The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-24

HEALTH COMMISSIONER.

Rock Island has got a new toy and i.
now exercising itself as to what manner
OF thing it shall be. We are to have q
bran new Health Commissioner. so the
council in the plenitude of its wisdom
has decreed. and what kind Of man shall
he be? The Mayor has the appointment
and is even now doubling and hesitating
on the important and momentous subject.
AS to qualifications for the position.
opinions are varied. Some worthy citi-
zens, whose ideas are doubtless worthy
OF respect would tell US that in order
to fifty perform his duties and render that
satisfaction which is always demanded
OF our office holders, the Health Commits
sloner should be doctor; no other need
4 apply. They are overwhelmed with the
idea that it takes a course of training in
a medical school to detect an offensive
odor, and only the possessor of a diplo-
ma can abate a nuisance They would
tell Us that none but the profession are
competent to know a soap factory when
they see it, and it takes three years study
! to properly superintend the draining of
swamp.
Why people have got it into their
heads that the Health Commissioner must
be physician is hard to understand. In
St. Louis, Chicago and other places
where they follow the plan which Rock
Island has adopted, and whose system we
have initiated, they do not employ one,
and find they have no need for one A |
good practical man with no professional |
knowledge, but plenty of common sense, has
satisfactorily filed these positions in other
places, and doubtless would now with US.
In fact there are reasons why medical
man would make poor appointment AS
there is only one man, 1T would be necessa-
ry to discriminate between the two schools
OF medicine, and every one knows what
trouble that always makes. Again, it is
important that the commissioner should
have plenty Of time to attend to his duties
and he must be cons family ready and not
liable to be called off by other and private
business. 1t win be necessary to call
heavily upon his time and he must be able
to keep regular Office hours, and this no
doctor can, if he has any considerable
practice to attend to- 1t does not require
any medical knowledge in our com :
missioner, that is a mistaken idea; he
must be man of common sense and prac- |
tical knowledge, and if we are to choose |
between professions, he had better be some +:
thing of LAWYER than doctor. 4
The position is an official one the same 6
as other ones connected with our city, and l
there is a salary attached; it is not an hon {
Orary one or one in which no work must /
De done. There is a good compensation S
70 the officer and he in return is expected I
20 do good work; work which will take | a
good share of his time and which If well t
performed viii certainly prevent him from d
1racticing profession which is SO exact f
ng as medcide a
II any person supposes that the Health t
Commissioner is simply an ornamental t
'fficial who presides over the general health "
1 the city in some occult way and per- G
orms certain indefinite duties in an equally f,
ndefinable manner; having no special c;
york more laborious than drawing his Fl
aiaIy anu SIMPLY superintends sewers and II
ives learned opinions ON miasma and its ii
dect on the human system; he is mis- 2:
sken. The commissioner viii have to n
ave personal knowledge of the con- IL
ition of the streets and alleys, he ca
i'll have to see for himself that al
cad cats are not an outgrowth of our ex- al
ic civilization, and that stagnant water CO