for meningococcus in suspected meningitis. The sample must be sent in a sterile vial, with a history of the case. Reports will be made by telegraph at expense of those interested.

11. Toxicological examination and chemical analysis of milk, food and drugs. Toxicological examinations of stomach contents, foods and drugs will be made by the chemist, state hygienic laboratory.

Our laboratory is prepared to do special work in pathology and bacteriology, such as urinalysis, blood examinations, examinations of tumors, preparation of vaccines, etc. For such private work a charge is made, as this is in no way connected with State Board of Health work. For such work all communications must be addressed to Bacteriologist and Pathologist, West Virginia University, Morgantown. The Pasteur treatment for the prevention of rabies will soon be given at the hygienic laboratory. For this treatment arrangements must be made with the Bacteriologist. The laboratory is prepared to make investigations of matters regarding the public health when they concern bacteriology, hygiene or epidemiology, at the request of the State Board of Health.

I have already mentioned that we hope soon to distribute typhoid vaccine to physicians of the state. We shall soon be prepared to send outfits for the preventon of ophthalmia neonatorum, and I hope we shall soon be able to distribute antitoxins for diphtheria and tetanus. But all these will depend upon the future action of the State Board of

The field of activity of this laboratory will be extended as rapidly as possible, and we hope that it will supply a long felt need in the state. Our greatest duty will be the protection of the public health. To this work the hygienic laboratory is dedicated, and in the performance of this great service we shall need the co-operation of every member of the medical profession in the state of West Virginia.

The following is a copy of the Bulletin of Information of the Hygienic Laboratory of the West Virginia Board of Health, which has been sent to every physician of the state, when the laboratory was organized. It was prepared by Dr. Aaron Arkin, Ph. D., M. D.

STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.

Hygienic Laboratory Force.

JOHN N. SIMPSON, M. D., Director.

ALEXANDER R. WHITEHILL, A. M., Ph. D., Chief Chemist.
DIETRICH C. OUDSHOORN, Assistant Chemist.

AARON ARKIN, Ph. D., M. D., Chief Bacteriologist and Pathologist.
EMANUEL FINK, B. Sc., Assistant Bacteriologist and Pathologist.
Wm. H. SCHULTZ, Ph. D., Consulting Pharmacologist.

The state Laboratory of Hygiene has been organized under the authority of the University and the State Board of Health for the study and prevention of contagious diseases. It is at all times ready to assist physicians, veterinarians, and health officers in making diagnosis of contagious diseases and in advising measures for their prevention. In other words, its work is essentially directed toward the preservation of public health. We constantly receive specimens of tumors of various sorts, urine, and materials on which an examination for poisons is asked. Further than this, not infrequently we have bottles of medicine, patent and otherwise, foods, whiskeys, etc., sent in to us for analysis. Such examinations do not come under public health work and will be made at a moderate charge for the work required. In the case of tumors and pathological specimens, the laboratory is able to make the examination at a moderate cost and is willing to do this to help physicians throughout the state. The laboratory is equipped to do any special work in bacteriology and pathology at a moderate cost.

We give below the examinations which are regularly made free of charge for physicians, veterinarians, and health officers. Such specimens as are not mentioned are not examined by the laboratory es routine work, and in case any one wishes an examination made which is not mentioned in this list, it will be well to correspond with the chief bacteriologist and pathologist of the laboratory before sending in the specimen.

The laboratory is prepared to do the following work:

The examination of sputum for tubercle bacilli from suspected cases of tuberculosis.

The examination of blood from suspected typhoid patients for the Widal reaction.

The examination of pus from suspected cases of gonorrhea for gonococci.

The examination of the central nervous system of animals in suspected rabies.

The chemical and bacteriological examination of water for its general fitness for drinking purposes.

The examination of specimens from cases of suspected anthrax, glanders, actinomycosis, and trichinosis.

Examination of smears from suspected cases of syphilis for the spirochaeta pallida.

Examination of faeces for intestinal parasites, as hookworm, tapeworm, round worm, or thread worms.

The examination of spinal fluid for meningococcus.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.

The following rules have been drafted for the direction of those sending specimens to the Laboratory. It is necessary to follow them strictly in order to obtain the best results. Failure to comply with these rules will debar the examination of a specimen:

All specimens examined must come from persons or animals in the state of West Virginia.

The examination of sputum, blood, faeces, pus for gonoccocci, and swabs for diphtheria will be made only on the request of a practicing physician or health officer in the state of West Virginia.

The examination in cases of suspected rabies, anthrax, glanders, or actinomycosis will be made only on the request of the local health officer or a State Consulting Veterinarian in the state of West Virginia.

