A special act approved July 26, 1916, authorized the sale of the old marine hospital reservation at Cleveland, Ohio, and appropriated $1,000 for expenses incident to the appraisal. The deficiency act approved September 8, 1916, carried appropriations for sites only, $750; for special projects, $30,954; a total of $31,704. The deficiency act approved April 17, 1917, carried appropriations as follows: The total of the foregoing acts for special and annual appropriations for the fiscal year 1917 is $15,047,321.75. Summary of acts carrying appropriations for the fiscal year 1918. The legislative act approved March 3, 1917, carried an appropriation for "Salaries, Office of Supervising Architect," in amount $221,020. The sundry civil act approved June 12, 1917, carried appropriations for the fiscal year 1918 as follows: The total of the foregoing acts for special and annual appropriations for the fiscal year 1918 is $20,099,260. 46. Statement of appropriations for public buildings July 1, 1916, to June 30, 1917. CONTRACT LIABILITIES EXISTING AT CLOSE OF BUSINESS JUNE 30, 1917. On account of sites and additional land_. On account of construction of new buildings__ On account of extensions to buildings On account of special repairs to buildings On account of rent of buildings. On account of repairs and preservation_ On account of mechanical equipment. On account of vaults and safes On account of operating supplies___. On account of general expenses--- On account of furniture and repairs of same.. On account of operating force---- On account of architectural competitions Total Less authorized contract liabilities in excess of amounts appropriated under the special appropriations_- $559, 065. 18 10, 896, 856. 96 1, 538, 481. 65 205,930. 35 20, 952. 50 239, 982. 70 174, 077. 23 55, 393. 73 178, 345. 53 29, 721.93 345, 685. 18 254, 568. 93 32, 067. 61 14, 531, 129. 48 63, 794. 70 BALANCES OF APPROPRIATIONS SENT TO SURPLUS FUND JUNE 30, 1917. On account of special appropriations___. $350, 439.09 On account of annual appropriations, to wit: Mechanical equipment for public buildings, 1915__. Operating force for public buildings, 1915. Operating supplies for public buildings, 1915__. Lands and other property of the United States, 1915--- Total 2, 938. 62 1,063. 21 3, 658. 14 5, 321. 04 181.39 26, 344. 71 33, 286.67 300.00 423, 532.87 PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE. The operations of the Public Health Service during the fiscal year, conducted through its several administrative divisions, are summarized by the Surgeon General as follows: Division of Scientific Research. As heretofore, the service has conducted through this division scientific field and laboratory studies which would be of use in publichealth work generally. These studies may be classed under the following headings: Diseases of man, sanitation of extra-cantonment areas, rural sanitation, public-health administration, industrial sanitation, school hygiene, pollution of navigable streams and coastal waters, disposal of sewage, treatment of industrial wastes, and supervision of the manufacture and sale of biological products. In addition, special studies have been made of such matters as disinfection, drugs, diet, and ventilation. Diseases of man.-Included in the diseases studied during the year are hookworm disease, leprosy, malaria, miner's consumption, pellagra, plague, poliomyelitis, pyorrhea alveolaris, rabies, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, trachoma, trichinosis, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and typhus fever. The studies made regarding certain of these diseases deserve further mention. Malaria.-Malaria investigations have included the following avenues of activity: Epidemiologic studies, investigations as to the relative efficacy of control measures, laboratory studies of the bionomics of the various species of anopheles mosquitoes with reference to malaria, investigations as to the influence of malaria upon economics under various conditions, studies of impounded waters in relation to malaria, and surveys of malaria-infected areas, including localities in the vicinity of military barracks and camp sites. On the basis of these studies the service has been able to advise local authorities in the localities surveyed with regard to the eradication and prevention of malaria and suppression of mosquito breeding places. In accordance with requests received from State and local health authorities and other agencies, field surveys were made to determine the nature and extent of the factors influencing the prevalence of malaria and to ascertain the measures most applicable for their control by the localities concerned. Such surveys were conducted at points in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. In cooperation with the International Health Board demonstration studies were conducted at Crossett and in the vicinity of Lake Village, Ark. At the former place, by means of mosquito-preventing measures, malaria was reduced about 75 per cent at a per capita cost of $1.25. At Lake Village, in one group malaria was reduced 70 per cent by means of screening at a cost per house of $14.77, such screening being expected to last two years at least. In another group malaria was reduced 65 per cent by means of quinine, at a cost of 57 cents per person. The economic loss suffered by a near-by group where preventive measures were not employed was $2.52 per capita, whereas in the controlled groups the loss was 6 cents per capita. Pellagra. Studies of pellagra conducted during the year have reinforced the theory that pellagra is due to a faulty diet. Additional proof that it is not communicable was also obtained. The field study undertaken during the previous fiscal year in 7 cotton-mill villages in South Carolina has been extended to include 17 additional villages, so that an aggregate population of 25,000 is now being intensively studied in regard to pellagra prevalence, sanitation, economic status, food availability, and seasonal variation in food availability. The study of the prevention of pellagra by proper diet at the Georgia Asylum for the insane was continued during the year. No cases of pellagra developed, and there were no recurrences. Previous to the service operations pellagra was very prevalent at this asylum. At the service pellagra hospital at Spartanburg, S. C., where 169 hospital patients and 45 outpatients have been treated during the year, several diets have been tried out in order to determine the comparative therapeutic values of various articles of food in the treatment of pellagra. Laboratory studies at this hospital have consisted of analyses of foods, animal feeding experiments, and certain metabolic studies. Poliomyelitis. Scientific studies relating to the poliomyelitis epidemic in New York and elsewhere last summer related to (1) an epidemiological survey of the entire epidemic area in the northeastern United States; (2) intensive studies of cases in the Borough of Richmond and in the States of New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island; (3) brief entomologic and rodent surveys; (4) studies of paralytic disorders among domestic animals and their alleged relation to poliomyelitis in human beings; (5) attempts to produce the disease in animals other than the monkey; and (6) attempts to cultivate the specific organism. Part of this work has been conducted in the field and part at the Hygienic Laboratory. Material and data |