To the President and Members of the Louisiana State Board of Health:

Dear Sirs. I herewith beg to submit my report as Chemist.

On my election to this important office in September, 1907, I found that the Louisiana State Board of Health had no laboratory, and appeared to have no apparatus of its own.

Work of an important character coming in, and it not being deemed expedient to do it in my private laboratory in the Medical Department of Tulane University of Louisiana, I sought, and was most cordially granted the courtesies and use of the Laboratory of the U. S. Ap: praiser's office, situated in the U. S. Custom House. For the use of this splendidly equipped laboratory, I and the Board are indebted more particularly to Mr. L. E. Bentley, Deputy Collector of Customs, Mr. W. Lyall Howell, Chief Chemist, and Mr. Lezin Becnel, Chem1st in this Department.

Following out the instructions of the President and Members of the Board, I designed and had equipped the laboratory of the Board, now situated in Room 1005, Perrin Building, at as small a cost as was consistent with safety, good workmanship, and first class, up to date apparatus, and guaranteed analyzed chemicals, most of the chemicals being furnished by the well known firm of Baker & Co.

Competitive bids were asked, and received, as described by law. The laboratory, as it now stands, is probably one of the best lighted, ventilated and thoroughly equipped State Laboratories of this character to be found anywhere in the United States, having among other things conveniently at hand, a splendid top water supply, hot, cold and distilled; compressed air and vacuum, gas and electricity. The equipment and conveniences are such that any character or work demanded by the service may be done with ease and rapidity. It is earnestly hoped that the various communities and individuals throughout the State will take the fullest advantage of this laboratory wherever a matter pertaining to either private or public health is concerned. Articles forwarded to this Laboratory will not be received unless freight or express charges are prepaid. No charges will be made for

any of the analytical work. In order to secure concordant results it is important that the follow directions should be observed:

DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTION OF SAMPLES OF WATER FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS.

Stoneware botties should be avoided, as they are apt to affect the hardness of the water, and are more difficult to clean than glass. Stoppered glass bottles should be used if possible; those known as "Winchester Quarts" (ordinary half gallon bottles) which hold about two and a half quarts each, are very convenient and easy to procure. Two of these will contain sufficient for the general analysis of sewage and largely polluted rivers; three for well waters and ordinary rivers and streams, and four for lakes and springs. If a more detailed analysis is required, of course a larger quantity must be taken.

If corks must be used, they should be new, and well washed with the water at the time of collection.

In collecting from a well, river, or tank, plunge the bottle itself, if possible, below the surface; but if an intermediate vessel must be used, see that it is thoroughly clean and well rinsed with the water. Avoid the surface water and also any deposit at the bottom.

If the sample is taken from a pump or tap, take care to let the water which has been standing in the pump or pipe run off before collecting, then allow the stream to flow directly into the bottle. If it is to represent a town water-supply, take it from the service pipe communicating directly with the street main, and not from a cistern.

In every case, first fill the bottle completely with the water thus expelling all gases and vapours, empty it again, rinse once or twice carefully with the water, and then fill it nearly to the stopper, and tie down tightly.

At the time of collection note the source of the saniple, whether from a deep or shallow well, a river or spring, and also its local name so that it may be clearly identified.

If it is from a well, ascertain the nature of the soil, subsoil, and water-bearing stratum; the depth and diameter of the well, its dis tance from neighboring cesspools, drains, or other sources of pollution; whether it passes through an impervious stratum before entering the water-bearing stratum, and if so, whether the sides of the well above this are, or are not, water-tight.

If the sample is from a river, ascertain the distance from the source

to the point of collection; whether any pollution takes place above that point, and the geological nature of the district through which it flows.

If it is from a spring, take note of the stratum from which it issues.

DIRECTION FOR FORWARDING MILK FOR ANALYSIS.

Samples of not less than 4 ounces should be sent; do not add any preservatives, but pack in a stout wooden box in alternate layers of ice and sawdust. Be careful to mark each sample distinctly, and ship to the Laboratory as expeditiously as possible.

The following is a list of the work done by me up to date:

Besides numerous examinations of tobacco and other articles of foods and drugs.

