Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-09
sTATE BOARDS OF HRALTH.
Dr. Thompson and Hugh Bedam Give
Them some More Ventilation.


The following letter and my reply will
sufficiently explain themselves:
Bucks Cove, Feb. 3, 1S75.-My Friend
Hugh: / am a thousand times obliged for
your prompt and satisfactory answer to my
former letter." If you had seen me after 1
got the UNION AND AMERICAN, with your
reply in it, you would have thought the Old
doctor Hsent for sure enough. There was
a lively Gathering Of hOOfs along the noun
tain side till / came to the widow Smart's.
l read it all to her, and we had a good
jollidcatiOn, ending with a resolution that,
should Providence ever bring you and Ike
into trouble again, in this part Of the eoun-
try, you should have medical and surgical
care and nursing "free, gratis and for
nothing"
/ thought it strange if those measures
could find favor among our legislators or
even among sensible men in the medical
profession. l was delighted with the SELL
timents Of my old friend DR. Bowling
against State Medicine, which l saw IN the
UNION AND AMERICAN.
But / see there are two or three more
medical bills, for the creation Of Boards Of
Health for the State, introduced in the
House. What do they mean?
have seen mention, N the papers, Of a
National Board of Health, at Washington,
to be made up Of army surgeons and navy
surgeons and assistant surgeons, to have
charge Of all the great cities during cpl
denies, 70 establish quarantine, etc. Are
these legislative bills intended 70 organize
opposition Boards to dispute jurisdiction
with the National Board? Or are the
State Boards to be subordinate and tribu-
tary to the one in Washington? And who
is to pay the expenses Of the proposed
State Board?
It looks to me, up here in the noun
tains, as if the people are badly enough
bored now. There are 50 many laws and
so many officers TO execute them, that the
State, with all her taxes and licenses, is
hardly able TO pay current expenses, while
her great debt, and the accumulating inter-
est, will have to take care Of itself, so far
as the present General Assembly seems to
care.
But, friend Hugh, can you tell me what
earthly good those boards are expected to
do for the people Of our great Common
wealth? 1 understand that you find it
necessary to have a Board Of HealthtO look
after the filth and n~uisances Of your city,
but have We any need for such a buzzard
arrangement for the State at large?
Please let us hear from you again soon,
in our semi-Weekly visitor, the UNION AND
AMERICAN.
Your friend, PETER THOMPSON.
In reply to the Doctor, first of all, 1 will
say that he need not worry about there be-
ing any State boards Of health, "pretty
soon, right away" for the supporters Of
such a scheme would not make a c0rporal's
guard, if all drUmmed together from both
houses.
The members Of the Legislature are men
Of sense and observation. They under
stand the trick Of the army surgeons in
Washington, and Of those people herea-
bouts, who have a wonderful itching for
some sort Of an Office, especially n that
admits Of drawing upon the State treasury
to cover its expenses.
They are not fooled By the speciOus plea
in favor Of sanitary science, nor by any
wonderful promises 70 fence out sickness
and death from the State.
They have Oeen looking abroad to the
large cities East, which have been annu-
ally ~expending large sums in support Of
Boards Of Health, and fail to discover that
such cities have enjoyed any peculiar ex-
emptiOn from the ravages Of disease. On
the other hand, they find the rate Of NOR
LdilLI even ElcLLEl tA-4E NA1A III NAsACo I
where no such Boards are known.
Much as the Legislature feels the in
~debtedness of the State, and the necessity
Of strict economy, there would be no hes
itancv in the creation Of a Board Of Health,
with ample pOWers-and means, nor in the
purchase Of any patent that could guaran-
tee no more visits Of cholera, yellow fever,
scarlet fever and diphtheria within our
borders. .
They do not discard, nor undervalue san
itary science-nOt at all-but they believe
that it is best cultivated in private or in
voluntary associations, where the medical
profession can, at once, demonstrate its love
of science and Of the people, by study and
research in their behalf.
So worked DR.. John Abernethy, in the
old country, and Dr.. Benjamin Rush, in
this. And their rewards were in the i'm
confidence and patronage Of an ap-
preCiative people in their own day, and in
the blessed memories cherished by the peO-
pie since, and not in salaries received from
any city or State governments.
In conversation with a young doctor, the
other day, l asked him what good a State
Board Of Health could do. He said It
would diagnose endemics and epidemics
and contagious diseases, informing people
Of their presence, and peculiar genius; in
necessary hygienic principles; in
~deOdOriZins and disinfecting agents;
improve the general regimen Of the people,
bringing them up to a normal standard,
thereby increasing the longevity of the
race and diminishing the ratio Of mortality
from avoidable moTbific causes, and miti-
eating those pathological conditions gene
rally regarded as uuavOidably fastening
heir subjects toward a cessation Of physiO-
.Ogical action and final dissolution of the
continuity Of the relationships subs.sting
the various organs and tissues Of
he corporal being, as well as the cOnti-
putty OF the spiritual and material natures
If man.
He said 10 respectable city down East
pretended to get along without such a
Board: that tie people would not know
what to do with their p~OtatO-parings AMI {
iish- ;Eater, or anything else, and that the '
would hardly be able TO tell mea- 6
lies from smallpox, when to vaccinate,
When to fumigate, when to sprinkle car
)olic acid, when to scatter chloride Of lime,
Yr coal tar, or anything else.
He thought we were behind the age-a a
whole CeneratiOn-infa fact, hardly civilized.
lust replied that, not being a doctor, l
not prepared to argue the question:, or {
o answer his learned plea; but that, if not
yreatly mistaken, we yet knew enough in
tennessee to "come in when it rains"
blow our noses when we ought to, and to T
hrow our kitchen slops in the right place. :
l did not, however, intend to write an L
.ssay on sanitary affairs, but simply to as 5
ure nv friend, DR.. Thompson, that no
medical bills, calling for class legislation
" the creation of Boards to be run at pub
ic expense, for class or individual benefits P
lone, could find favor in the eyes or by L
he votes of the Legislature now convened a
n the State Capitol. r
Ike and 1 were so unfortunate in our L
,ear hunt, at the Cove, we think some Of
oming mp soon to try u skill on deer. 6
What are the chances, Doctor? Could we .
et boarding at the widow Smart's2 Your S
HUGH BEDAM. a
CURRFY.-At the residence of her father, at
n on the Sth inst, Miss JENNIE CURREY,
ounqest daughter Of DR.. G. w. and Mrs. Emily
J. Currey-aged nineteen years. v