New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-11

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smell pox actually breaks forth from some OF The f.j
cen be re its sesds been gathering strength s
the blast, and then only do sanitary regulation. re.
ceive their proper attention, and md coafaSc
excitement sud panic, those measures vesch should
have always been force With tnmul;aoGs enssyy
brought 10 Gear upon the pes Hence, regimen. u
Officials is recruited 20 serve during the var and thea
dismissed end hundreds OF thousands OF dollars ere
expended tie bare interest Of which, Jadsc0usly ID
veeied in a vsllirsIned sanitary pohee, wosld have
sufc.o 10 prevent, greatly diminish the ePisenic
aDc save n cus8nds OF lives.
Ii is - true in .aDi AIRY IN criminal Affairs thar
Jrcreatire police Is The mos. usefH efecoye snd eco
nomcaj; and The zane reasoning upon which wes
established our presen, municipal police the Old
undiscphpec night. waich FOR the prevention Of
and the detection of criminals spples WITH equal II 20,
greater coaepcy 10 the establishment Of wc..Organ
Zed Health Po,iCc: aud there Is far greater pscessy
for apyroprnler Of csaTscc snd qualification tee
iLeumbeo's Of the l>,,es than OF the former.
Blu; II Is not 10 epidemic disc ases aoae, such A. cho
maeisiracy will be OH ecsd. II your child is i'll ngh
INTO Ceaib or your family IL IN dangd Of sickness
you care not ~heh,r II DC from cholera dyssntery
smal-Iox chole' e. fantum, pneumonia or dyspeg
sia sea latina or erysIQelss-sbetber the danger bs
local or general from within or from withOut-as he
head OF The family you cesseiess 10 your edVr "
ascertain and remove the cause, aid to save them
ftom il, and need o, ak 10 what profession You
would frst turn for aid.
Arply now this principle of humanity and common
ser Sc 10 The sanitary interests OF this gea. muoidp
family the of whose dEseses are ienioh more
numerous ano subtle, and of what class or Occupation
smopg Your fellow ciZens would ycu seek counsel,
or 10 whom woul YOU look for executive ana Weah
Won 60 10 your csrlman, 10 your carpenter, 20 your
grocer to the canlker Of yodr ships, ~ your oystr-
man, 70 your apothecary, Tor advice IN tmes
of threatened existing pesnl-nee AMI ye' inns IS
prcciscy whet was done IN lsi9 which chusettne
observation of the committee which have qfotei,
ard shat has COZ tinuod TO be done ever sine.
The science public health, aud the Application ~
its principles 10 practice have ECU pied the attention
of some Of the abb minds OF the age; other cities OF
the new world well NJ of the Old are hssteniag %
reap the adv sages OF tue inprOv smsnt which have
sprung from ib,ir lAbors yet the city OF Nsw-York
gives no had 70 is ny beh, ss BIT c)nri the in
ter,s both Of the city and the science 10 he kcepsg
of men WHO have 10, sven tho capacity 20 recognize
their unfi'ness f,r The trust. Zoe judicial and
executive force o. our sanlsT, dapas mcn assists Of
oae read aud twenty-five sgbOrdi1atos ono for each
ware not o5e OF sfom can pretend 10 aiy degree Of
education on the subject, probably over took tie
least interest iu il before az prominent 10 office.
Even in zane our sanitary cepar II eDt u unknown
such. Instead o cogno men by which !, might be
INN edia,oly recognized ~ the DE 12rtmsnt aud ,ts
head The Superintendent of Public Hcslih, Is chris
tened by the meaningless tile OF "Ct'y Inspectors
"Deparment' ard is chief officer ID the A" City Ia
"sptctor" Among TIE many evils iich grow out
of this alsurd Tame of the most serious is the
narrow view of he powers III d duties Of this branch
of the government, which prevails both smopg the
PEOPLE aud tn officer come cec with 4.
pert il that on the appearance OF an Injections dis
ea4 O. whe her iO laTgebumbes o. siOgle cases, the
tinid approhensors OF pop-proiessiOnal men often
wi oily III t them for the duties of OIL 'efs of health;
they fear 10 approach the case even to enter the
house contsiu l., and they are more 'sely 20 in
creaso than allay popular Excitement, al"eJsto be
deprecated.
