Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-01-31
Communicated,
The Board of Health---The Proclamation

cOmnunicstsd. ~
The Board Of Health---The Proclamation
NIn. EnroR;-
As there has been consider Si'
able excitement, and some irritation 0cca- m
stoned hy the late Proclamation oil Inc m
Board of Health, it may he well to state iGr di
ihe information Of the public, the grounds Il
upon which that proclamation was issued. q
On the 2lst OF this month, intelligence +
was brought to the President OF the Boaro u !,
of Health by DIR. Norris, one OF 'he physl- u
clans of the Aims House, that within Two OF
three days, IL large number oil small poA
patients had been brought from Odessa lnto c
ihe hospital of the Aims House, and that :
from information received from that town, ,
the house was likely to be overcrowded WIN
the sick aud malignant disease thus pro-
duced. This information was further CON
frmed by Messrs j. Finn and ". brlug-
hurst, the Trustees OF the foor lor WI
ntinpton and Brandywine Hundreds who
had received satisfactory evidence that small
f pox was prevailing in certain portion OF
st. Georges il not also of AppoquiR,mink
hundreds A meeting Of the Board oil
Z. Health was hence called, and resulted in a
i resolution directing the President TO issue
# Proclamation inlerdcting any further
r transmission of the sick from the Injected
district, to any point within its jurisdiction.
Il |
l. upon what was and is still considered 1ustl-
70 fable grounds. They are as follows;
u In the year 1891, the Legislature appoint
e, ed and incorporated Board Of Trustees oil
d thc Poor for each of the counties of the
d State with certain duties, among which was
~ the charge of an Aims House to be provided
,e for the accommodation of the poor OF the
nf county. In This county piece OF ground
VI was presented to the Trustees about the
u, I.l,, mn Nl
~ county Aims House was bhil'' anu on Wh'ch
er il now stands.
e. In the wear 1909, the Legislature made
ne certain amendments tn the charter oil the
3y borough of Wilmington, among which was
,se one providing for the preservation OF the
health of the borough, by giving hygienlc
Jurisdiction To the Council and through
he them 10 the Board of Health over VIII
in mington and its vicinity, TO a mile from its
la boundaries. This involved the control OF
mt the introduction within said limits) Of per
sons having contagious diseases. This act
IL was passed by the Legislature and it was
- further enacted that every matter and
II" thing contained in the act shall he taker
lhe and construed most iavotably and beneficial
tel ly for the corporation" A full knowledge
lin. Of the position Of the property of the Trus
ms tees Of the Poor us within said limits, WA
se. had by the Legislature, and it is fair TO infer
Lao, they intended all that is conferred upon thu
Il''' , Board Of Health and that hence the au
lhe thnrity of the Board of Trustees of tn
ncv Poor is, as it should he, secondary TO tina
Of the Board Of Health in matters per
nee tanning to the health Of Wilmington. !
-are this be admitted, as seems unavoidable, tn
,tes apparent conflict between the Trustees c
w the Poor and the Board Of Health, as I
I authority, ceases and the latter is con
thS PEELED and justified in issuing II proclaim
lee ton, in order to protect the large populi
it'll ton Of Wilmington from disease whicl
,sels according to the showing Of the residents
linr Odessa, was prevailing in that vicinity an
,bio which would inevitably assume a malignaI
,tad type in the hospital, from overcrowding an
W. . consequent deficient ventilation. The Boar
intS of Health in the proclamation assumes Il
ms authority over the Aims House or its hosp
rom tall except as it happens TO be within i
or is legal jurisdiction.
ould The hospital, which is an appendix TO Il
des- aims house proper, has been built since Il
.ntI year l949; and it was al. error Of judgme
tu',s on the part of the Board of Trustees
oulu place it within the limits controlled by Il
KING Board of Health. There was no necessi
5ress for this il must, whenever occupied be S
Ipor- questrated from the aims house proper, al
II for indeed the growth OF It's vicinity ~ popul
mo ton must at no very distant period, rend
a. its removal necessary. The Board of Heal
-, did not, nor are they likely to interfere, u
'ihE til II much more dense population eXis
lie OF around the hospital, with the occupancy
SUIT it by patients with contagious Diseases Il
lr of less filed beyond its capacity, and til
yater made nuisance injurious to the health
this the citizens and this is not likely to occu
10 a for doubtless the Board of Trustees will
20, the necessity of limiting the number of 81
%P az to be allowed in the hospital; and wi
tle would also b0 wise agreement, limit
the number of patients to be allowed frt
mere any one Hundred, unless under certain C,
npor- ditons, so that the house may not be la
I Tork. to be wholly occupied by any one Hundr
oord to the exclusion of all The others, us is I
f.,,oi case ut present.
ie,1" 1t is said that petition has been present
Il the to the Legislature for an act to modify
leces- powers of the City Council in matters
, il Il Health. ltis to he hoped that that body
alone see the proprlety of leaving that subject
uplcd touched, inasmuch rs ii is evident that
strnr simple act above mentioned Of the Boart
q Ia Trustees, will eiiectnally obyiate any 81
- oo,s w. occurrence as has recently happened, viz
l'VVN' the overcrowding of the aims house hoi
reloTc tai aud this is all that is desirable SUI
opra- no Hundred or Hundreds would desr,
mend transfer within the limits Of Wilmingto
al the greater number OF their citizens, sick "
ieg he Il contagious disease, than could he ace
IN tho modated in the Trustees hospital; and sui
W. '''' no Trustee Of the Poor would imagine I
.,,., because they happen to have hosp
ordlal within the limits Of Wilmington, he wc
rSf, IN be authorized so 10 do. The idea Of sue
ing of thing is 80 absurd as TO carry IFS own ref
rnish- ton. II is perfectly plain, therefore, thi
ans of would he unwise for the General Assem-
,iqono 10 legalize the admission of patients to
, Van. aims house hospital in any numbers wha
rV"- . ever; aud no person in this hundred, as
"l 'le already been said, desires or has undertu
ION OF to interfere with the proper use OF the
Della pita, But il the hospital be allowed ia
1HiTd, come nuisance the Board of Health
.ystcm certainly Interfere to abaie it.
,nsloin 1t may be added, that the Board of He
';,i;,'" having been informed that the small po
''"''s longer prevails in any of the lower I
dreds, Of this County, has allowed the
nlll'eu proclamation to expire hy limitation
-+4S@t-
A MAN UNsUsPEcTINGLY ORDERS
OWN GRAVE CLoTHFs-Last week a
HooIs chant of Boston, in the prime of life,