Proceed in()s. 15 



of whom President Elliot should be one, be appointed to con- 

 sider the matter in conference with the trustees of the 

 Athenaeum, with a view to solicitation of funds from the public. 

 The motion prevailed as did an additional resolution bearing 

 on the same subject, offered by Professor N. H. Winchell. as 

 follows : 



ResoUcd: That it is the sense of The MrxxEsoTA Academy of ^Natukai. 

 Sciences that there should be erected a joint building for the accommoda- 

 tion of the Academy, the Athenaeum and the Minneapolis Soc'ety of Fine 

 Arts, and that this Academy will gladly co-operate with any parties who may 

 inaugurate a general movement to secure this event. 



President Elliot selected as his associates on the committee to 

 consider the project, T. B. Walker and S. C. Gale. 



The report of the section of sanitary science was next taken up. 



Chairman C. N. Hewitt, in introducing this report made some reference 

 in the first place to the work of investigators in different departments by the 

 newer methods, as those of Pasteur, etc. The speaker thought too much time 

 had been taken up by these scientific discussions, to the neglect of simple, well 

 known and effectual modes of prev^ention and repression of contagious 

 diseases. The doctor proposed to point out, first, some of the methods and 

 means of preventing disease; and second, some of the results really obtained. 

 He gave a brief general statement of the relations of hygiene and family life. 



The first special paper was on "The Relations of Contagious Diseases to 

 Filth, as found in this city;" bj the health officer of Minneapolis, Dr. T. Y. 

 (^uinby. The speaker proposed to discard technicality. He spoke of the 

 now universally accepted theory of infection by bacteria or bacilli. The 

 ratio between accumulated filth and disease of some sort is a direct one. If 

 these sources of filth do. not produce the germs themselves they favor their 

 development. For exaoaples the speaker referred to the ill effects of sewer 

 gas; also to the danger from old privies, whether open or filled with earth. 

 Some precautions were deemed advisable in view of the prospects of the 

 passage of cholera to this country next year. 



1. Clean up privies and cess-pools. 



2. The river water should be examined. The building of the new I nion 

 depot on its bank, it is said, will be likely to contaminate the water. 



3. Wells should not be used in the thickly settled portions of the city. 



A diagram of the vicinity of Bassett's creek was shown with dots indi- 

 cating where diphtheria and scarlet fever has recently occurred. This was in 

 the third ward. A similar diagram of the fifth ward was shown with dots in- 

 dicating scarlet fever cases. The doctor thought these latter cases were ex- 

 plained by drive wells and privies. In the seventh ward a cemetery was 

 referred to as a cause of much disease, especially diphtheria. More legis- 

 lation was recommended; also the co-operation of all citizens to remove filth 

 accumulations and to prevent them in future. 



The next paper was by Mr. Van Dir/ee, sanitary engineer of Minneapolis. 

 Mr. Van Du/.ee exhibited a plan of the sewage system of the city which he 