The examination of water is made only on the request of the local health officer. An exception may be made to this rule in case of schools, village boards, etc., when the request is official.

There is no charge for the examinations above described. The only requirements are, that the specimens must be sent by the proper persons, either by mail or express-charges prepaid-and that full and accurate data be furnished with each specimen.

All materials to be examined for the presence of pathogenic organisms are to be regarded as dangerous to all persons handling them, and therefore they should be packed so as to insure against possible breakage or leakage, but where any doubt exists as to the contamination of the receptacles in which they are contained, the whole exterior, after sealing, should be thoroughly disinfected by immersing in corrosive sublimate (1-500), or carbolic acid (5 per cent) solution.

All specimens sent in for examination, except in strict accordance with the requirements given herein, will be rejected.

It is a violation of the postal laws to send diseased tissues, sputum, etc., by mail except in containers approved by the post office department.

All specimens, information, and requests for examinations should be sent to the Bacteriologist, State Laboratory of Hygiene, West Virginia University, Morgantown.

REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE EXAMINATION OF WATER.

Private Wells.

(a). The examination of private wells will be undertaken only when the attending physician has good reason for suspecting the well to be the cause of some water-borne disease and the physician's statement is made a part of the request.

(b). The request for the examination must come from, and the sample of water must be furnished by the board of health or a health officer.

(c). The sample must be collected in accordance with directions given, and sent in bottles furnished by the State Board of Health. Other containers will not be accepted.

(d). The sample must be accompanied by such information concerning the well and the cases of sickness as the State Board of Health may demand.

(e). The local board of health must permanently close the well, or enforce such other measures as may be given by the State Board of Health, if the examination shows it to be polluted and the probable cause of disease.

(f). When samples of water from private wells are examined, the local board of health will be expected to pay all transportation charged on the containers from Morgantown to points of destination, and to prepay the charges in returning the containers to Morgantown, West Virginia.

(g). No samples will be received on Saturday, Sunday, or holidays.

Public Water Supplies.

(a). Examination of a public water supply will be undertaken, upon the request of the board of health, whenever satisfactory information is furnished to show that it is the probable cause of disease. (b). Other conditions to be complied with in making examinations of this character, will be determined by the State Board of Health in each case.

(c).

Samples must be sent to Bacteriologist, State Hygienic Laboratory, Morgantown. West Virginia.

(d). Samples of water for chemical analysis should be sent to the Chemist, State Hygienic Laboratory, Morgantown.

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(Specify whether dug, driven or drilled)

5.

Kind of well

6.

Depth of well

7.

Depth of water

Formation of soil pierced by well; Sand, gravel, clay, limestone, sandstone .

(Indicate kind of soil by underscoring or crossing out words not needed.)

8. How is well protected against surface washings?

9.

. privy.

manure heap

Distance from well of sources of pollution..
cesspool......sink drain.... barn.
chicken yard

10. Number of persons using well for drinking purposes.
Number of such persons now or recently ill..

11

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16.

In the space below furnish a sketch showing relative distances of the well from the house, the barn, privy, sink drain, manurę pile and and other sources of pollution. Indicate also the general slope of the land and cleavage of the rocks.

RABIES (HYDROPHOBIA)

Only those animals suspected of hydrophobia which have bitten humans will be examined by this department. Full information concerning this point must be received by the laboratory before the examination will be made.

The following rules should be observed in regard to rabies speci

mens:

(1) If an animal has bitten a person, and can be securely chained up for observation where he can do no harm, this is far preferable to killing the animal and submitting its head for examination.

In the first place, if the animal was capable of conveying the infection when he bit, he will develop symptoms and die within ten days thereafter. An animal well ten days after he bit could not have been rabid at the time of biting.

In the second place, even if the animal is rabid at the time of biting, it is sometimes too early in the disease to detect the Negri bodies. By destroying the dog one therefore often destroys his best evidence. (2). To prevent decomposition, the head should be packed in ice in a water-tight box, or, if this is impossible, placed in glycerin in a tightly sealed preserve jar, and the jar properly packed.

(3). Do not ship specimens so that they will be received at the Laboratory on Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday. Instead, hold and place on ice or in glycerin. Express companies have been instructed to refuse such shipments when not properly packed.

(4). In killing the suspected animal, avoid as far as possible shooting through the brain, or in other ways destroying any of the brain tissue, as the part used for the examination is taken from the brain and may thus be destroyed.

Send specimens to Bacteriologist, State Hygienic Laboratory, Mor

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