attainment in biological research, particularly in the department of microscopic investigation and culture of the essential germ as causative of the infectious and contagious diseases. The other two members of the commission shall be medical men of recognized ability, based upon long and ample experience, competent to give expert consideration to all phases of the symptoms and course of yellow fever in any form, wherein the phenomena of the disease may present itself, whether induced in the course of pestilential invasion, or in purposely devised inoculation.

Resolved, That this commission aforesaid shall proceed at the earliest possible moment to Rio de Janeiro as the first field of its labors. Having completed there its work, it shall proceed to Mexico and, if necessary in the accumulation of testimony, to Panama, Colon, and Havana.

Resolved, That the sum of $30,000, or so much thereof as may be actually required to pay the necessary and unavoidable traveling and other expenses and the salaries of members of the commission.

Resolved, That the sum of $5,000 shall be paid as a recompense to each member of the aforesaid commission.

DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE.*

BY G. P. CONN, M. D., PRESIDENT OF STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, CONCORD, N. H.

During the summer months New Hampshire is favored with the presence of a great number of visitors, who find a congenial though but a transient abiding place among our lofty hills and pleasant valleys. These people come into the state in search of health or pleasure, and to secure either it is necessary to have pure air, pure water, and an uncontaminated soil. The geographical and topographical conditions of the state render all this, not only possible, but natural factors of our commonwealth. Nature not only designed New Hampshire" to be a good place to emigrate from," but she also gave us such natural hygienic conditions that those desiring to remain in the state may enjoy life without malarial influences assailing their health, or epidemic diseases interfering with business or pleasure. Any infringement upon these conditions must come from human interference, and the intelligence of our people will not allow the places of public resort in our state to become polluted and rendered unhealthy by reason of the ignorance of the laws of health, or the avarice of a few disinterested people who may desire only a present return regardless of future prosperity.

Comparatively speaking, New Hampshire has but a small area of undrained swamps, and the soil in every part of the state is prolific in vegetable growth. Were it not for this fact, the cutting off of our wood and timber lands would prove a serious matter, inasmuch as it detracts so much from our scenery to remove our

*Read at the April meeting of the board.

forests; but in reality it requires but a very short period for nature to repair damages to that extent that our rough and rocky hillsides become smoothed over with living green, pleasing the eye and adding an exhilarating and invigorating element to the atmosphere that is fascinating to the overworked resident of the crowded centers of population.

This last feature has very much to do with securing natural sanitary conditions, for much that is considered waste and effete matter is, by the metamorphosis of vegetable life, transformed into the beautiful. Thus what would otherwise become a serious nuisance is made, in nature's laboratory, to become a living thing and subserve the interests of man.

In a business way the people of New Hampshire have profited by these natural conditions. Railroads have been constructed for the sole purpose of providing transportation for those coming into the state during the summer. Large hotels and boardinghouses have been erected solely for the comfort and accommodation of these transient guests.

In some portions of the state many an old farmhouse and cottage has been improved and enhanced in value, thereby increasing the revenue of the state. These dwellings furnish comfortable houses for those desiring a quiet retreat, and have a thrifty, wellto-do appearance in comparison with the abandoned farmhouses, and farms turned into pastures in towns where nothing is done to make them attractive for summer visitors.

The large amount of capital invested and the great number of people who find employment in this class of business render it important to the state that nothing shall interfere with its natural progress and development. Hygienic conditions must prevail, else epidemic or endemic disease will find a foot-hold; and a single case of diphtheria or scarlet fever will clear a hotel of its guests almost as quickly as would an alarm of fire.

Large hotels have oftentimes found it difficult to dispose of the waste material coming from the table. Ordinary sewage can be taken care of much more easily, as it will by its own gravity find a lower level, and, therefore, can be conducted in pipes beyond the danger of becoming a nuisance, providing ordinary intelligence is exercised in the selection of a site, and first-class work is secured.

It has been the custom of many of our summer hotels to rely upon a herd of swine to take care of the garbage coming from the table; but the capacity of the hog, like that of man, is limited, and great numbers are necessary to take care of the immense amount that is daily accumulating.

Practically it has been found impossible to bring large herds of hogs together in a limited space, and feed them on this kind of material, without causing an epidemic like cholera. It has for a long time been a settled fact that neither men nor animals can be massed together in limited inclosures without developing epidemic or endemic disease. Now in order to keep swine upon such food as that which we are discussing, it becomes necessary to confine them in a limited space. At some of the hotels in the northern part of the state, after the swine became affected, they were turned out into open lots and the disease abated; but they would not consume the garbage from the table. Some of our western friends have advanced the opinion that these large quantities of table refuse soon become changed, in fact, that decomposition is an early factor, and the animals fed with such partially decomposed food must of necessity become diseased.

Of course partially decomposed food is not desirable for any class of animals, and it is found that in this kind of food it is literally garbage, for the reason that so much extraneous matter becomes incorporated with it, as it is considered a measure of economy to send away with this material any and all waste from

the hotel.

When the animals become diseased and are turned loose, then nothing is left except to cart this garbage away and bury it out of sight. Thus it becomes a serious question, for it must be disposed of, and when buried in the ground it is but slowly changed; and all the while, unless a great deal of time is spent in burying it very deep, it will give off very offensive gases, which guests are apt to vote a nuisance, and, therefore, they will go somewhere

else.

It has seemed to me for some time that in large hotels, or where several small ones are near together, or where several boarding-houses are restricted in the space necessary to take care of such refuse, as well as at camp-grounds and places of public

resort, it would be necessary to adopt some radical change in caring for this kind of garbage. I have had it in mind that the only safe and efficient manner of disposing of garbage was by fire, and have watched with much interest for some form of a furnace that would cheaply and efficiently do the work. Recently I saw in the Sanitary Engineer a description of a furnace designed and erected by Capt. H. I. Railly, for the use of the United States troops stationed on Governor's Island, in New York Harbor. I will give the description in his own language: "I inclose a sketch, to scale, of the garbage furnace which is in use here, as it may interest your readers. The garbage, varying in daily quantity from ten to thirty cubic feet, used to be buried, but the small extent of ground available for the purpose became so saturated that, in summer time especially, the odor was distinctly perceptible and not agreeable. For this reason it was finally decided to burn the garbage, and I made many unsuccessful attempts to get some information as to the proper construction of a furnace for the purpose. I finally applied to you, and it was on information derived from your valuable paper that the furnace now in successful operation was built. An experimental one, which gave excellent results, was first tried by obtaining an old brick oven, so as to get something similar to "Fryer's Destructor," which was described in your paper.

"The one now in use consists essentially of a chamber 4' by 5′ by 3', lined with fire-bricks and divided into three spaces by two gratings, composed of round iron bars (3-4 inch) with inch. openings between the bars, as well as the necessary doors, gratebars for the fire-box, which has a surface of six square feet, and an ash-pit. The gratings are for the purpose of supporting the garbage so the heat can get through and dry it, and to prevent it from stopping the draught or putting out the fire.

"Its operation was commenced by making a coal fire and putting the garbage in on the right side to dry; the next day's garbage was put in the chamber on the left side, and the dry garbage was then raked over the fire. By placing the garbage in the right and left chambers alternately, dry garbage is supplied and the fire kept constantly burning.

"The chimney, owing to its location, had to be built fifty feet