"a02548be-b892-49e9-81ff-0ad9dde817fb"@en . "CONTENTdm"@en . "http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1198198"@en . "Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia"@en . "British Columbia. Legislative Assembly"@en . "2016-03-21"@en . "[1913]"@en . "https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcsessional/items/1.0064426/source.json"@en . "application/pdf"@en . " FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT\n\u00E2\u0080\u0094OF THE\t\nPROVINCIAL BOARD OF HEALTH\n-FOR THE-\nFISCAL YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1912\nTHE GOVERNMENT OF\nTHE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.\nPRINTED BY\nAUTHORITY OP THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.\nVICTORIA, B.C.:\nPrinted by William H. Ctjllin, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.\n1913.\n To His Honour Thomas Wilson Paterson,\nLieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia.\nMay it please Your Honour :\nThe undersigned has the honour to present the Fifteenth Annual Report of the Department of Public Health for the fiscal year ended Slst March, 1912.\nAll of which is respectfully submitted.\nHENRY ESSON YOUNG,\nProvincial Secretary.\nVictoria, B.C., 12th January, 1913.\n REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL BOARD OF HEALTH.\nThe Honourable Dr. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B.C.\nProvincial Board of Health,\nVictoria, B.C., April 30th, 1912.\nSir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to submit the Fifteenth Annual Report of the Provincial Board\nof Health for the fiscal year ended March 31st, 1912.\nI am pleased to state that no serious epidemics have occurred during the past year. The\noccurrence of infantile paralysis (acute anterior poliomyelitis), so prevalent throughout the\nwhole continent two years ago, has gradually subsided, and during the past few months no\nvery acute cases have been reported.\nThe returns of all infectious diseases are greater than the returns for the previous year.\nThis is in keeping with increase of population and probably, also, more complete returns.\nSmall-pox.\nWhile 309 cases of this disease occurred in the Province for the year, very fortunately it\ngave rise to no deaths. All cases were of the non-virulent type which has been so widespread\nover America during the past ten years. This mild form of small-pox was introduced into\nthis continent from Cuba by the American forces returning to their homes after the Spanish-\nAmerican War. Of so mild a nature as to require no special medical attention in many cases,\nit has maintained a firm foothold in this country ever since. However, we must not lose\nsight of the fact that it may some time regain its former virulence, with disastrous consequences. Strict quarantine and proper vaccination effectually prevent it.\nDiphtheria and Scarlet Fever.\nOf diphtheria, 294 cases were reported, with a mortality of 14.3 per cent.; and of scarlet\nfever, 607 cases, with a mortality of 3.8 per cent. Nearly all cases of diphtheria can be cured\nif treated early enough with sufficiently large doses of antitoxin ; therefore it is to be regretted\nthat such a high death-rate has to be recorded.\nI can only urge again that diphtheria antitoxin should be so placed as to be within the\nreach of all free of cost. This would ensure its early use in doubtful cases, so as to arrest the\ndisease in its earliest stages.\nThe Provincial Board of Health has for two years offered antitoxin to municipalities at\ncost price, and so placed it that it might be administered free in Government districts to\npatients unable to pay. At present all antitoxin used in Canada is produced in England and\nforeign countries, consequently we have no supervision over its manufacture or direct guarantee of its potency.\nThe production and distribution of diphtheria antitoxin by the Dominion Government\nhas for years past been advocated by this Department; therefore I beg to recommend that\nthis matter be again brought to the attention of the Federal Government.\nDiphtheria and scarlet fever are essentially diseases of childhood. Some children are\naffected with such mild forms that the parents in many cases do not call in the services of a\ndoctor. It is the occurrence of such cases that keeps these diseases in our midst. As it has\n F 6 Provincial Board of Health. 1913\nbeen expressed by Dr. Hill, of the Sanitary Institute, London, Ont., each case of contagious\ndisease gives rise, on an average, to one fresh case. Strict quarantine of all acute cases\neffectually prevents more arising from them ; consequently, it is only by these mild ambulatory forms that these diseases are spread.\nEffectual medical inspection of schools where the school nurse can visit each school daily\nand take note of all such conditions as sore throats, from which she prepares cultures to be\nexamined in a laboratory for the presence of diphtheria bacilli, and the visiting of the houses\nof pupils who are absent without known cause, should do much to reduce the incidence of\nthese two diseases.