The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-04-27
Sanitary Reform--The State Board o

Sanitary Reform.-The State Board OF
Health.
The State Medical Association is by
law the State Board of Health. The
Executive Committee of this Board
perform all the work of the Board.
Efforts have been made to, induce the
Legislature to enlarge the powers and
the means of this Board so that it
could efectually carry out its plans of
sanitary reform in the State. At tie
last session of the Legislature a bill
favorable to this measure passed one
house, but was killed in the other.
The Board of Health finds itself very
much cramped in its work and efforts
by the meagre appropriation at their
command. The report Of DR.. 3. W.
Taylor, Chairman of the Executive
Committee of this Board, was read at
the State Association last week. This
report contained several ideas and
suggestions that are of interest to
everybody. It urges the Importance
of general vaccination, in view Of the
fact that small pox appears to be
steadily increasing. All sub boards
should provide, in case of the appear
ance of the small pox for complete
isolation. During March a vessel
arrived in Charleston Harbor hav
ing on board three cases of small
poz. There was no provision for pro-
perly quarantining these cases-only
$4,000 being appropriated by the
Legislature for quarantine, which
amount is taken up by the ports of
Charleston, Beaufort and Georgetown.
The Committee wrote to the Governor,
who advised them to use the 5000 ap.
propriated to the Board of Health.
So far no case has occurred outside of
quarantine. The Legislature should
appropriate funds sufficient to secure
an effective quarantine not ouly against
yellow fever, which affects only the
sea coast, but against small pox and
other. epidemics to which the whole
State is liable. The non-appropriatlon
renders the State Board Of Health
almost powerless.
The Association proved its earnest
ness and interest in this matter by
adopting unanimously the following
resolution That We pledge our hearty
cooperation, both as members of this
Association and as individuals, to the
State Board of Health and will do all
in our power to aid in sanitary reform.
At the Banquet Wednesday night
the toast TO the State Board of Health
was responded to by DR.. F. F. Gary,
of Cokesbury, one of the most earnest
and persistent advocates Of sanitary
reform among the profession. As this
subject is one of special interest to the
public, we append the remarks of DR..
Gary:
Mr.. President
The necessity of system of saluta
ry laws for the preservation Of health
was recognized at very early period
in mans history by no less a person
age than the Great Creator himself.
In the books of Moses we find such a
system for the welfare Of the children
of Israel. Such system was not
confined exclusively to the Jewish
race, for in coming down to more re-
cent dates of the history of the world,
as recorded in the works Of Strabo,
Tacitus and others, We find mention OF
sanitary laws. julius Caesar caused
drains to be cut to preserve the health
Of Rome, and forbade the unnecessary
cutting down of the forests. In fact
there is scarcely any nation of people
who have not adopted some measures
looking to this end. The creation,
therefore, of the State Board Of Health
10 South Carolina is no invasion Of the
rights and interests Of her people-no
experiment that we are perpetratlng
at her expense upon the contrary, 1t
is but falling into line aud keeping
step in the progressive march of civil,
izatiou. We follow in the wake of
others, and it is a reflection upon the
scientific culture Of our people that its
creation is so recent The amount of
opposition to the act is still further
reflection upon the wisdom Of our
Legislators. Even after it was organ
lied it was looked upon by some as a
s.Troian horse" We fud the Medi-
cal Committee of the House refusing
to make favorable report upon a bill
to record the vital statistics the very
foundation stone upon which Is reared
all that makes the labors of the Board
reliable aud effective III great degree.
The first year Of its existence the
Board spent but $500, and from this
fact many members said if they did
have no more use for money than
that, it was proof of its ineficlency.
| 1t takes time and experience to get
any system into good and smooth
working condition, and I am happy
to state that under the guidance Of
President Taylor and his associates it
is preparing and maturing plans
which, when carried out to completion
| MIL ,,lace rs side hy side with older