blood and fire has cemented this reunion! Recent glorious victories achieved by the blue and the gray, fighting shoulder to shoulder under the grand old flag, for the cause of humanity and civilization, have made this nation truly 'one and indissoluble!'"

Danger of Yellow Fever.

Proceeding to the purpose of the conference, he dwelt especially upon the importance of extra precautions to prevent the importation of infectious diseases from the new possessions of the United States. He said that "of all foreign infections which threaten this country, yellow fever is the one to be most dreaded. The plague has not always limited itself to the South, and the danger of more northerly sections becoming infected is greater now than ever before, owing to all parts of the country being so closely connected by means of rail and steamship lines.

"To guard against this importation, to protect as far as practicable our extended shores, there seems to be one system which, while securing protection to the whole country, offers justice and impartiality to all sections, North and South, with no undue discriminating commercial advantages to one port over another. This system can only be enforced by the United States Government. It consists in the disinfection of all ships, with their crews, passengers, and merchandise, sailing from an infected port for any port of the United States, at the very point of departure, and not at the home port of arrival, where varying State and local laws and interests are often in conflict and quarantine practices often entirely inefficient. The same rigid regulations should apply to all points of destination, North as well as South, for nowadays, with our unlimited railroad facilities, the disease, once introduced through any of our ports, may soon be carried all over the country, developing and spreading naturally in those sections whose climate and local conditions are most favorable to the disease. All home ports should be put on the same footing and the same measures should apply to all passengers, whether destined to Northern or Southern points. A ship having been disinfected and purified at Habana, for instance, arriving at an American port would only be detained at quarantine for a sufficient time to cover the period of incubation. This system would render impossible an occurrence which I have often witnessed in New Orleans-namely, the arrival in that city of passengers, baggage and merchandise from Habana via Tampa or New York (with little or no restrictions)

several days before the release from our Mississippi quarantine station of steamers which had left Habana direct for New Orleans on the very day those coming via New York had sailed from Habana."

In conclusion, Dr. Formento stated that since preparing his address he had learned that vessels destined to some parts are recently being disinfected at Habana. "If this is done by the government, it is a move in the proper direction and serves to confirm my views on the subject."

But to be really efficacious, he thought the system should be practiced in all infected ports and should apply indiscriminately to vessels sailing for all American ports.

Dr. Martin and Dr. Culpeper, of the Virginia Board of Health, made short addresses of welcome, and the reports of Dr. Hurty, of Indianapolis, secretary, and Dr. Pelletier, of Quebec, the treasurer, were received and adopted.

The conference then heard a paper by Dr. Bracken, of Minnesota, on "The Functions of the Conference of State and Provincial Boards of Health." At the conclusion of the discussion adjournment was taken to 2 o'clock P. M.

The afternoon session was devoted to the reading and discussion of a number of papers. Among the topics discussed were: "The Shortest Road to Ideal Sanitation-Education," proposed by Oklahoma; "Danger of Infection to the Countries Represented by This Association from the New Possessions of the United States, and the Best Measures to Prevent or Diminish Such Danger," proposed by Louisiana; "The Value of Veterinarians on State Boards of Health," proposed by Washington State; "To What Extent Should Quarantine Restrictions be Carried in Regard to (a) Persons Who Have Been Exposed to Smallpox, (b) the Families of Such Persons?" proposed by Ohio; "When Vaccination of School Children is Ordered, What Length of Time Since Former Successful Vaccination Should Excuse One from Vaccination?" also proposed by Ohio; "Should We Have a National Department of Health?" proposed by Indiana.

The discussions elicited by the last two were interesting and animated. Dr. Standlee, of Missouri, led in the discussion of the topic regarding length of time during which vaccination is efficacious. His conclusions were, that the child should be vaccinated when between two and six years of age, and that thereafter should be vaccinated every seventh year.

Spooner Bill Endorsed.

The leading paper on the establishment of a national department of health was read by Dr. Wingate, of Wisconsin. He discussed at length the features of the Spooner bill before the last Congress, which proposed the establishment of a national bureau of public health, and the Caffery bill, which proposed broadening the scope of the Marine Hospital Service so that it would include the work now done by State boards.

A motion was made to endorse the Spooner bill, but this met with strong opposition from Dr. Cooper, of Delaware. He thought the National Government should do all possible to educate the people in the science of sanitation, but that public health regulation was essentially a local matter, to be dealt with by State authorities.

Dr. Thomas, of North Carolina, thought the Caffery bill preferable to the Spooner bill, for the reason that the Marine Hospital Service was not under control of politicians, while the head of the bureau to be established by the Spooner bill would be directly under the control of politicians.

After some further discussion the conference voted to endorse the Spooner bill, three delegates not voting.

The conference, at 5:30, adjourned until 8 o'clock.