\nThe general improvement in the health of the pupils by the correction of defects pointed\nout by the school doctor should materially assist children to withstand all disease.\nDuring the occurrence of epidemics where efficient medical school inspection exists, it is\nnow our custom to keep the schools open so as to detect the occurrence of fresh cases in their\nearliest stages.\nTyphoid Fever.\nThe presence of typhoid fever in epidemic form is a blot to the name of any civilized\ncountry. We have to confess to 403 cases, with a mortality of 18 per cent.\u00E2\u0080\u009444 deaths\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nsurely a high\"price to pay for neglect of the laws of sanitation. Contaminated drinking-water\nstill remains as the great cause of typhoid fever ; that is, the typhoid germs so plentiful in\nthe dejecta of one ill with the disease pass more or less directly into the mouths of others, so\nreaching their intestines and giving rise to fresh cases in epidemic form.\nSporadic cases may be caused by flies carrying the germs from carelessly disposed-of\ntyphoid excreta to food, and by typhoid \"carriers.\" A typhoid \"carrier\" is a person in\nwhose intestine typhoid bacilli grow and flourish without giving rise to any symptoms in the\n\" carrier \" himself, but he may give the disease to others. He is a menace to others if his\nhabits are uncleanly, particularly if he is engaged in occupations where he has to do with the\nhandling of food. Cases are on record of cooks who were typhoid \" carriers \" having worked\nin several houses, in each of which they gave rise to cases of typhoid fever.\nAfter the greater problems of pure-water supplies and proper sewerage systems, with\nscientific sewage disposal, have been solved, it will be necessary to pay more attention to the\ntyphoid \" carriers,\" placing them in hospitals when necessary, constantly instructing them in\ncare and cleanliness, and keeping local health authorities informed as to their movements.\nExamination of the yearly returns forces one to the conclusion that many cases of\ninfectious disease are not reported to this office.\nAccording to the \" Health Act\" (sections 83 and 86), all cases, or suspected cases, of\nscarlet fever, small-pox, diphtheria, cholera, typhus or typhoid fever, whooping-cough, mumps,\nor other contagious disease are to be reported to the Medical Health Officer of the municipality\nor district by the attending physician and the head of the household in which the disease\noccurs. A penalty is attached for the neglect of these duties, but seldom has action been\ntaken for their non-observance.\nIn many countries fees are paid to the medical practitioners for the reporting of certain\ninfections, and it has been found that this has made the returns much more complete than\nthey ever were previously.\nI beg to recommend, therefore, that a fee of 50 cents be paid to medical practitioners for\nthe reporting of each case of small-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, typhoid fever, and\ntuberculosis (in active stages in which tubercle bacilli are found in sputum or urine); such\n 3 Geo. 5 Provincial Board of Health. F 7\nfee to be paid by the Local Board of Health when certified to by the Local Medical Health\nOfficer, and when notification is made upon a form supplied or approved by this Department.\nDuring the year sewerage plans have been examined and approved for the Municipalities\nof Cranbrook, Chilliwack, Victoria (extension), Victoria (Berwick Street), and Oak Bay\n(trunk sewer).\nAppended are copies of special reports.\nI have the honour to be,\nSir,\nYour obedient servant,\nC. J. FAGAN,\nSecretary.\nLABORATORY REPORT.\nProvincial Board op Health,\nVictoria, B.C., April 30th, 1912.\nC. J. Fagan, Esq., M.D.,\nSecretary, Provincial Board of Health,\nVictoria,, B.C.\nSir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I beg to report on the work of the Laboratory for the year ended March 31st, 1912.\nDuring the months of September, October, November, and December, 1911, and January,\n1912, on account of building operations the Laboratory was closed.\nDuring this period my energies were directed to work in your office, and necessary\nbacteriological work was done in a city laboratory. This consequently considerably reduced\nthe work accomplished for the year.\nOf forty-three samples of sputum examined for tubercule bacilli, twenty-one were found\npositive.\nOf 163 cultures from throats, diphtheria bacilli were found in twenty-four. A large\nnumber of these were from the Protestant Orphanage, Victoria, where the Department was\ninstrumental in suppressing a long-continued epidemic of diphtheria.\nTwo out of six samples of blood-serum tested for the agglutination reaetion of typhoid\nfever proved positive.\nThe Laboratory has kept supplies of diphtheria antitoxin at the Provincial Board of\nHealth, Victoria, and the Government Agent's Offices at New Westminster, Nanaimo,\nRevelstoke, Vernon, Cranbrook, Nelson, Greenwood, Golden, Nicola, Princeton, Prince\nRupert, and Grand Forks.