264 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. [Jan., 



Sacramento, since if one man had a fever he was certain to infect 

 the water drank by others. 



One of my neighbors recently died of typhoid fever, while drink- 

 ing ice cut from the dilute dejections of two populous villages, com- 

 bined. Such ice needs to be carefully boiled, Mr. Chairman. My 

 neighbor was advised not to cut that ice, but said he'd " risk it." 

 His physician didn't know what his medicine was " bucking " 

 against until too late. 



The former generation did many nasty things to show its 



"pluck." Capt. , who killed hogs in my district, when I was 



a boy, finding the cider -mug empty, scooped it among the scrapings 

 of the scalding tub for a swig — looking around the crowd after- 

 wards for applause. We know less what we drink than he did. 



From my readings within a year only, I could quote scores of 

 instances, showing filth as the constant attendant of disease. A 

 "salvation army" encamped on the cleanest and dryest sandy 

 plain may soil its water between two days. 



A curious story among the many, came to me between the lines 

 reporting a health convention in the Sanitary Engineer. That 

 journal has been, and let us hope, will continue to be very frank 

 and truthful. Newspapers have a politic way of giving important 

 news a very obscure place in their columns. "Whoever runs fast 

 will not be likely to read that as he runs. 



Special journals are useful studies, but being restricted in matter, 

 they attain but a private, class circulation. Like cases in civil 

 courts, nobody attends to them unless there is some special, pecun- 

 iary interest. 



In regard to weightiest matters of vital concern the people con- 

 tinue in Egyptian darkness, as ignorant of secret processes against 

 them as in the days of popish inquisition. 



I am the more willing to quote this instance from the Sanitary 

 Engineer, because it shows how a community, beleaguered with 

 filth, may help itself by means of a board of health. 



The New York Board was called to Ogdensburg last summer, 

 for a session of several days, and had a grand hygienic time. Local 

 health boards, physicians, and everybody interested, came in from 

 the surrounding country, filling the hotels, and the newspapers, 

 giving every table and family something fresh or piquantly stale to 

 talk about, besides promoting local trade and putting business men 

 in good humor. 



