530 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IX., No. 226 



greatly delayed. Until tracks fit for a horse to 

 travel in have been cut through the bush, it will 

 not be possible to open up this district, which in 

 parts teems with mineral wealth. The excessive 

 rainfall — which, however, has never been meas- 

 ured — makes life in that district rather miser- 

 able ; while the hordes of bloodthirsty sandflies, 

 which occur everywhere in the open country, tend 

 at times to make it unendurable. G. M. T. 



Dunedin, N.Z., April 20. 



HEALTH MATTERS. 



Ladies' health protective association. 



The Ladies' health protective association of New 

 York, which was incorporated in 1884, has pub- 

 lished its report for the years 1885 and 1886. The 

 particular business and object of this society are 

 stated in the certificate of incorporation to be the 

 protection of the health of the people of the city 

 of New York by taking such action from time to 

 time as may secure the enforcement of existing 

 sanitary laws and regulations, by calling the at- 

 tention of the proper authorities to any violations 

 thereof, and to procure the amendment of said 

 laws and regulations when they shall be found 

 inefficient for the prevention of acts injurious to 

 the public health. Any lady residing in the city 

 may become a member of the association, and 

 any gentleman may be admitted as an advisory 

 member. One of the first nuisances attacked by 

 the association was the manure-yard of Michael 

 Kane at the foot of East 46th Street, in which 

 large quantities of stable-manure were accumu- 

 lated. Kane had been indicted four years before, 

 but the nuisance still continued. Another com- 

 plaint was made to the grand jury, and three 

 ladies of the association were summoned before 

 that body to testify. He was again indicted, and 

 subsequently tried and convicted, and the manure 

 entirely removed. During one of the visits of a 

 committee, its members were attacked by a mob, 

 which necessitated police escort in their future 

 investigations. The attention of the association 

 was next du-ected to the slaughter-houses of the 

 city. In the annual report it is stated that three 

 interviews were had with the board of health to 

 obtain the co-operation of that body in an effort 

 to remove the slaughter-houses from the city 

 limits, or else to compel them to conform to 

 proper sanitary regulations. Meeting with no en- 

 couragement, a bill was prej^ared and submitted 

 to the legislature, providing for better regulations 

 for the slaughter-houses. A public meeting was 

 held to sustain this movement, at which Hon. 

 Noah Davis, chief justice of the supreme court, 

 presided. The bill did not pass the legislature, 



but the efforts put forth by the association aroused 

 the public attention and interest. In the follow- 

 ing year the nuisance from accumulated manure 

 again demanded interference. A bill was pre- 

 sented to the legislature, establishing a permanent 

 dumping-ground between 95th and 97th streets 

 and 1st Avenue and East Eiver. Through the 

 efforts of this association, the measure was de- 

 feated. The report states that the removal of 

 stable-refuse, and its transportation through the 

 city, are still subjects of annoyance and com- 

 plaint, and that the ordinances limiting the hours 

 and the manner of removal are continually disre- 

 garded. Efforts are being made to persuade rail- 

 road companies and others to bale the manure, 

 and thus diminish the nuisance. The association 

 has been informed by one of the large slaughterers 

 of the city that he will build an abattoir which 

 will be a model in every respect, and this is looked 

 forward to as one method of lessening the nui- 

 sances connected with this business. . The gas- 

 works, and a section of the city known as ' Little 

 Italy' between 5th and Madison avenues, east of 

 Central park, have also engaged the attention of 

 the members of the association. Examinations 

 have also been made of numerous tenement- 

 houses and schools. The association has demon- 

 strated that a few determined persons, actuated 

 by the public good, can accomplish a great deal in 

 the way of reform, and we wish the association 

 success in its work. 



Typhoid bacillus. — Dr. Sternberg has recently 

 conducted some experiments as to the thermal 

 death-point of the bacillus of typhoid-fever. A 

 fresh culture of the organism was introduced into 

 capillary glass tubes, which, after being hermeti- 

 cally sealed, were placed in a vessel containing 

 water, and exposed to a constant temperature for 

 ten minutes. At the end of this time the contents 

 of these tubes are introduced into sterile flesh- 

 peptone-gelatine contained in test-tubes. These 

 are in turn placed in an incubating-oven, and ex- 

 posed to a temperature of 20° to 22° C. If at the 

 end of a week the organism has not developed, it 

 may be taken for granted that it has been de- 

 stroyed by the heat. After eight experiments of 

 this kind, it was found that in no instance did the 

 bacillus develop after it had been exposed to a 

 temperature of 56° C, while in one experiment 

 growth occurred after exposure to 55°. The ther- 

 mal death-point of this bacillus may be safely 

 placed at 56° C. (132.8° F.). 



Yellow-fever inoculation. — In 1885 and 

 1886, 6,524 persons submitted themselves to pro- 

 tective vaccination against yellow-fever in Eio 



