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Palisades Park is situated east of the borough of Leonia, and its westerly boundary is along the Hackensack meadows. It extends in an easterly direction to the top of the hill and within two miles of the Hudson river. The population of certain portions of the town, and especially that portion lying upon the hilltops on its easterly boundary, is made up of settlements of Hungarians, Poles and Italians. These persons live in small houses, and the sanitary conditions are very unsatisactory. Since February there have been over thirty cases of diphtheria and eleven deaths have occurred. The local board of health of Palisades Park has never taken any action to limit the spread of the disease. There has been no quarantine of premises. Persons have been allowed to visit those who were sick, but in case of deaths from contagious diseases no public funerals have been allowed. In one or two instances small sulphur candles have been burned in the houses for the purpose of disinfection. The board of education has refused to open the school on account of the existence of diphtheria. The local board of health has insisted that they had no money at their command to expend in an effort to limit the spread of contagious diseases. It was ascertained that the total appropriation for last year for health purposes in the borough of Palisades Park was $15. The members of the local board of health had determined to send in their resignations. In an interview with the mayor the perils of the situation were explained, and a request was made that the borough council should at once appropriate necessary funds for the use of the local board of health. The mayor promised to call a meeting of the council and appropriate sufficient funds. In an interview with the president of the local board of health the details of the management of outbreaks of contagious diseases were explained and a meeting of the local board of health was called for the evening of September 4th, when definite action will be planned. One of the chief difficulties in the problem of controlling the spread of disease in this locality is the fact that the foreign population fail to send for a physician until the patient has been ill for a number of days and recovery is doubtful. Under the circumstances, the local board of health was advised for the time being to appoint a medical inspector, who should go through the houses every other day and ascertain whether there are any cases of contagious disease. It was also suggested that a rigid quarantine be enforced in one or two instances at least, so that the foreign population might be made to understand that they must obey the rules as laid down by the local board of health. Dr. Wyckoff, of Leonia, promised to attend the meeting of the local board of health of Palisades Park and assist them in any way in his power.

SCARLET FEVER.

Clinton Township, Essex County.-Notice was received July 19th from the assessor of Clinton township, Essex county, of the existence of a number of cases of scarlet fever in what is known as St. Peter's Orphan Asylum, located within the township. An investigation was made on July 21st, 1901. Four weeks previous to July 19th one or two cases of scarlet fever developed among the children in the institution. There are seventy two children under the care of the society. Since the occurrence of the first cases eight additional cases developed. Dr. Ill, of Newark, had medical supervision of the patients. All of the affected children were removed to a room on the western side of the building, separated from the other children, and a separate

nurse was placed in charge of them. All clothing from patients was at once taken to the laundry, boiled and washed, and it was evident that care was exercised to prevent the further spread of the disease. The origin of the cases was traced to a child that had come from home, and had only been in the institution three days when symptoms of the disease developed.

East Orange.-On Friday, June 28th, a telegram was received from East Orange requesting that an investigation should be made of an outbreak of scarlet fever. The following facts were ascertained: Within the three days preceding Friday, June 28th, sixteen cases of scarlet fever had been reported to the local board of health. These cases were located in different parts of the city. The cases occurred in fourteen different families. The local board of health had investigated any possible cause for the general infection, and in the course of the investigation ascertained that every one of the families in which the disease existed was supplied with milk obtained from the Borden Milk Company. The children affected with the disase had not been to any common meeting place, and no history could be obtained that would account for the cases being in such widely separated portions of the city. An interview was had with the Borden Milk Company's representative, and it was ascertained that all the milk which came to East Orange was shipped from Oxford, New York State. During the three days above referred to three cases of scarlet fever were reported in Orange, all of which were supplied with Borden's milk, and of fifteen cases reported in Newark thirteen obtained milk from the same source. The local board of health of East Orange, under the circumstances, stopped the sale of milk from the Oxford dairies, and Dr. Gray, the physician of the board, and an inspector were requested to go to Oxford and make an investigation. Meanwhile, the Borden Milk Company employed a number of physicans, living in Oxford and vicinity, to make a medical inspection of all families from which the supply for East Orange was obtained. Upon the arrival of Dr. Gray and Mr. Bowden in Oxford they were presented with the affidavits of these physicans that there was not a single case of scarlet fever upon any of the premises from which the milk was obtained, but that at Norwich, which is a short distance from Oxford, two hundred and thirty-two cases of scarlet fever had been reported. The investigation made by Dr. Gray gave no direct evidence of contamination of the milk supply at this point, but he expressed the belief that some of the milkmen had been going and coming from Oxford to Norwich and might have carried the infection in their clothing. The Borden company, twenty-four hours after the prohibition was placed against the sale of milk in East Orange, was permitted to supply milk coming from another locality, and the local board of health decided that it was best to prohibit the milk from Oxford and vicinity for at least ten days, or until all danger of any infection from that point was passed. Dr. Gray, in his report, stated that the system used by the company supplying milk was so perfected that chances of infection of the supply were reduced to a minimum and that great care was exercised to produce clean milk.

Newton.-At the request of the board of health of Green township, Sussex county, an investigation was made October 11th of an outbreak of scarlet fever. There had been a number of cases of scarlet fever in this vicinity, and all of them were traceable to an imported case. A number of the cases recovered without medical attention, and this was a factor in the distribution of the disease. Information was obtained that there were several places where milk was supplied to creameries and that the children of the dairymen were suffering from the disease. Two

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of these places were visited. At Joel H. Brown's, near Greenville, there was a child ill, and two children had been sick with scarlet fever. Mr. Brown's wife was also suffering from the same disease. Mr. Brown was accustomed to take care of the family and also do the milking. A notice prohibiting the sale of milk from his premises was served. At Howell Hamilton's dairy it was found that there had been eight cases of scarlet fever and that the same conditions existed as on the dairy above mentioned. A prohibition notice was also served upon him. October 13th word was received from Mr. Brown that he had secured a man from outside to do the milking and that the milk cans were not taken into his home, but were left at the well, and the prohibition was therefore removed. On October 15th a similar statement was received from Howell Hamilton, and the prohibition was removed from his premises. There were sixteen cases of scarlet fever in this vicinity, occurring in four families.

