Dairies.

Groceries.

SUMMARY OF INSPECTIONS FOR JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 1907.

Meat markets and slaughter houses.

Drug stores...

Bakeries and candy shops.

Hotels and restaurants..

Canning factories...

Bottling works, wineries and breweries.

Poultry houses..

Coca Cola works

Butter packing houses.

Ice cream and ice factories.

Dead animal contractor..

Fruit stand..

Pasteurizing station.

Sorgum works..

Total..

Number of second inspections.

Total...

No.

Good. Fair.

Poor. Bad.

67

511

335

197

5

3

2

1

1

1

1

1,607

95

5

The inspectors report conditions in groceries, meat markets and drug stores to be on the whole as satisfactory as could be expected at the beginning of a new era of food and drug work. Slaughter houses and dairies, on the other hand, have been uniformly bad, and many have been closed until such a time as they were put in condition suitable for use. During the three months 159 prosecutions have been made, distributed in the various counties as follows:

Of the entire number of cases tried in the courts, 150 defendants were found guilty and nine cases were dismissed by the judge on account of technicalities, or found not guilty. The fines and costs levied against violators of the Food and Drug Law aggregate $2,715.25. The corps of inspectors are working satisfactorily and their work is meeting with hearty response in every city visited. Their duties as food and drug inspectors may well be supplemented after a time by a study of water supply and sewage disposal conditions.

FOOD AND DRUG ANALYSES.

During the quarter 830 samples of food products were analyzed, 733 samples of which were pure and 104 adulterated, indicating a percentage of adulteration equivalent to 12.4. This is a remarkable improvement over the work of last year, and is directly attributable to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Law.

The percentage of adulteration in milk samples amount to only 6.2%; of vinegars, 39%; of butters, 20%; of extract of vanilla, 5.5%.

Two hundred and six samples of drugs were analyzed, 112 of which were found to be pure and 94 adulterated, indicating a percentage of adulteration equivalent to 45.6. The conditions in the drug trade are still extremely unsatisfactory, and it is evident that vigorous prosecution of druggists whose goods are not up to U. S. P. requirements must be carried on before conditions will be greatly improved. Sixty-eight per cent. of the spirits of camphor were below strength; 39 per cent. of the lime waters were below standard; 54.3 per cent. of the tr. of iodine; 63 per cent. of the tr. of iron. It has been our desire to afford the druggists every opportunity to raise the standard of their preparations, and wherever goods have fallen below the U. S. P. strength we have sent them a warning notice calling attention to the quality of their goods and asking for an explanation. The trade takes very kindly to this method of work, and yet conditions do not improve. Whereas it has been up to this time our policy to prosecute druggists only when their goods fell below 50 per cent. U. S. P. strength, it is apparent that we shall be obliged to hold them to the letter of the law, if we are to secure an improvement.

During the quarter ending September 30, 1907, 295 samples of water were analyzed. Two hundred and forty-three of these samples were from either shallow or deep wells, and of the entire number 108 were classed as in good condition and potable and 96 were so badly polluted as to be unsuitable for drinking and domestic purposes, and 39 were in that condition usually designated as of "doubtful quality." Fifteen of this last class were duplicate results on the Noblesville water supply.

Of the seventeen stream supplies, eleven were potable and two were seriously polluted. Four pond or surface waters were examined and all were found to be pure. Of thirteen spring waters analyzed, six were potable, three were polluted and four were of doubtful quality. Eight cistern waters were analyzed; three were satisfactory and five were condemned because of the presence of polluted surface water. The two distilled waters were both satisfactory.

In addition to this work something has been done in the way of complete chemical analyses of certain ground waters collected and sent to the laboratory by the United States Geological Survey. While this work is of little apparent worth at the present time, I believe we should continue to co-operate with the Geological Survey in their study of Indiana waters and trust to the future to show the value of the work.

The analyses reported are all of the class known as sanitary chemical analyses and include the determination of such chemical factors as are considered indexes of pollution. In addition a presumptive test for bacteria of the colon type is always made on a 5 cu. c. c. sample of the water. This test is by no means a conclusive test and should not be so considered, but a negative result is of great value in checking up the chemical analyses. It is to be hoped that in the near future the laboratory

will be in a position to make as careful bacteriological studies of all the water supplies investigated as it is now doing in a chemical way.

Respectfully submitted,

H. E. BARNARD.

DR. RUCKER'S RESIGNATION.

To the State Board of Health:

Gentlemen--I hereby tender to you my resignation as director of the division of Bacteriology and Pathology of the Laboratory of Hygiene, which resignation shall come into effect before the first day of October, 1907, as your honorable body shall direct.

Respectfully,

J. B. RUCKER, Jr., M. D.

Moved, by Dr. McCoy, That the resignation of Dr. Rucker be accepted, and the secretary be instructed to find a successor, and in the meantime conduct the laboratory according to his judg ment. Carried.

The coming meeting of the International Congress on Tuberculosis, to be held in Washington, D. C., in the fall of 1908, was considered, and the secretary was directed to write, have printed and to distribute a letter from the State Board, approving the said congress, and recommending the same to the people of the state. Also to prepare an exhibit for the occasion.

Consideration of rules establishing minimum standards and defining adulterations of whisky and other alcoholic liquors. After discussion, it was

Ordered, That a special meeting be held October 25th, to be called to order at 2 p. m., to hear all who wished to be heard upon the subject, and to then take such action as migh be deemed proper.

After discussion it was ordered, That the secretary write a letter in the name of the Board to all holdover senators concerning the sanitary legislation that is needed.

Ordered, That any member wishing to attend the annual State charities meeting at Evansville, October 19th to 25th, could do so. Expenses to be paid.

Moved by Dr. McCoy, That the Secretary shall ask the street-car companies of the State giving transfers, to print upon the back of said transfers such facts concerning the prevention of consumption as might be deemed proper.

POSTAL CARD BIRTH CERTIFICATES.

The matter of furnishing birth certificates on postal card forms was discussed, and the final action in the matter given to the president and secretary.

SPECIAL MEETING.

October 25, 1907.

This special meeting was ordered by the Board at its regular meeting, October 11th, the object being to consider passing rules, establishing standards for liquors and to hear arguments by those interested.

Called to order by President Tucker at 2 p. m. Present: Drs. Tucker, McCoy, Davis, Wishard, Hurty.

The following-named gentlemen, all representing the liquor interests, were present: Mr. L. P. Rappaport, attorney, Indianapo lis; Hon. John F. Joyce, Terre Haute; Mr. R. Lieber, Indian apolis; Mr. E. M. Babbit, Louisville; Mr. Harold Schmidt, Indianapolis; Mr. John E. Beggs, Terre Haute; Mr. W. J. Groenwoldt, Indianapolis; Mr. Victor M. O. Shaughnessy, Lawrence. burg; Mr. John Pohlman, Indianapolis.

Mr. Rappaport, attorney, made a plea that the proposed standards for liquors adopted by the U. S. authorities be not adopted at this meeting of the Indiana State Board of Health, but that the matter be postponed until such time as the U. S. authorities took definite action. A large number of letters from the pure food Luthorities of other States were presented, in which the writers declaimed their intention of not acting in the matter of establishing liquor standards until the definite action of the U. S. authorities was known.

Arguments for the above contention were made by Mr. John E. Beggs, Mr. R. Lieber, Mr. Joyce and Mr. Babbitt. The last-named gentleman was given permission by the Board to make an argument against the adoption of the U. S. standards. Attorney Rappaport made an extended argument.

In executive session, after all who wished to speak had been heard, and after full consideration, the following motion by Dr. Wishard was unanimously adopted, as an order.