Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-01-05
AMERICAN PUBLIC HEATH AS.
SOCIATlON.
The Meeting at New Orleans.
The Quarantine Question.
No. /.

NO. i.
Mr.. EDITOR: Being solicited by
several citizens to write something
for. your paper concerning the meet
ings of the American Public Health
association, and also those of the
quarantine convention, which met in
New Orleans recently, L propose to
furnish you a series of short paper s
on the subject, as I may snatch time
to pencil them.
These meetings were attended by
B. B. Lenoir, DIR. JAS. Rogers, Col.
J. W. Gaut and your humble ser~
vant-representative members and
delegates from Knoxville.
First, I will say that the qarantine
convention was entirely separate and
distinct from the American Public
Health association, but being called
for local and special purpose, and
being composed mostly of those who
were also delegates to the latter, it's
sessions were necessarily y sandwiched
between those of the American Pub.
lie Health association.
However, its general Importance
had great significance, and did not
fail to elicit profound interest from
members from every state, as will be
seen hereafter.
The American Public Health asso-
ciation held it's first meeting in 1873,
at Cincinnati, O., and was organized
by some of the most able physicians,
learned sanitarians, scientists and
philanthropists of the nation, who
may justly be called the pioneers of
this great movement for previous to
this time there had been no effective,
organized effort for promoting the
public health in America. Only one
Or two state boards existed, and but
very few municipal boards outside of
the largest cities, and these were
ephemeral, passing away with the
pressing necessity or excitement
which gave them birth.
These were sometimes inefficient,
often mischievous because of incom-
potency, and want of preparation
and the intelligent application of
proper means.
Now there are few states in the
union, if any, and scarcely town of
5000 to 1000 inhabitants, but have
boards of health well organized and
at earnest work under state and
municipal laws.
Such an army Of dilligent laborers
could not fail to produce important
results, especially in q cause so mo-
mentous as that of improving and
conserving the health and strength
of the people Of a great nation.
Since 1878 the meetings of the as
sociation have been held, consecutive
ly, at New York, Philadelphia, Baltis
more, Boston, Chicago, Richmond.
Va, Nashville and New Orleans.
The meeting for 1881 is appointed
to be at Savannah, Ga.
A noticeable feature is the great
interest in this organization exhibited
by the people at large and the liber-
ality of the various railroads in giving
passes and rates is highly to be com
mended (among them the E. T., Va.
& Ga. and connecting lines are de-
serving Of special mention, and con-
trlbuted to the success of the meet
ing), for the members, now number
ing over 1000, contribute their time
and pay all their expenses out of
their own pockets, with the exception
of a very few who are sent by some
cities as delegates, and some repre-
sentatives of the national board of
health and the army. Whatever
representation Knoxville has had in
these meetings has been entirely
gratutous. A. B. TADLoCK.