\nI have, etc.,\nWalter Bapty.\n F 8 Provincial Board of Health. 1913\nGENERAL REPORTS.\nREPORT ON JOINT SEWAGE SCHEME FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES OF\nPOINT GREY, SOUTH VANCOUVER, VANCOUVER CITY.\nProvincial Board op Health,\nMarch 23rd, 1911.\nThe Honourable Dr. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B.C.\nDear Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094Acting on your instructions, I attended on the 20th instant a joint\nconference of representatives from the Municipalities of South Vancouver, Point Grey, and\nVancouver City.\nThe object of the meeting was for the purpose of discussing the question of providing a\nsewage scheme to meet the requirements of the above-named municipalities.\nThe question was discussed at length, and after most of the representatives had advanced\ntheir views, the following resolution was carried unanimously:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\" That this meeting ask the Councils represented and Burnaby to endorse the following\npoints:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\"(1.) That each district will co-operate in the idea of a general sewage scheme for\nthe entire district:\n\" (2.) That the topographical surveys of the various districts be made to provide\ndata for working out the general scheme:\n\"(3.) That at a proper time an expert sanitary engineer be engaged to advise as to\nthe best methods of dealing with the subject:\n\" (4.) That each Council appoint a committee of two who shall act in connection\nwith the Councils on the matter.\"\nI have, etc.,\nC. J. Fagan,\nSecretary.\nREPORT ON A SMALL OUTBREAK OF SMALL-POX AT NEW WESTMINSTER,\nAPRIL, 1911.\nVictoria, B.C., April 10th, 1911.\nThe Honourable Dr. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B.C.\nDear Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I beg to report that on April 4th I left for New Westminster to investigate\ncertain conditions reported by the Local Medical Health Officer, Dr. J. H. Jones.\nOn arrival in New Westminster, I met Dr. Jones, and together we visited the Royal\nColumbian Hospital, where we saw three patients reported as being \" suspicious cases.\"\nThese cases were in the Isolation Hospital, attended by a nurse, who also attended four\nchildren with measles in another ward in the same building. In consultation with Drs. Hall,\nWalker, Drew, and Jones, I agreed with the finding that the three \" suspicious cases \" were\nsmall-pox, and accordingly an order was issued for their removal to the New Westminster\nPest-house.\nThe history of these cases is as follows: One came from Surrey, being sent to the\nHospital as suffering from typhoid fever. The second was the male nurse of the Hospital.\nThe third case came from the Windsor Hotel, New Westminster, sent as a suspicious case\n 3 Geo. 5 Provincial Board of Health. F 9\nby Dr. T. S. Hall on Sunday, April 2nd. Dr. Hall stated that the case was \" suspicious \";\nnevertheless he did not again visit the patient until he saw him with me on Thursday,\nApril 6th. This action appeared to me to be painfully indifferent as to consequences, and I\nbeg to recommend that the Board consider whether it would not be advisable to prosecute\nDr. Hall for the negligence displayed.\nI also saw two patients in a room in the General Hospital. These cases were in this\nroom for three weeks, and although an attempt was made to keep them separate, it being\nconsidered that their rash was of a suspicious nature, yet they were not rigidly isolated.\nThese two cases were unquestionably small-pox, and orders were issued for their removal\nto the Pest-house.\nTogether with Drs. Kenny and Jones, I visited two patients in the City of Westminster,\nand found both to be cases of small-pox. The conditions existing at the Windsor Hotel\nwere examined into and the necessary orders were issued.\nWith the Medical Health Officer, I met the Mayor and Chairman of the Health\nDepartment of Westminster, and reported fully the conditions above described. The\nquarantine of the Royal Columbian Hospital was recommended, but the Board was reminded\nthat the responsibility for action was on their shoulders, and that since they knew the\nconditions it was felt all necessary action would be taken.\nWith Dr. Drew I visited a patient in the Municipality of Surrey. Dr. Drew and I\nagreed that the patient was suffering from small-pox. The house was placed in quarantine,\nand the Surrey authorities were notified as to the conditions and were instructed to adopt\nthe usual precautions.\nI have, etc.,\nC. J. Fagan,\nSecretary.\nREPORT ON THE SANITARY CONDITIONS OF THE McGILL UNIVERSITY\nCOLLEGE, VANCOUVER.\nVictoria, B.C., May 15th, 1911.\nThe Honourable Dr. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B. C.