Inspection of Streams.

During the year ending December 31st, 1901, the inspection of streams was continued. The Legislature has not provided any appropriation for this service, and the work accomplished has been performed by the chief sanitary inspector, assisted to some extent by the secretary.

Rahway River.-In the buildings of the Palmer Leather Company, located in West Orange, an extensive tanning business is carried on, and the refuse from the factory is discharged into a swamp, from which it finds its way by small streams into a branch of the Rahway river. A notice was served upon the Palmer Leather Company forbidding any discharge of factory liquid waste into the stream. Information was received from the company that the works would be shut down until some provision could be made for handling the sewage, and a later inspection showed that a filter-bed had been constructed by building a dike around a portion of the swamp, and into this the waste liquids were discharged. At the time of this inspection there was no evidence that the stream was being polluted at this point. From the Diamond paper mill, which is located in Millburn, there is a discharge of liquid waste from the factory, and there was ample evidence that there was pollution of a branch of the Rahway river at this point. Action was commenced against the factory for the purpose of securing an injunction, and the trial of this case, in Newark, occurred in October, 1901. At the Fandango paper mill, located at Millburn, binders'-board is manufactured. The waste from the mill is discharged into a branch of the Rahway river. Notice was served upon the owner to abate the nuisance, and a filter-bed has been constructed for the purpose of purifying the waste liquids before permitting the water to re-enter the stream. At Garwood the Copper Refining Company is located, and the discharge of liquid waste from these works discolors the waters of the stream, and the contamination at this point is apparent. The company was notified to stop the pollution of the stream. Action was begun by the fish and game commissioners and a judgment was secured, and it is understood that action will be continued until the contamination ceases. A number of premises located in Garwood were examined, and it was found that the house drains from eight dwellings discharge liquid household waste into the brook, which is a tributary of the Rahway river. All of these cases have been placed in the hands of legal counsel, and action will be prosecuted as rapidly as possible. During the year 1900 it was found that from a number of factories and dwellings in West Orange, and Orange, liquid waste was being discharged into the east branch of the Rahway river, and a notice, at that time, was served upon several factory owners. The result was that the amount of contamination was greatly lessened, but there are still a number of houses discharging liquid household waste into the stream,

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and during the coming year it is the intention of the State Board of Health to take legal steps to stop these contaminations. The health authorities in West Orange and Orange are co-operating with the State authorities, and a list is being prepared of all points of contamination, and as soon as the evidence is secured legal action will be begun.

Rancocas Creek.- Various complaints were received in reference to contaminations of the Rancocas creek at Smithville, and an inspection was made of the premises of the H. B. Smith Manufacturing Company, and it was found that from the wash-rooms and closets, and also from the kitchen, sewage was being discharged into the Rancocas creek. Notice was sent to the owners to discontinue the contamination of the stream, and the matter was placed in the hands of C. K. Chambers, counselor-at-law, Mount Holly. The company immediately took action. A large cesspool was constructed and all sewage is conducted into this receptacle, and the contamination of the stream at this point was stopped. At Riverside, which is located below Mount Holly, on Rancocas creek, near the Delaware river, the water-supply for the borough is obtained from the creek. The Zurbrugg Manufacturing Company controls the supply. Both above and below the intake sewage was discharged from two factories into the creek. The local authorities of Riverside commenced action against the owners of the properties, and a system was introduced for the purpose of filtering the sewage before it was allowed to enter the stream. No action was taken by the State Board of Health in this case, as the sewage from Mount Holly is discharged into the Rancocas creek above this point, and the law which was passed in 1899 excludes all streams which were undergoing pollution at that time, so that the Mount Holly authorities really have legislative permission to use the creek below Mount Holly as a sewer. The authorities of Riverside, and also the owners of the public water-supply, were advised of the importance of securing a new source of supply, and at the present time negotiations are being carried on and plans drawn looking toward the accomplishment of this end.

Hackensack River.-In September, 1901, an inspection was made of a branch of the Hackensack river, near Tenafly. Upon examination five different premises were noted from which liquid waste was discharged into the brook which is a branch of the Hackensack river. A notice was sent to each of the owners, and no reply being received, the matter was placed in the hands of Mr. R. Wortendyke, counselor-at-law, Jersey City, for prosecution. By correspondence with Dr. Lansing, in Tenafly, who is the health officer of that locality, it was ascertained that in each instance the contamination had ceased, and therefore no further action was taken.

Crosswicks Creek.-From Crosswicks creek is obtained the water-supply for the city of Bordentown. The attention of the State Board of Health was called to the conditions in Bordentown affecting the water-supply, and frequent inspections have been made for the purpose of ascertaining the exact conditions. It has been found that a short distance above the intake of the water-supply a small stream discharges into the creek. This stream has its course through the city of Bordentown, and it was found that the liquid waste from three factories, a boarding school and thirty-eight houses was discharged into it. After the facts had been obtained the question of what action should be taken was discussed by the State Board of Health. The decision was reached that it would be unwise to take action against owners for the contamination of this supply, as the point of intake for the public water-supply is so located that not only is the water used by the city contaminated by the pollu

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