The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-07-15
! II ~,
GEARDQNG AGAINST DIS
EASE.

GEARDQNG AGAINST DIS.
EASE.
The following is a synopsis OF
Dr.. Stephen Smiths paper on the
s:Duties of Health Boards, read
before the Social Science Conven-
ton: A fundamental duty of ad-
ninistration is the organization Of
complete registration of the vital
statistics of the city. It is Of such
registration alone that it can lay
the foundation Of permanent sanl-
tary work, and it is not sufficient
that such registration should SIM
ply give the total number. of mar
riagcs, births, and deaths annually,
but should furnish all those collat-
eral facts and evidences which are
necessary to a thorough study OF
the intricate and obscure questions
relating to the social and physical
well-being of the people. All coH-
tagions may be warded off and re-
stricte5 by the isolation Of the
sick. It is not too much too say
that smallpox, scarlatina and other
diseases may be tolerated Or sup
pressed at will by such measures.
Against smallpox, no intelligent
physician doubts that any city may
be absolutely protected. Measles
and the other brood of demetrlous
affections are not less susceptible
of control by isolation and dls'n-
fection. Endemic diseases are
mainly due to imperfect scavenging
and defective methods Of dealing
with cremental matters, both per-
sonal and domestic, such as the de-
composing refuse Of kitchens, over
flowing cesspools and privy vaults
cellar damps, etc. To discover
cause the abatement af these gross
nuisances against public health, as
we'll as against public decency,
is evidently the province of SAM
tary officers. Their duties should
also embrace the proper regula-
ton Of trades causing sickness, to
protect the health of operatives
and the dvellers in the neighbor-
hood who are subjected to delete
rious gases which create sickness
or offensive odors, which compel
them to shut out from their houses
the external air. In short, it is
sufficient to summarize sanitary du-
ties as follows: Regulation Of COM
merce and immigration that will
prevent the a6mittance Of exotic
pestilences to the cities, either in
the cargo or the passenger. Per-
sons suffering from contagious. dis
eases must be rigidly isolated, and
trade and business causing special
forms Of disease among operatives
or among the people must be placed
under such regulation as will efec-
tually remove all causes and sources
of sickness. Health boards are re-
quired not only to study the bear
ing which al existing public works
and all projected public improve
ments have upon the public health,
but they must come down to the
individual, and study the influences
which affect his general health and
tend to invalid him and shorten
his, life. These duties must be
grouped as follows: First, drain
age; second, food supply; third,
water supply. A Sanitary Board
should, from its peculiar constitu-
ton, be the ablest and wisest au-
thorivy in at least three depart
ments-medical, legal, and mechan-
ical engineering. Thus constitu-
ted, the community may safely
commit to it's care the varied duties
and numerous trusts which devolye
upon the guardians Of the public
health. In its connection with all
other Government departments it
should always demand all such re-
strictions of their actions as it may
iudiciously deem detrimental to the
health Of the community. Steps
are being taken in the right dlrec-
ton in the formation Of wodel sani-
tary boards, and not only is State
medicine beginning to be recog-
nized as an essential feature of
municipal government, but there is
q healthful tendency toward the
selection Of the best qualified OIL
GERS for sanitary administration.
A PLANT DESTRUCTIVE TO BEES.