The night session opened with the discussion of the question as to whether State universities should have a department of hygiene for the training of men who wish to become members of boards. of health. The consensus of opinion was that the future health officer would be specially trained. The curative doctor has to deal with curative agents, the health officer with preventive medicine.

The next topic was "A State or Province not being ready, for various reasons, to undertake the complete and progressive eradication of tuberculosis among cattle, as undertaken in other States, its State or Provincial Board wishes at least to have sufficient laws. to enable it to protect, in a fair measure, milk and meat supply. What legislative enactments (clauses ready for presentation to Legislature desired) would be considered fairly adequate to this end?" proposed by Quebec. Dr. Jones, of New York, read a paper on the subject. Among other things which he advocated was public abattoirs, requiring the careful inspection of cattle before being slaughtered. He thought it desirable to give to State boards of health the power to destroy all animals infected with tuberculosis. This and other measures, he thought, would be valuable, not only in getting rid of animals actually diseased, but as educational object lessons, now sadly needed.

Anti-Tuberculous Laws.

Dr. Pelletier, of Quebec, read a paper whose conclusions indicated that he had given the subject of the eradication of tuberculosis exhaustive study. He held that all animals, alive or dead, should be subject to inspection; that every owner having an animal known to be suffering from a contagious disease, or every veterinarian knowing of the existence of such affections, must report the same to the proper authority. The owner of an animal suffering from such disease should not be allowed to sell it without informing the buyer of the fact. He thought it important that laws regarding the importation of diseased cattle should be strict, and that any animal which belongs to the food class, when affected by any disease, whether contagious or not, should be killed only in the presence of an inspector.

Dr. Bracken, of Minnesota, followed Dr. Pelletier. In course of his remarks, he stated the popular belief that cows whose udders were not affected furnished uninfected milk had been proven to be incorrect.

Dr. Probst, of Ohio, thought too much attention was being paid to animals already diseased, and not enough to those liable to become so. He thought the ventilation, temperature and lighting of cow stables very important questions in considering the prevention of tuberculosis.

Dr. Standlee, of Missouri, accentuated the importance of proper air and light for the prevention of tuberculosis.

Dr. Hurty explained what was being done in Indiana to stamp out the disease. The newspapers were first used to stir up public sentiment to the dangers of the plague, and then the Indianapolis Board of Health induced a dairyman to have his sheds made to conform to the proper sanitary model, and then to have his cattle. tested for disease, the board promising to give him a certificate setting forth that his cows had been tested and were healthy. The day this certificate was published the dairyman was overrun with customers, and all the dairymen in the city wanted their cows tested. Every dairy herd supplying Indianapolis is now tested. He gave other instances of what had been accomplished in Indiana. towns in the direction of purer milk.

Dr. Fulton, of Maryland, argued for the importance of giving more attention to the question of pure food for animals, especially milch cows.

The conference adjourned at 10 o'clock.

During the forenoon of the second day, two papers read created

a good deal of interest and attention on the part of those present. The first one was proposed by the Board of the State of Illinois by Dr. Eagan, of that State. It treated on the following subject: "What has been done by the States and Provinces represented in the conference toward enforcing the rules governing the transportation of dead bodies?"

Dr. Eagan was not present at the meeting, and his paper had to be read by the secretary; yet it created much interest and the contents were highly approved by those present.

The next paper was on "What is the best system of quarantine?" by Dr. Sanders, of Alabama, on which there was considerable discussion.

The afternoon session opened at 2 o'clock, and during the session the following papers were read and discussed:

"To what extent should quarantine restrictions be carried in regard to (a) persons who have been exposed to smallpox, (b) the families of such persons?" The paper, which had been proposed by the State Board of Ohio, was read by Dr. Probst of that State, and the general discussion was opened by Dr. Lee, of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Watson, of New Hampshire.

Next followed a second paper proposed by the State Board of Health of Ohio on, “When vaccination of school children is ordered, what length of time since former successful vaccination should excuse one from vaccination?" The paper was read by Dr. Standlee, of Missouri, and the discussion on the same was opened by Dr. Mitchell, of New Jersey, and Dr. Thomas, of North Carolina.

"Does Vaccination Protect?"

This was the subject of a paper by Dr. J. S. Fulton, of Maryland, in part as follows:

"Of all the diseases which have ever afflicted mankind, smallpox has had the most remarkable history. For centuries it was, as Macaulay says, 'the most terrible of all the ministers of death.' In the eighteenth century it destroyed in Europe not less than two thousand persons per million living, and some observers place the mortality at three thousand per million. It permanently disabled a far larger number, while the marks of its work were visible on the face of four-fifths of the entire population. It was a greater enemy of female beauty than the pencil of time, and to have reached marriageable age without bearing any of its hateful marks was both a distinction and an advantage to a girl of any social