Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/287

 REVIEWS 271

both for evil and good. " Science is made democratic ; practice is elevated." Altogether this book of Dr. Baemreither is full of interest as a criticism of American ideals and a special study of one important field of social effort.

C. R. HENDERSON.

Loi sur la protection de la sante publiquc (Loi du 15 Fevrier 1902), travaux legislates, guide pratique est commentaire. Par PAUL STRAUSS, Senateur de la Seine, et ALFRED FIL- LASSJER, Docteur en Droit. Deuxieme edition revue et tres augmentee. Paris: Jules Rousset, 1905. Pp. 504.

The law which went into effect on February 15, 1903, is the present expression of the conclusion reached by the administrative genius of a great nation after more than a century of experiments in all directions. The philosophy of the law is summarized by the authors in the introduction. It is the purpose of the code to secure the establishment of sanitary regulations in every commune in the country ; to introduce regulations looking to the prevention of dis- ease and securing conditions of health ; to provide for exceptional measures in times of epidemics ; the protection of sources of water supply ; the regulation of buildings in the interest of health.

An important step in advance, marked by the usual increase of central administrative control, is the transfer of authority over unhealthy dwellings from local commissions to commissions of dis- tricts, whose members are nearly all appointed by the prefect. The consulting committee of public hygiene in France is given consider- able control over drinking-water in certain situations. The state, the departments, and the communes share the necessary expenses.

The details of the law and of the administrative regulations issued to give it full effect offer valuable suggestions for our boards of health and legislators who are beginning to meet the problems of city residence and more compact rural population. The topics of the law indicate the scope of the discussion: sanitary regulations of com- munes ; models of sanitary codes for cities and towns ; public ways ; houses and lodgings ; management of contagious diseases ; vaccina- tion ; disinfection ; care of drinking-water ; construction of build- ings ; organization of local and general administrative bodies ; and penal sanctions of the law. The name of Senator Strauss gives to the volume the authority of one of the principal leaders of philan-