REPORT

VAUGHAN

LIBRARY

ALBANY, February 15, 1901

To His Excellency BENJAMIN B. ODELL, JR., Governor of the State

of New York:

Sir-The State Board of Health presents its twenty-first annual report as required by law.

During the past year the work of the Board has materially increased, and it is gratifying to note the desire on the part of the health authorities of the state to improve the sanitary condition of their respective municipalities by the adoption of modern system of sewers and sewage disposal plants and in their efforts. to secure pure supplies of potable water.

SEWER SYSTEMS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL WORKS
Plans were approved as follows:

Mount Vernon, Vernon park district, extension of certain sewers for temporary purposes.

Village of Massena, complete system of sewers.

Village of Port Jervis, extension of outlet sewer.

Village of Saranac Lake, trunk sewer to Baker bridge, to intersect at Trestle street Trestle street sewer. Change in original

plan of complete system.

Village of Depew, change in sewer on French road.

Village of Canajoharie, complete system.

Village of Sag Harbor, change in system.

Village of Port Chester, complete system.
Village of Fishkill Landing, complete system.
Village of Cooperstown, sewer in Delaware street.
Village of Plattsburg, change in sewer system.
Village of Haverstraw, change in sewer system.

Village of White Plains, change in sewer system.

Village of Whitesboro, complete system.

Village of Northside, complete system.

Village of Depew, change in site of disposal works.

Village of Bath, sewer for county jail.

Village of Perry, complete system.

WATER SUPPLIES

Rules and regulations for the sanitary protection of public water supplies were adopted for the following municipalities: Avon, Geneseo, Livonia, Nyack, Plattsburg and Rome.

Investigations have been made as to alleged pollution of public water supplies of the village of Keeseville, city of Watervliet, town of Indian Lake, village of East Hampton, village of Canastota, Highland Mills, Central Valley and village of Fort Plain.

INVESTIGATIONS ORDERED BY THE GOVERNOR

In compliance with orders received from the Governor, the following investigations have been made:

Complaint concerning pollution of water supply of city of Rensselaer.

In matter of nuisance caused by plant of Eastern paving brick company at Catskill.

In matter of unsanitary condition of body of water known as "North bay" near city of Hudson.

Complaint of Greenwood Lake association concerning unsanitary conditions at Greenwood Lake, caused by the drawing down of the waters of the lake by a waterworks company of New Jersey.

INSTRUCTIONS TO LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH

In answering requests from local boards of health for advice and instructions as to their duties some 4000 letters were written, in addition to which the sanitary engineers, together with the several members of the Board and their medical experts, have devoted considerable time to investigations of complaints and advising local municipal authorities in the following cases: Nuisance caused by Conewango swamp in Cattaraugus county. As to prevalence of rabies in western part of state and at Scottsville.

Smallpox at Fort Edward, Dunkirk, Stockton, Tarrytown, Dobbs Ferry, Haverstraw, Oneonta, Rotterdam, Schenectady, Gloversville, Big Flats and Albany.

Scarlet fever at Irondequoit, Locke, Amenia and Palmyra. Diphtheria at Columbia Center, Vestal, Batavia, Corning and Mamaroneck.

Typhoid fever at Orient and East Hampton, L. I.

Sewering facilities at Dannemora prison.

Nuisance caused by leakage of gas in the streets of the city of Poughkeepsie.

As to necessity for sewers in village of Perry.

Testing sewage disposal plant at the House of Refuge for Women at Albion.

Examination of site of proposed reservoir at Port Jervis.
Village of Fredonia, need of sewering facilities.

Investigation as to disposition being made of sewage from

city of Binghamton.

Relative to pollution of certain streams in Olean by refuse from tanneries.

Unsanitary condition of the village of Brockport by reason of inadequate sewering facilities.

Nuisance caused by creamery at Ancram lead mines.

Nuisance caused by swamp lands in town of Rotterdam. Examination of new reservoir for White Plains waterworks. Unsanitary conditions in village of Addison.

CHEMICAL WORK OF THE BOARD

The work of the laboratory during the past year has consisted in the analyses of samples of drinking water which have been received from various sources; of miscellaneous articles which have been submitted from time to time, and of certain special investigations. Information has been given upon various subjects in response to inquiries concerning food and drug adulteration, hygiene, sanitary legislation and related matters. Through lack of funds available for the purpose it has been impossible to carry on any systematic inspection of the foods, drugs, fermented and spirituous liquors and illuminating oils on sale in the state as required by law.

During the year 57 samples of drinking water were received, mainly through local boards of health on application to the Board, and of this number seven samples were insufficient in quantity, or for some other reason unsuitable for analysis. The 50 samples examined and reported upon were from the following localities: Adams, Allegany, Angelica, Ausable Forks (four samples), Clarkstown, Fort Edward (two samples), Fort

Plain (three samples), Green Island (two samples), Highland Falls (two samples), Ilion, Iroquois (two samples), La Fargeville (three samples, Little Falls, Mechanicville, Middletown (three samples), Montour Falls (two samples), Newburgh, Newfield, New Lebanon (two samples), Oneonta, Penn Yan, Pittsford, Potsdam, Shortsville, Syracuse, Troy, Waterloo (four samples), Watervliet (three samples), Waverly, and not stated one sample. The analyses have included the usual determinations of chlorine, free and albuminoid ammonia, etc., deemed sufficient in most instances for ascertaining sanitary quality, and information concerning the source and surroundings of the sample has been requested in all cases and generally supplied, and such information has been taken into consideration in construing the analytical results. Particulars concerning these samples, with the analytical results in full, will be found in the report of the director.

An investigation of the nature and sanitary character of food colors was made in the early part of the year in accordance with the provisions of chapter 518 of the laws of 1899, entitled "An act to amend the agricultural law, relating to the manufacture and use of coloring matter in food products," which act provides that no person or persons shall manufacture, sell or expose for sale any poisonous coloring matter for the coloring of food prod ucts of any kind, nor shall any person or persons use any poisonous coloring matter manufactured, sold, offered or exposed for sale within this state; nor shall any person or persons sell, offer or expose for sale any food product containing such poisonous coloring matter," and this act made it the duty of the State Board of Health to "cause samples of coloring matter that are exposed for sale upon the market for use in food products to be analyzed and report the results of such analysis to the Legislature