State board of health. 
277 
Held London. — Among other sources of disease, the defective 
arrangements of water closets and slaughter houses are prominent. 
The overflow of rivers filling low places with stagnant water has 
caused intermittent and remittent fevers. 
Geneva. — A large number of cases of malarial fever, of severe 
type, have been caused by stagnant water in marshes, a majority of 
which could be drained. 
Portage. — Dredging, in river and canal improvements, has ex¬ 
posed much decaying vegetable matter, causing intermittent fevers 
to an unusual extent. The sanitary condition could be improved 
by greater cleanliness. In many cases privies are only a few feet 
from wells, the soil being a light, sandy earth. 
Fort Atkinson. — The drainage of marshes would improve the 
sanitary condition of this locality. 
Neosho. — Better drainage of marshes, and more attention to the 
personal cleanliness of the people would decrease the amount of 
sickness. 
Elroy. — I attribute the prevalence of malarial fevers here to 
exposure on cranberry marshes. 
Mazomanie. — Drainage badly neglected, and drinking water 
selected with too little care. 
Pichland Center. — Drainage of cellars neglected. 
Kilhourn City. — Present supply of drinking water is chiefly 
from cisterns. Good, soft water obtainable by boring into sand rock. 
Better drainage and greater cleanliness will lessen sickness. 
Other quotations of similar character might be made to a consid¬ 
erably greater extent, but the above will be sufficient to show that 
there are abundant sources of disease which are preventable, and to 
indicate some of the channels of labor for this Board. Several of 
the correspondents make other valuable suggestions which cannot 
be here given; but I quote from Dr. Gott, of Viroqua, in answer to 
question No. 5 of the above circular, as covering perhaps more fully 
than any other single letter, points which are referred to in several: 
Diseases are preventable “ to a greater degree than is generally 
supposed: 
“ 1. By the appointment of local boards of health in every city 
and township throughout the state, composed of competent physi¬ 
cians residing therein, in lieu of the town board of supervisors; such 
board to be required to report quarterly, or oftener, to the State 