\nDear Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094Acting on your instructions, I visited the McGill University College,\nVancouver, on May 6th, for the purpose of examining and reporting on the condition of the\nbuilding.\nThe building faces on Cambie Street; the western half is of brick and stone, and the\neastern portion is a wooden structure. The rooms in the western wing could, with certain\nimprovements as to light, etc., be made acceptable, but the rooms in the eastern half are not\nsuitable. They are dimly lighted and the wood is in a state of decay. I could not recommend\nthe continuance of the use of these rooms.\nI visited each room. Some of these in the basement of the western building are distinctly\nunhealthy. They are not properly ventilated and the plumbing is defective. In some places\nthe flooring is practically on the earth, and the retaining-walls are not as dry as they should\nbe. The light in these rooms is not equal to the demands. The conditions here could be\nremedied.\n F 10 Provincial Board of Health. 1913\nThe place is heated by a hot-air furnace, and the air comes from a room in the rear of\nthe basement. This room is dark and dirty, and I cannot too strongly condemn the present\nheating arrangements.\nThe number of pupils at present attending the college is 174 ; this number is entirely too\ngreat for the size of the rooms, so that practically every room is overcrowded.\nI beg to recommend as follows : That the eastern portion of the building be taken down\nand that the western part be surveyed by an architect, and estimates taken of changes needed.\nThe particulars of these changes I will not now submit, but will be pleased to give advice on\nthem when the architect's estimates are submitted. The number of pupils in this building is,\nas I said above, entirely too high, and I beg to recommend that a limit be placed on the\nattendance of pupils in the different rooms.\nTo take the place of the eastern wing, I understand the Board of Education will be willing to grant the right to the rooms in the upper part of their building. I did not see these\nrooms, but I understand the building is a new one, and well constructed.\nI have, etc.,\nC. J. Fagan,\nSecretary.\nREPORT ON SEWAGE DISPOSAL AT CHILLIWACK AND HOPE.\nVictoria, B.C., June 7th, 1911.\nThe Honourable Dr. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B.C.\nDear Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u00941 am in receipt of applications from the Municipality of Chilliwack and the\nTown of Hope for permission to run their sewage directly into the Fraser River. I have visited\nboth of these places, and the difficulties to be met by them are very perplexing and serious.\nIn Chilliwack the land in and around the town is level, there being in one direction a\nfall of about 2 feet to the river. In Hope the fall to the river is considerable. In both of\nthese places the difficulties of handling a septic tank are so heavy that I could not advise\ntheir construction as a solution of the difficulty.\nI therefore beg to recommend that the sewage from Hope be allowed to be dumped into\nthe Fraser River, under regulations; and that Chilliwack be permitted to run their sewage\ndirectly into the Fraser River.\nI beg to further recommend that the above permission be granted on the following\nconditions:\u00E2\u0080\u0094(1.) That the sewage be discharged into deep water. (2.) That whenever\nthe Provincial Board of Health consider a change advisable, and so notify the authorities at\nthe above-named places, they immediately comply with the request.\nI have, etc.,\nC. J. Fagan,\nSecretary.\n 3 Geo. 5 Provincial Board of Health. F 11\nREPORT ON NUISANCE AT FALSE CREEK, VANCOUVER.\nVictoria, B.C., June 30th, 1911.\nThe Honourable Dr. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B.C.\nSir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094In accordance with your instructions I visited Vancouver on the 26th instant, and\nexamined into the complaint submitted through a petition, signed by E. G. Sentill and\nothers, and forwarded by Mr. A. H. Macgowan.\nThe complaint is that the Vancouver authorities have permitted filth, rubbish, garbage,\nand manure to be dumped in the tide-waters of False Creek and on vacant lots and sides of\nJackson Avenue and other places.\nTogether with the City Engineer, Mr. Fellows, and an officer of the Health Department,\nI visited the places complained of.\nFor the present, I will not describe conditions found, but must say the petitioners have\ngood reason to object to present conditions.\nThe engineer had already recognized the objectionable condition and had started to\nremedy same, and the Health Department will order the cleaning-up of vacant lots and\nforeshore.\nI told the engineer that another inspection visit would be made in a month.\nI have, etc.,\nC. J. Fagan,\nSecretary.\nREPORT ON DIPHTHERIA IN NANAIMO DISTRICT.\nVictoria, B.C., July 27th, 1911.\nDr. C. J. Fagan,\nSecretary, Provincial Board of Health,\nVictoria, B.C.\nDear Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094On July 26th I proceeded to Nanaimo to look into certain charges made by\nConstable George Hannay in his letter of the 18th instant.