The most important work undertaken was the sanitary examination of Lakes Maurepas, Pontchartrain and tributaries, made with the end in view of determining, if possible, the causes of the conditions which brought about the bad odor and death of fish in said bodies of water during the preceding summer.

The following reports, made September 12, 1907, and September 26, 1907, are of interest in showing the necessity for this investiga

tion:

NEW ORLEANS, LA., Sept. 12, 1907.

Dr. C. H. Irion, President Louisiana State Board of Health, City: Dear Doctor.-I beg to report to you the following results of my examination of two bottles of scum gathered from Lake Pontchartrain and which, it is claimed, besides its bad odor is killing the fish and crabs :

Micrscopic examination of this scum and polluted water shows that the pollution and odor are due to the presence in enormous numbers

of a decaying alga, known as anabaena flos aquae. This alga is one of the blue-green algae and is a microscopic curled filament about 1-800 of an inch long by about 1-5000 of an inch broad, the filament being made up of a number of spherical cells united by a gelatinous substance which covers the whole mass. This alga sometimes appears very suddenly over large areas of fresh water and disappears as suddenly without any clearly known cause bringing it about. The Germans know it as the "Wasserbluthe."

In its fresh state it has a decidedly grassy odor; as it decays I turns brown and emits an offensive odor, inadequately described as the pig-pen odor. According to Dr. Jackson the exceeding offensiveness of its odor is due to the highly organized compounds of sulphur and phosphorus in the presence of a high percentage of nitrogen found in the cell contents. The gas given off by these decomposing microscopic plants was found to be of the following composition:

As will be seen by the above analysis, this gas is amply poisonous to kill any fish or crabs in the immediate vicinity of any large mass of these decomposing algae, but unless the whole lake should become thoroughly infested with them, there would be no possibility of the complete extermination of all the fish in it. These plants were found in pure culture, and to the exclusion of all other forms of vegetable matter or plant life, no substance was found besides them except what might normally be found in the lake water.

The algae are so numerous that their gelatinous portion makes the water thick and slimy-the gas formed by their decomposition is caught in this slime and rises to the top forming the froth or scum found on the surface of the Lake. It is probable that this alga was developed in some fresh water contingious to the lake and then blown or flooded into it; there meeting brackish water, which is less favorable to its growth, it decayed. The water hyacinth has nothing to do with the condition of the water or the odors found in certain portions of Lake Pontchartrain, neither has the sewerage from the city.

It may be of interest to note that the death of enormous numbers

of fish in Harvey's Canal some years ago may have been due to the development of an alga similar to that now causing such distress at the lake.

As for relief, none can be offered where such a large body of water in involved. In reservoirs and small lakes infested with this alga, it is customary to destroy them by the use of minute quantities of sulphate of copper, it only being necessary to hang a sack containing the sulphate of copper over the end of a skiff and row the boat about the res ervoir. The cost of this procedure would be out of the question in this instance.

In conclusion I wish to acknowledge the great assistance rendeied me in this investigation by Mr. J. C. Smith, of this city, a prominent member of the Microscopical Society.

P. S. I am informed by the United States Engineers' Office that the U. S. Government has done nothing towards destroying the water hyacinth in Lake Pontchartrain during the past four years.

NEW ORLEANS, LA., Sept. 26, 1907.

Dr. C. H. Irion, President Louisiana State Board of Health, City: Dear Doctor. I have this day microscopically examined two specimens of water submitted to me for analyses, one from the Esplanade Bridge, Bayou St. John, and the other from the New Basin.

Careful examination shows only a few of the anabena flos aquae present, and these are seemingly dead and disorganizing.

Judging from the specimens furnished me I am under the impres sion that there has been a marked improvement in the character of the water and that we may look for relief from the obnoxious smell and condition.

The samples of water furnished are not sufficient for chemical analysis, but if you desire that to be made, I will procure samples and do

So.

Respectfully submitted,

(Signed): H. P. JONES,

Chemist.

As this is a matter of the utmost importance for the future welfare of the property surrounding these bodies of water; affecting very seriously their value and the comfort of the dwellers along their