The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-06-22
nTATE R0ARn OF REALIR.

~, tIeetsd PresidspiAAa Dr. Reeves, OF
ohio, Secretary.
The itst regular meeting Of the Board
Of Health of West Virginia took place
yesterday morning in the Executive
Chamber at the Capitol. Present Messrs.
], E, Reeves, OF Ohio county, a. R. Bar.
Der, Of Mason, Or. MO@tt, of Wood,
Dr.. Carpenter, OF Hardy, and Richard.
son, OF Jefferson county, quite a num-
Der Of local physicians were present,
among whom We noticed Drs. B. W. Al
len. George Baird, S. L, JepsOn, @. F.
UiFich, E A. Hildrsth, ], Ii. Pipes, 1, D,
Wilson, Eugene Hogs, < 5. Harvey, E. O.
Myers, A. F, s!ifsl, J, a; Campbell, ], B,
Reed, Of this city, Dfs' Cook and Fisher,
Of Bridgeport, Garrison, Of Wtizel county.
Dr.. Carpenter, Of Hardy county, WAS
made temporary Secretary on motion OF
Dr.. Motif, after which, De-. ] l., Reeves
read the following address OF Welcome
and sdmOpi ion Of duties Combined;
GESTLEMES;-Ths order in which his
excellsnCy, Governor Jackson, has been
pleased 10 write his appointments for the
State Board Of Health, made it my duty,
according to law, to convene you Tor the
purpose Of organization, have chosen
this time and place in order that, at the
earliest possible day, the Board may in.
RuguEale its important work; and | trust !
have not seriously iuConVeuiencsd any OF
you by my exercise o autho'ity,
: To-day We COmuenCs q now Ghaptsr in
the history q West Virginia, and nj
more responsible trust Was ever Conferred
by the State. We arc Confronted with
questions concerning the life, health and
happiness Of the whole people Of West
Virginia; for the law says; 1.-THE Board
shall take C~ognizauCO Of the interests OF
tie life and health Of the Inhabitants OF
the State; and shall make, or Cause 10 be
made, sanitary Investigations aud inquir.
les respecting the Causes Of diseases es.
Peclally Of endemiCs . ID epidemics, and
the means Of prevention; the Sources OF
mortality, and the efects Of localities, EN-.
ploymenls, hsbtts ard circumstances Of
lie on the publioheaith,"
What . broad charge Of duLiea Is therein
contained Nothing, indeed, Ia omitted
Lille and the prosperity ard happiness Of
society,
In no other branch OF the States ser.
vice eau be found the demand Tor such an
amount Of sI -sScrifclng, patient, coupe.
tent labor as the State Board Of Health has
accepted to perform. And why not2
Simply because the Board ls composed ex.
ClusiVeiy OF MEDICAL mon, and that In
every pge oil the world tho mission Of the
medical profession has been regarded as
broad az all humanity, and people OF every
class heva been accustomed 10 look 10
physiCions for Leadership al every step In
advance to protect lie, promote health
and elevRle society,
Look all over our own glorious country!
See the vast number OF Splendid establish.
ments, with towers and spires pointing to
the dominions Of the great God above us,
aud ask, by whom were theae proud mon.
uments Of charity plsnnedP 1.-The ssylums
for the ineaue, tlrfhe deaf and dumb, for
the blind, fr tho feeble. minded, for the
aged and intirm Of both sexes, Tor the siCk
poor Of all Teligious-!hrough whose Ia.
boTa, principally, have such institutions
been erected, and their priceless benefits
conferred upon aocieIy2 Assuredly, phv.
eictsnb! Again, see the large and splsn.
didly equipped army OF active Workers
now engaged In the lsld Of preventative
medicine; leyying their Contributions from
every available channel, using all the
newly discovered meanH Tor tho unfolding
and correct Interpretation Of natU-e's laws,
wrestling bolh dRy aud night, yet noise.
lessIy, with ~ContN9igp, disease and death,
% hospitals, 10 nrisons, IN the palaces Of
the rich, and In tho bowels Of the squsIid
poor where mono butthe all fearChing eye
OF God seeth, and ask, Who are they that
have thus conseCrated their lives, and
pledged their sacred honors for the relist
Of suffering humanity? Tho Snswor again
Ia, physicians!
West Virginia has nnw formally con.
trbuted her quota Of voluDteers 10 the
grand army Of s~anltarianD. Our good
GovOTnor, whose whole heart IL warmly
enlisted in the cauae OF public hygiene,
has made US the advance guard. Soon we
shall have redeties- local boaFds OF heath
in every county Of the State then we shall
be able TO present q well organized effort,
and commence In earliest 10 educate the
people as TO the ClusOs Of diseases and
means Of prevention thus Gndesyoring
10 make the State Board Of Health popular
with and useful to tho DNopIe Of the Safe.
Physicians, VINO havs Riyen attention TO
tho subject, know that by q n:lic, obssr.
vance ofthenow cl.Gslabl!shcd principles
OF hygiene, at least one hsItlha deaths ON.
nually occurring from the four greatest
actors Of mortality-namely: So.Called
"ConsumptiOn," scarlet lever, diphtheria
and enteric or typhoid faver--may be pre-.
vented.
Besides loss Of valuable lives from pre-.
ventsble sickness, 1t lie Estimated that for
every case Of death III a community there
arc shout twenty sick persons who are
non.produCtive, and have 10 be cared for
by somebody, either at the expense OF the
citizen, or by the State. The average, in
loss Of time, medical attendance, medicines
and nursing, 10 about $50 each. And all
this 9 rileling and loss in treasure-not 10
mention the cost Of buryiDg the dead
from igorarce and neglect
Yet, this Is but q part OF the loss 10 the
State. Who can number the Permanent.
", ~hopelessly digabIed In every commu.
nifty whose departure f'om the Standard OF
perfect health Can be directly traced 10
some violation Of the laws Of health! II
we 70 into the State Asylum for the Blind
and Deaf at Romney, We will behold the
inefScable and irremediable penalties In.
tliCled upon helpless children from dlsre.
gard oil hygieniC rules by their parents,
dating either from the lSiIgin room, scar.
lot fever, or d%iphthefiaj aud II Ia a iair es.
tlmste 10 assert that at least 80 per cent OF
these charges tothe state are directly chatg.
able to the causes Just mentioned. Sure.
ly, subjects Of suCn momontous import.
RnCe are worthy Of attention by the STATED
Tho law establishing the State Board Of
Health Is a good one aud II is our duty
10 insure is strict eoiotcenent. lis pro.
visions cover every interest connectet
with the public health, and We must lie
tsSdy t. give advice respecting the in.
Aueote Ct The topography, geology and
climate OF the various parts Of the State
upon the health Of lie C%itizens; thertlAtion
Of drainage and sewerage TO the health Of
families and whole communities; the i'm.
pottanCa OF sanitary arChiiectute IN uubliC