The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-12-12

EDEToRs CLARION: Last spring wrote 4
few articles for your paper, for the purpose
OF attracting the attention Of the public to
the importance OF a well organized Board OF
Health 10 this State. with your Dermis-
sion, propose to resume the subject, adj
dressing my suggestions now more directly
TO the membeFs Of the Legislature elect.
We may reasonably assume that party
politics will receive very little, IL any, at
tention at the hands OF the incoming LegIs-
lature. The ascendency Of one party over
the other Is so complete, that we do not
| I pOk for political antagOnisms Of any kind
whatever. We have no United States Sen
ator to elect, nor any other Immediate po-
litical purpose to accom- pIish. Perhaps Il
is fortunate for the people that this is so. A
people who have been convulsed with par
ty strife and rancor, year after year, for a
ling time. need rest and their material in
terests, which to a great extent have been
overlooked or neglected In the storm and
confusion of party violence, should now be
gathered up and cared for.
The members Of the Legislature are now
II condition to call halt, and survey the
field of State economy, and lay the founda-
ton, in every department Of the public
welfare, Of durable and progressive pros
perity. Mississippi has reached the start
| ing point in another cycle OF her history.
The time and opportunity have come for a
new career. The political gladiator has
cleared the field! Will he now become n
statesman? A more suspicious occasion
may never present itself again.
The new conditions and circumstances
which surround US require new plans aud
regulations. Taking lessons frem expert
ence, old laws. habits, customs and practices
must be revised and re-moddeled. Our edu-
cational, agricultural mechanical and inter-
commercial relations and interests all re-
quire attention. A more fertile field OF use
fuIness was never opened to the sagacity of
tie young statesman, and fonder and more
eager hopes were never centered in legis-
lative body than those which cluster around
the Legislature soon to assemble In Missis-
sippi.
1t is not my purpose to discuss the various
measures of Improvement and reform which
should command the attention of the Legis-
lature and which should receive the support
of the practical statesman, but at the re-
quest ola mum Der of leading physicians of
the State, ! propose to conflne myself to one
subject-the public health.
The idea OF attaching a Department of
Health to the State and National govern
ments may be new to us In Mississippi, but
it is not new TO the thinking and reasoning
world. In the old governments Of Europe
notably in our ewn mother country, Eng
land-there ia, and for long time has been
a we'll regulated health organization, reach
ing down through all the grades of society,
from the crown to the most obscure indl-
vidual. There the Commissioners of Health
have as much authority and are as much
respected in their line of duty as the heads
of any other department Of the government
even the ministry itself. Accumulated ex-
perience has proven to the statesmen OF those
old countries in which civilization has
reached It's highest development, the |
great importance to the well-being of the /
people OF thorough and systematic study |
of the laws OF health and disease. Skilled |
observers are employed by the government |
to study the health of the people, TO keep a |
registration of marriages, births and deaths,
and to write In every Instance the cause OF
death and the supposed cause of disease.
It is a requirement. of law that this shall be
done, and it prevails In every nook and cor
ner of the land. These reports, coming
from city and farm, from hamlet and viii
lagc, from hills and valleys, from seabOrd
and from the interior. find their way to the
office Of the medical philosopher, and are
there sifted, weighed and com pared. Out
Of the facts thus accumulated he makes
medical statistics and publishes them for the
study of the medical profession everywhere.
As might be supposed, this is a most fruit
full source of Information to the practitioner
Of medicine. Out OF the facts thus collect
5u bF+oks WrttJoH ana circulated
throughout the land.
Is it not time that the United States
should advance step In this direction ?
And, although, from the peculiar form Of
our national government, the central power
may not be as strong to enact and enforce
The necessary laws as In England, yet In
BUR capacity as States, all can be done that
will be required. We do not lack education
and learning In point of intelligence and
cultivation we can match the old world man ,
'Or man; but we do lack organization and J
system. These can be had IL we will only :
Try. With country embracing every vari-
ETY. of soil and climate, we occupy the r
inest field for medical observation on the !
globe :
To say that the welfare and happiness of !
community depend in greater measure I
Ipon the health of the inhabitants than up [
IN any other circumstance or condition, I
would be to repeat pointless and common
place platitude. In spite Of all other sur
and advantages IL Is impossible 4
or sick community to thrive. And yet,
Is far as any united effort on the part OF the a
public in preventing disease and preserving
lealth Is concerned, nothing has been n
lone. The suggestions of a few isolated \
physicians, gratuitOusly given, and often J
rudely considered, constitute the sum to. \
al of our efforts in this direction. What we q
need IL system. :
In my next communication, with your
consent, will give the details of my idea
# an efficient medical organization, and '
kC.nlN
nd criticism of my Fellows" OF the I
Medical nrofessitn EANVrAprAN