\nOne of the earliest cases of diphtheria in the Chase River District occurred in the house\nof Mat Lomas, June 23rd. Two families live in this house, and Dr. Smith, after declaring\nthe case diphtheria, told the other family to move into the next house. Dr. Smith, in\nexplanation, stated to me that as \"it was an early case just starting he offered no objection to\nany one leaving immediately before quarantine was enforced.\"\nOn July 7th another case occurred at Hendrickson's, in the same neighbourhood. A girl\nin this household died, and also another girl who had been stopping at the Hendrickson's\nprevious to the development of diphtheria. According to the statement of Mr. Hendrickson,\nDr. Smith told him that any boarders in the house who did not wish to be quarantined could\nleave the house within six hours. This is denied by Dr. Smith.\nDr. Smith also claims that in every case he notified the Provincial police as soon as\npossible of the occurrence of diphtheria, and rather objected that certain houses had been\nquarantined before cases were notified by him.\nI have, etc.,\nWalter Bapty.\n F 12 Provincial Board of Health. 1913\nREPORT ON EPIDEMIC OF TYPHOID FEVER AT SAVONA AND DISTRICT.\nVictoria, B.C., October 5th, 1911.\nThe Honourable Dr. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B.C.\nDear Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094On September 25th I received notice of the presence of typhoid fever in the\nCanadian Northern Railway Hospital at Savona.\nOn September 26th I left Victoria for Savona. I asked the Government Agent, Mr.\nPearse, to accompany me, and together we visited the Savona Hospital and the railway\ncamps between Savona and Tranquille.\nThe first place visited was the Savona Hospital. Thirteen patients, suffering from\ntyphoid fever, were in this Hospital.\nThe building is a new wooden structure consisting of three rooms. One room, containing\nten patients, is 30 by 18 by 10 feet, which gives 540 cubic feet to each patient. The\nventilation of the room practically depends on the opening of the door. A smaller room,\noccupied by three patients, gives 400 cubic feet to each patient. There are two windows in\nthis room. The heating of the building is carried out by a stove in the larger room.\nWhen I visited the Hospital there was but one attendant for the thirteen patients.\nThis attendant did night and day work, and acted as cook.\nThe general arrangements in the Hospital were distinctly unsatisfactory, there being no\nplace for the clothing of the patients, except the room where the refuse was handled.\nThe water-supply was taken from the lake. The food-supply was good, with the exception\nof the article most needed\u00E2\u0080\u0094milk. All the Hospital received every day was one gallon, and\nif more was needed the canned article was supplied.\nThe outside arrangements were of the most primitive order\u00E2\u0080\u0094a closet leading to a hole in\nthe ground. However, I was told, and there was evidence to confirm this, that the ejecta\nfrom the patients was disinfected before being deposited in the closet.\nFrom the history received, the thirteen typhoid cases in the Hospital came from one\ncamp\u00E2\u0080\u0094namely, Camp 11. On our way to this camp we visited three others. There was no\nsickness found except in above-named Camp 11.\nIn Camp 11 forty-five men were working. As before stated, thirteen cases of typhoid\nfever were in the Hospital from this camp, and we found five cases in the camp. These cases\nwere lying or sitting around in the bunk-house, and had no special attention. I asked what\nfood these cases were receiving, and was told that they got what they asked for. One case\nspecially questioned as to what food he got told me between 4 and 5 in the afternoon that all\nhe took on that particular day was water.\nIn connection with these five cases the doctor in charge told me that arrangements were\nbeing made to take them to the Hospital that same afternoon. Whether or not this was done\nI do not yet know.\nCamp 11 is situated on the north side of Kamloops Lake, about fourteen miles from\nSavona. It is built on dry ground, and consists of kitchen, dining-room, and two bunk-\nhouses. The bunk-houses are overcrowded, and are not supplied with means of ventilation.\nThe dining-room is clean, but we found food articles exposed between meals.\nThe sanitary arrangements are nil. Previous to my visit the closet was closed because\nof its wrong location and want of proper construction. As a result, the ground around was\nfilthy, and the refuse from the kitchen and dining-room ran on the ground.\n 3 Geo. 5 Provincial Board of Health. F 13\nThe water-supply came from the side of the little wharf. The conditions existing in this\ncamp were quite ample proof that a case of typhoid fever, with an ambulatory case or recovering case, infected this camp and was responsible for the present conditions.