Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-04
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
keports of the RetirIsx Secretary, DIR.
Clark, and the, New Secretary,
DIR. Fife.
Reports OF DIR. ThOrntos, OF Memphis.
as 10 the smaIipOx and ON
Abattoirs.,

Special Correspondence Of the Appeal
NASHVILLE, Jspuary 2.-The Tennessee
State Board OF Health met in quarterly ses-
sion to-day at IL As o'clock am. The fol-
lowing members were present: DR.. 4. A..
Atchinson, president, Nashville; Dr.. J. D..
Plunkett, vice president, Nashville; DIR. G..
B. Thornton, Memphis; DIR. p. D. Sims,
Chattanooga, and DIR. james NJ. Stafford,
Nashville. Col. E. w. Cole was absent,
owing to the serious illness Of a relative.
Col. John johnson, OF Memphis, was also
absent DR.. W. N. Clark, the retiring secre.
tary, and DR.. c. c. Fite, the secretary elect,
were also present.
REPORT OF THE RETIRING SECRETARY.
The report of Dr. Clark, the retiring sec
retsry, was then read. II was found to be
very interesting address. He notes the facts
that smallpox was reported at Holt's Corner,
tin, October 10th; at Shelbyville, October
9Th; at Milan, November Sd. DR.. Clark
made az stroug fight ss be could against
the spread OF the disease; 30 emiuently did
be contest it, that he became inoculated with
the virus and had 10 stop his labors. In his
report be also says: 81 received about The
1st of November, a postal from DIR. BOYD,
health officer Of Knoxville, announcing it's
pre- esence in a family near there.
and at the last report I had from
him there were four cases. Since
then DR.. Fite has conducted the correspond
ence, and his report will emoody the parlicu.
lars Of that case as well as at tSouth Pi,sburg,
where he went at my request aud at their
call. / also received letters from Messy
Greek announcing its presence at thai place,
but as DR.. Fife conducted the correspondence
leave that report also to him. Tne number
Of cases OF smallpox In Williamson county
to date is Sc, including Fiat Creek, s, 4
fatal; franklin, 4S, 8 fatal, 19 conhueni, in
bed at this time and the remainder conva-
lescing."
DR.. FITE's REPORT.
The report OF DIR. c. G. Fife, 8 cretary aud
executive officer Of the Board OF Health, was
read. He gave resume OF the meeting of
the American Public Health Association at
Indianapolis, which hs attended. In his re-
port he paid the following deserved compli.
ment TO Or. Thornton, Of your city: "Dr.
Thornton's paper on the negro mortality of
Memphis was regarded as one of the most
valuable contributions 10 the meeting and
was freely discussed. A copy of the paper
has been received and placed on file in this
office"
DIR. THoRNToN's REPORT.
DR.. g. b. Thornton made report of the
cases of smallpox in Memphis in October,
Novsaabsr- -D4aambsr, and slso a full
report for 1882. In Shelby county there
were 800 patients admitted 10 the pesthouse;
OF these go had never been vaecinaled, and
the death rate among them was 81 per cent,
while among those who had been ysccin-
ated early in life the death rate was only 26
per cent. DR.. Thornton was appointed on
the committee to settle with the secretary in
place of Col. johnson, absent.
rxTrop rnprrS
At the afternoon session DIR. c. c. Fite pre-
sented his bond as secretary and executive
officer for the ensuing five years, DR.. r. F.
Evans and the Hon. Edmund Cooper, of
Shelbyville, and Mr.. L. B. Fite, of this city,
becoming his bondsmen.
DR.. Thorn'on's report on dbattoir was 70
ferred 10 the Committee on Public alton.
DIR. Plunktt, chairman of The Committee
on the Transmission of Tuberculosis, stated
that he had not ye. secured sufficient data TO
make report. He was, upon motion, grant.
ed further time.
DIR. Stafford suggested that it should be or
dered that all reports be ready for publica-
tion by the October meeting.
There WAS discussion as to the proposed
matter of legislation. After which the whole
question was referred to the Committee on
Epidemics, who were instructed 10 report in
the morning.
The question of smallpox was then taken
up. DR.. F. d. Sims, of Chattanooga, gave a
history of epidemics in that city, and the
methods adopted by their board 10 repress
the disease.
The 9nsatio. on the management of small
pox and the points developed in discussion
were referred to the Committee on Epidemic
Diseases.
The board then adjourned until 10 o'clock
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