Having thus briefly reviewed some of the obiec,io,s
TO our pre- seat sanitary arrangements, proceed nov
to suggest, l. The principle. uoon which a heath
police should be based. 2 How these principles
may be put Into Praciiv execution ana 3 The do
ties which should he required aud The benehls which
would result from the proposed organization.
there IRE three prominent principles upon which
81 Oh an organization should be based
In the FIRST place, the iocumbents slou,d be mea
whose education, habits OF investigation and powers
of Judgment would enable them to determine what
constitutes puisance, aud how far any particular
matter il calculated to derarge the healthy state OF the
atmosphere; in short, they should possess good
kno Wedge of the doctrine OF miasma.d oi al klnd',
al d their infuefCe upon health
g They shOuld be whose daily occupations,
aud possible their foyoondl feTssts NJ uld ad Them
in the discovery and suppression, or removal OF the
causes Of disease. whO-e ger era intelligence ana re-
gard for Il welfare OF the city, and esp oiay Of its
poorer inhsbltspts, would urge them to give regular
and thorough xalif alton Of all susi ecttd aud doubt
full place..
g. They should possess the qualifications for TO
porting, when required, The superior authorities, the
sanitary condition of the various sections OF the city;
for recommending such measures prudence aud en-
skl requisite for the 8lplC Gion Of preventive mes-
sues such as vaccination, disiniectoD, aud the ike.
Tie FIST OF there Indications is OF course only 20 be
met by the selection Of members of the MEDICAL pro-
fession us sanitary officers; they alone possess the
knowledge and experience necessary for such duties.
Especially should this be the with the head Of
the department. 10 other should BE- lowed, by lsV,
TO be elected or appointed TO the place
But how shall we NEE. the second indication where
shall fnd those whose personal interests would stn
ulae them 10 the efci mt disch re of dues For
tupately we have them believe, at hand and the
fulflment Of my views requires only fusion OF tho.e
two great sarllaIy Ierests OF the city, VIZ ed'edI
aid TO tie INDECENT and preventive heaht police. In
the public d pens aries, where the poor arc supplied
with medical aid, are 10 be found the men whose efu'
cation, experience habits and daily rails q! them OF.
scly for the dulies 4 sanitary officers.
II is ~ them that the public look for toe perform
Of The humane duty Of attending the SILK 10 these
places; it is they also who should be emposerh toe
port pom aad remove the causes of tbef d seases.
Not only would their qualifications better Mt them
for the duties Of local health officers bat their Interests
as dispepsary physicians would directly i'm el them 20
faithful discharge of the OTTER branch OF service.
Let Va illustrate our position by a case OF ire
quent occurrence. As dispensary physician one
called 10 treat case of typhus fever or Other iniec
tious cgoCer lie finds the patient IN s0no DOCK TEN
epent or under ground residence, and surrounded "
circumstances clearly Indicative OF the cause OF nc
disease; il spreads from one TO another OF The sans
famiIy-to other families ia the bouse--the neighbor
hood becomes or less infected, ant for several
weeks the doctor 10 fully occupied IN reatiag the sick
He is row poweress TO remove the stsgnsnt wa,
from tho cellar, The heap of filth from the yard 10
venilate and purify the dwelling. lie is merely spre
scriber of drugs and further than this has no al
thOyty. But invest him with the power Of sanitary
oficeT-gve BIN the authority TO order yard or cei
lar to be drained, house 10 be cleansei and white
washed, or even a cellar or other improper dwelling
place 10 be closed sgsbs further habitaon, AID bow
soon would tie progress OF the disease be sayed-hov
many lives ssvtd-snd to DO all which, the ec,nomy
of bis own time and labor would be powerful In