\nI dictated a letter to Mr. Pearse, Government Agent, addressed to the contractor in\ncharge of these camps, with definite instructions as to what changes should be made, and I\nwould recommend that some authority visit these camps and see that the regulations are\nrigidly carried into effect.\nFrom the above description, it will, I think, be clear that the conditions existing in\nCamp 11, and indeed in other camps, are not satisfactory. That Kamloops Lake is now\ninfected is beyond doubt, and what the ultimate result will be time alone will show. General\ninstructions have been given, and I trust fair results will follow. I have seen the medical\nmen in charge of this work and have spoken very plainly to them. They have promised\nenergetic action, and I have reason to believe they are now doing their best.\nI have, etc.,\nC. J. Fagan,\nSecretary.\nGENERAL REPORT ON THE CONDITION OF DAIRY FARMS.\nVictoria, B.C., October 18th, 1911.\nThe Honourable Dr. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B.C.\nDear Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094In accordance with your instructions, I have commenced an inquiry into\n\" milk conditions \" in British Columbia.\nDuring the months of July and August, I visited twenty-six dairies in and around\nVictoria and fifteen dairies in and around Vancouver. The number of cows supplying milk\nfor these dairies was over 1,000.\nEach dairy and cow-shed was closely examined and notes on conditions found are on\nhand, but will not be presented unless you specially so order.\nThe conditions observed in most of the dairy farms are\u00E2\u0080\u0094the cow-sheds are overcrowded,\nill-ventilated, and badly lighted. The flooring is unsuitable and in many instances dirty.\nThe water-supply in many instances is too limited and of doubtful purity. There are not\nmilk-rooms in all dairies, and where they are, most of them are wrongly constructed and\nbadly maintained. Cleanliness is a rarity, and in many instances I have seen dirty milk\nafter straining. In one I came across six milk-cans in which there were a number of dead\nflies, and into which the fresh milk was being delivered.\nSpeaking generally, I have no hesitation in condemning the conditions found in our\ndairies. Reasonable efforts have been made by a few, especially by Mr. Steves, of Steveston,\nand Mr. Howell, of Eburne, but I trust the conditions existing in most of the dairies will not\nbe permitted to continue.\nI do not understand the action taken by the Agricultural Department through their\nVeterinary Inspectors. At every dairy I asked for certificates. Some of the owners said\nthey had them but could not find them, and in one instance only did I see a certificate. This\ncertificate stated that the dairy was in accordance with the regulations of the Provincial Board\nof Health, and was clean and sanitary. This particular dairy was one of the dirtiest I\nhave seen.\n F 14 Provincial Board of Health. 1913\nThe conditions existing in the districts through which I passed are peculiar. The dairy\nfarms have developed into high value and the owners speak of retiring from the dairy business, especially if any drastic regulations are adopted. Possibly this may be so, but the\ndairyman's conception of drastic action conveys the idea of heavy expense to the owner.\nHeavy expense is not needed to conduct a properly constructed dairy. Where the expense\nwill come in will be the changes from the present dirty houses to ones capable of being easily\nkept clean, well lighted, and well ventilated.\nThe opportunity is now good for arrangements as to new buildings. The cows are there,\nand whether they are kept on these particular dairy farms is not material. If they are moved\nsomewhere else, an effort should be made to see that they are moved into properly constructed\nsheds.\nThe dairy-farmer is a difficult man to handle, but when things are put reasonably and\nplainly before him he will recognize the advantage of proper action. Regulations may be\ncorrect and simple, but the ordinary dairy-farmer will not recognize this, and will construe\nthem as being something impossible for him to carry into effect.\nI therefore beg to recommend that the Government appoint a Commission, one member\nof which shall be a doctor interested in public-health questions, another a veterinary surgeon,\nand a third a farmer. This Commission should visit all the dairy centres in the Province,\nmeet the different associations, and visit, as far as possible, every working dairy. They should\ncall together the dairymen of the different localities, discuss dairy questions, and how best to\nhandle milk. They should advance to the dairymen the needs and advances in the handling\nof milk at the present day, and further announce that it is their duty to present to the\nGovernment a set of regulations for the handling, transportation, and delivery of milk.\nI have, etc.,\nC. J. Fagan,\nSecretary.\nREPORT ON WATER SYSTEM OF LADNER'S LANDING.\nProvincial Board op Health,\nNovember 21st, 1911.\nThe Honourable Dr. