EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT. 103 



around the oyster drink-houses, and in every sample isolated B. 

 coli communis. Where this organism is found in water it is held 

 to be indicative of contamination by human excreta. 



In conclusion, it would seem as though the only way to protect 

 the public would be to forbid the sale of fattened oysters and to 

 enforce it; also to see that oyster-beds w ere n ot subject to con- 

 tamination libra, streams used for sewage^p?feposes\ "H^ie most 

 important measure would be the prevention of- the process of 

 oyster "fattening" where the water was or could be contaminated. 



For lack of space, the studies of Foote in the Report of the State 

 Board of Health of Connecticut, 1895 ; Klein of London in Local 

 Government Board Reports, 1894-95 ; and of Prof. Herdman of 

 the Liverpool Biological Laboratory, are not discussed in this 

 connection. 



