N. Y., who, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he has practised the profession of medicine within said county for 13 years, and that within said period of years he has attended professionally several patients suffering from malarial affections contracted, as he firmly believes by cause of low, wet lands overflowed by the polluted waters of Conewango and Cassadaga creeks within the town of Poland, Chautauqua county, N. Y., and he further states that the dredging of the channel and removal of obstructions within said creeks in the towns of Poland, Carroll and Kiantone is by him deemed necessary for the public health. [Seal] E. S. RICH Subscribed and sworn to before me this 13th day of November, Personally appeared before me, a notary public in and for the county of Chautauqua, state of New York, on this 25th day of November, 1899, Herbert W. Davis, M. D., of Falconer, N. Y., who, being duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he has practised the profession of medicine within said county for 16 years, and that within said period of years he has attended professionally over 15 patients suffering from malarial affections contracted, as he firmly believes, by cause of low, wet lands overflowed by the polluted waters of Conewango and Cassadaga creeks within the town of Poland, Chautauqua county, N. Y., and he further states that the dredging of the channel and removal of obstructions within said creeks in the towns of Poland, Carroll and Kiantone is by him deemed necessary for the public health. HERBERT W. DAVIS, M. D. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 25th day of November, 1899. HARLEY N. CROSBY, Notary public REPORT OF THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH IN THE MATTER OF THE DRAINAGE OF CONEWANGO SWAMP, IN THE COUNTY OF CHAUTAUQUA, STATE OF NEW YORK. MARCH 12, 1900 In pursuance of a resolution passed by the State Board of Health at its meeting in Albany, February 14, 1900, the undersigned committee, appointed for the purpose, visited Jamestown on Friday, March 2, 1900, and took testimony regarding the condition of Conewango swamp in its relation to the health of the residents of the district adjoining said swamp. Several physicians who reside in the towns of Frewsburg, Kennedy, Falconer and Jamestown, together with the supervisor and other residents of the town of Carroll and an engineer familiar with the conditions existing and those which formerly existed in a portion of said swamp before it was drained, were present and gave evidence. The medical witnesses testified to the physical conditions of the so-called lower swamp, which is located in the towns of Carroll and Kiantone, and which covers an area of something over 10,000 acres. It appeared from the evidence that fevers of a malarial and so-called typho-malarial type prevailed to an unusual degree in the vicinity of these swamp lands. These diseases are especially prevalent in the autumn after the very low water of summer and in the early spring. The testimony of Dr. Bemus, of Jamestown, and others also, established the fact that this swamp district is peculiar in this respect, as no malarial fevers exist in any other portions of Chautauqua county. All the other medical witnesses corroborated this statement. Evidence was also taken showing results of the drainage of the upper swamp, which was done by the state some years ago, where similar unhealthy conditions existed, but have been entirely relieved by the drainage. Many witnesses corroborated the statement which the petitioners to the State Board of Health had alleged, that the drainage of the upper swamp had aggravated the malarial conditions of the district under investigation, there being a more rapid discharge of water from the drained district, with no ready outlet for its relief. The health officer of the town of Carroll testified to the unusual death rate of 23 during the past year, in a population of about 1800. Several histories of malaria and so-called typho-malarial fevers were submitted by physicians, which convinced your committee of the miasmatic conditions alleged to exist. Several hundred people who permanently reside within a mile or a mile and a half of the borders of this swamp are affected by this condition. The evidence in full as taken at the hearing accompanies this report. Your committee find, after a careful consideration of all the evidence, that 1 The conditions existing in the territory adjoining the Conewango swamp are such as to constituté a nuisance detrimental to the public health. 2 The committee also finds from an examination of the results of the drainage of the upper Conewango swamp that a similar system of drainage for the lower swamp will greatly mitigate the existing unhealthful conditions, if not entirely remove them. 3 In view of these facts the committee recommends that such drainage be made in this district. Respectfully submitted. DANIEL LEWIS Committee CITY OF POUGHKEEPSIE POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y., February 21, 1900 BAXTER T. SMELZER, Secretary State Board of Health, Albany, N. Y.: Dear Sir-I am directed by the board of health of the city of Poughkeepsie to request the State Board of Health to send to this city a representative to examine into and locate the cause |