2. Disposal and Purification of Factory Wastes or Manufacturing Sewage 10. Report upon Investigations of Local Outbreaks of Infective Diseases 11. A Study of Some of the Spore-bearing Anaërobic Bacteria in Market Milk GENERAL REPORT. In accordance with the provisions of chapter 211 of the Acts of 1905, the following report of the work of the several departments of the State Board of Health is presented for the fiscal year ended Nov. 30, 1909, on which date the Board was constituted as follows: — HENRY P. WALCOTT, M.D., of Cambridge, Chairman. ROBERT W. LOVETT, M.D., of Boston. Hon. CHARLES H. PORTER of Quincy. On Jan. 7, 1909, at a regular meeting of the Board, Dr. Mark W. Richardson of Boston was elected secretary, and entered upon the duties of the office on Jan. 18, 1909. During the interval between the death of Dr. Harrington and the election of Dr. Richardson the duties of the office were performed by Dr. William C. Hanson, assistant to the secretary. SLAUGHTERING OF NEAT CATTLE, SHEEP AND SWINE. On June 3, 1909, the Legislature passed the following resolve: ACTS OF 1909, CHAPTER 118. RESOLVE TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH TO INVESTIGATE THE SLAUGHTERING OF NEAT CATTLE, SHEEP AND SWINE. Resolved, That the state board of health is hereby authorized and directed to investigate the methods and circumstances of the slaughtering of neat cattle, sheep and swine and the inspection of the products thereof, and the operation of chapter five hundred and thirty-seven of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and seven and the acts in amendment thereof and in addition thereto, and to report the result of its investigation to the general court on or before January fifteenth next, with such recommendations as the board may deem advisable. [Approved June 3, 1909. The report called for follows: By chapter 118 of the Resolves of 1909 the State Board of Health was directed to investigate the methods and circumstances of the slaughtering of neat cattle, sheep and swine and the inspection of the products thereof, and the operation of chapter five hundred and thirty-seven of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and seven and the acts in amendment thereof and in addition thereto, and to report the result of its investigation to the general court on or before January fifteenth next, with such recommendations as the board may deem advisable. Acting in accordance with the provisions of the above resolve, the Board found that some of the laws relative to slaughtering were very generally ignored. Section 99 of chapter 75 of the Revised Laws provides that the proprietor of every slaughterhouse shall apply annually, in April, to the local authorities for a license, stating in his application, which must be in writing and properly sworn to, the estimated number of animals to be slaughtered per week and the days of the week upon which they are to be slaughtered; and yet an investigation made by the Board disclosed the fact that 70 persons conducting the business of slaughtering failed to apply for a license. In 6 instances it was found not to be the custom to apply for a license until fall. In 6 towns it was found to be the policy of the local authority not to issue licenses to slaughter, and in 1 town meat inspection was conducted at the meat markets. Of the persons who applied to local authorities for licenses, 41 were refused. The chief reasons for refusing licenses appeared to be on account of previous illegal slaughtering, or because of an unsuitable place for slaughtering. Several licenses issued by local authorities were found not to conform to the statute requirements. Of the 111 proprietors of slaughterhouses found to hold no license for slaughtering, 55 were discovered in the act of slaughtering. Section 101 of chapter 75 of the Revised Laws prohibits slaughtering on any days other than those specified in the application, except in the presence of a member of the board of health or of an inspector appointed for the purpose by the board; section 102 provides for the presence of the inspector and for examination of the carcasses at the time of slaughter. Section 106 provides a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment for not more than sixty days, or both fine and imprisonment, for slaughtering without a license, or for neglecting to cause carcasses to be inspected, or for selling a carcass or part thereof that has not been inspected. Notwithstanding the above provisions, the State Inspectors of Health found 200 instances where neither a meat inspector nor a member of the board of health was present at the time of slaughter. In 16 towns where slaughtering was conducted the law was violated by failure to appoint a meat inspector. In 39 instances diseased carcasses were discovered by State Inspectors of Health and condemned at the time of slaughter, 29 in the absence of a local meat inspector and 10 in the presence of a local meat inspector. In one instance the carcass had been stamped. One hundred and twenty-two carcasses were condemned by State Inspectors of Health in accordance with the statute requirements; 76 of this number were unstamped and 46 were diseased. In several instances diseased animals were found ready for slaughter. |