The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-10-09
The state Board Of Health.


known a larger amount Of miSrepresenta-
ton crowded in as little space as in the
communication copied elsewhere from
the Corinth Record arraigning the State
Board Of Health The Board Is charged
with neglect of duty in not giving timely
warning of the approach of the yellow
fever and not recommending Precautlon-
airy measures against it. The writer
says he knows OF none. The assertion
proves his lack Of information more than
his knowledge Of the real facts.
The Law provides for the election of
County Boards Of Health, by the Boards
Of Supervisors, and for the creation OF
local Boards Of Health by the authorities
Of Incorporated towns. 1t was expected
that these county and city Boards being
in direct communication with the people,
would take cognizance Of health matters
pertaining to their respective localities,
and report TO the State Board such mat
tiers as are prescribed by law, and re-
ceive instructions and advice pertaining
thereto.
Soon after the passage Of the amendment
to the Board of Health law by the last
| Legislature, DR.. Writ Johnston. the able
and vigilant Secretary and Executive
Officer Of the Board. mailed to the adj
dress Of the President of the Board Of
Supervisors in each county in the State,
a circular letter calling his attention to
the section Of the law that provides for
the election of County Boards, and re
questing him to inform his office Of the
names and postofice address of the
members when elected. With this
circular another one was sent, addressed
to the County Board of Health request
ing them to meet and organize and report
to the State Board. Two copies of the
law were also sent, one for the use Of the
Board of Supervisors, the other for the
County Boards Of Health
Twenty nine County Boards reported,
and an elaborate set of Sanitary Rules
were sent to each for adoption. Alcorn
county has Board of Health, and the
President resides, we believe, at Corinth.
Not waiting Tor the local Boards to
act, soon after the yellow fever made its
appearance in New Orleans, when only
few cases were officially reported by
the Secretary of the Louisiana State
| Board Of Health, as early as July 30th
to August ID, letter was sent by the
same officer of our State Board to the
Mayor Of each Of the incorporated towns
on the G. St. T.. and n. O r. r. from
Osyka to Canton, and on the Mississippi
River from Fort Adams to Greenville,
suggesting the organization of Boards of
Health and the establishment Of quaran
tines. These points were selected because
they were in most danger Of being infec-
ted. Such letter was sent to the late
President of the Warren County Board
who resided in Nicksburg, on the 9th of
July-to the Mayors of Grenada and
Greenville on the I'd of August On
August the 18th, when the fever had
spread in New Orleans a circular letter,
advising the organization of a Board of
Health, and the adoption of sanitary
measures, was mailed to the Mayors of
every incorporated railroad and river
town in the State. If any were omitted |
it was an oversight. And later, on
August the 26rh whom 1T vvos discovered |
that some communities outside of juris !
diction Of incorporated towns were
circular letter was ad |
dressed by DR.. Johnston to the President |
of each County Board of Health, and in
the absence of such an organization, to |
the President of the Board of Supervi
sors, earnestly recommending" the |
quarantine of entire counties, and many |
counties are now rigidly quarantined and
successfully protected against the cpl
among the number,
we are glad to mention the good counties
of Yazoo and Rankin, both of which are
surrounded by the pestilence, but are
unscathed by it. A circular prescribing
and urging their use, was
also freely distributed.
The question is asked: ''Was it the
duty of the Health Board to picket our
frontiers and quarantine our seaport
towns?' After a careful inquiry We can
discover no such power conferred by the
law; and if it was, there is no provision
to meet the expenses. The sea coast
counties of Harrison, Hancock and Jack
son have Boards of Health which were
under a law approved i'll March,
1876, and it is provided in the State
Board of Health law, that it shall not
'epeaI the provisions of the law relating
o those counties.
This statement of undeniable facts is
complete refutation of the charges of {
he anonymous assailant of the State {
Board. They show that warning was
given of the approach of danger even c
before Grenada became infected, and it e
5 believed that DR.. Johnston, Secretary c
f the Board, was the first to telegraph i
throughout the State information in re b
ard to the disease in that town. The t
State Board of Health law gives no au- d
hority TO establish guarantees except as
. infected households. Section 2739,
;ode 1871, confers power on the G
'oards of Supervisors and to incorpo
ated towns the power to quarantine; but