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B.C.\nSir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094On November 17th I visited Ladner's Landing to investigate certain complaints\nsubmitted regarding the water-supply of that district.\nTogether with the Medical Health Officer, Dr. King, I visited the waterworks. The\nplant is situated on the high land running to the west of the Delta, about nine miles from the\nvillage of Ladner's Landing. The water comes from springs and is collected through open\nditches into a tank, and put in mains by a pump. The supply is plentiful and, if properly\nhandled, I believe excellent.\nThe ditches run through peaty soil into which there is a constant drain from this soil.\nThe land belongs to the Ladner Council, and thus it cannot be contaminated in the ordinary way.\nThe water in the ditches and small reservoir is mixed with leaves and other refuse. This\ncondition, while it may not be actually injurious, should, if possible, be prevented.\nThe worst feature of the supply is the fact that there is leakage from the peaty soil\nwhich enters the water. The effect of this may be serious, and from the history received from\nthe users of this water, it is evident that a considerable amount of diarrhoea has resulted.\n 3 Geo. 5 Provincial Board of Health. F 15\nThere is also evidence of the presence of typhoid fever. Whether this condition came from\nthe water-supply I am not prepared to say, but it is evident that if there are any typhoid\ncases in or around the supply district, contamination would be quite easy.\nIn the camp for workers on the supply I found two closets, both being discharged into\nholes in the ground. I have no doubt that there was free connection between these holes and\nthe water in the ditches.\nI have, etc.,\nC. J. Fagan,\nSecretary.\nREPORT ON TYPHOID FEVER EPIDEMIC AT VERNON.\nJanuary 27th, 1912.\nThe Honourable H. E. Young,\nProvincial Secretary, Victoria, B. C.\nDear Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094By request of the City Council of Vernon, I visited that town on January\n19th. The conditions existing there were certainly serious. Over twenty cases of typhoid\nwere actually in the hospital.\nTogether with Dr. Morris, I examined closely into existing conditions, and, after\nconsideration, came to the conclusion that the typhoid resulted from the sewage and septic\ntanks existing in the southern part of the town. The septic tanks were on the side of a hill\nand drained freely into the cellars and wells below them. The typhoid cases came from this\ndistrict, and I have no hesitation in saying that the disease was caused by some infection in\nthe tanks or from drainage.\nI have recommended that septic tanks be cut out and that drainage be provided for this\ndistrict. Until the drainage is supplied, I have recommended that dry-earth closets be used.\nMany complaints have been received in my office regarding the state of the septic tank.\nThis septic tank is situated to the west of Vernon, about a mile and a half from the outside\nof the town. The septic tank is excellently constructed and the effluent from it runs on to\ntwo filter-beds. The filter-beds are good, but are not large enough for the amount of effluent\nthat is being discharged over them. The effluent from the filter-beds passes into a small\nstream which runs down through a valley for about a mile into Okanagan Lake.\nThe people of the valley complain of the conditions arising from the entry of the effluent\ninto this stream. I have learned that certain people use this water for domestic purposes,\nand animals, such as dairy cows, use it as drink.\nI have no hesitation in saying that the action adopted is wrong, and have recommended\nto the Vernon City Council that they duplicate their filter-beds, and have one filter-bed extra,\nso that without interfering with the works a filter-bed can be cleaned off at regular intervals.\nAccording to the present arrangement this cannot be done, and when I visited the works I\nfound that the filter-beds were not in a proper condition, and were not kept sufficiently clean.\nI have asked to have a sample of the effluent sent to me for analysis. When this is\ndone I will be in a better position for giving further instructions.\nI have, etc.,\nC. J. Fagan,\nSecretary.\nVICTORIA, B.C. :\nPrinted by William H. Cullin, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.\n1913.\n "@en . "Legislative proceedings"@en . "J110.L5 S7"@en . "1913_07_F1_F15"@en . "10.14288/1.0064426"@en . "English"@en . "Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library"@en . "Victoria, BC : Government Printer"@en . "Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy or otherwise distribute these images please contact the Legislative Library of British Columbia"@en . "Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia"@en . "FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PROVINCIAL BOARD OF HEALTH FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH, 1912"@en . "Text"@en . ""@en .