The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1883-09-07
AN ORDINANCE
To Promote the Health of the city, Ia
Create and Establish Board OF
Health, and to Define tho
Powers and Duties OF

Health, and 10 Dehne tho
Powers and Duties OF
the same.
Section l. BE IL ordained by the City Council
Of the city OF San Antonio that thore be, and
IL hereby, created and established, In aud for
the city, a department 10 be known as The
Board OF Health" 10 consist OF fve members,
to-wit; The Mayor and City Physician TO be
eN-ofiioio members of the said Board, and three
citizens, who shall be physicians in good stand
ing, and graduates OF some regular medical
college, TO be appointed by the Mayor and con-
nrmed by the Council They shall elect one OF
their own members to preside at their meet
ngs who shall be styled the President of the
Board of Health"
Board shall hold office tor one year, or until
their SUCCESSORS have been appointed and quail
fled, unless removed by tue city Council for
pointed under this ordinance shall hold office
until March 1, 1886, and all vacancies shall be
nlled for the unoXpired term only. They shall
qualify by taking the constitutional oath OF
Office. Any failing To qualify within ~ days
after the appointment shall be- deemed ohave
declined the Office, and ~ new appointment
shalt be made. Three members will constitute
quorum Tor transaction of business, pro-
ylded all members nre notified of the meeting.
section .. The Board shall be PROVIDED by
the Council with suitable Office, which shall
be known as the heath office In which they
shall hold their meetings at least once month,
Or rs often as the pubic health may require,
or when called together by the President or
any four 90 members of the Board. The meet
ings shalt be public, and their records open
to ALL
section 4. The Board of Health are subject
to general ordinances of the Council. They
shall have general supervision Of all matters
appertaining to the sanitary condition of the
city, including the city hospital, jail, alma
house, schools and all health Institutions and
shall zee that all the sanitary ordinances of the
city are strictly enforced.
Section .. The Board shall on or before the
first day of March of each year make an annual
report Of the affairs Of the health department
re nS OF .he G S PseSn ana All other her
matters under their charge, at the same time
furnish detailed statement of the amount
| of money that VIII be required Tor the depart
ment during the ensuing fiscal year; ana the
| Council may provide for the raising of such
amount, or so much thereof rs in their judy
ment may be necessary. This money shall
| constitute the health fund. All expenditures
| shall be subject to approval by the Council in
/ the same manner as all other branches OF the
| city government.
Section q. The assistant clerk of the city
| shall perform the duties of the secretary of the
/ Board, and shall keep AL ita records books anu
| papers, and perform such other duties us may
| be prescribed by said Board.
| section T. Whenever notice shall have been
| given to the Board that any public building Is
| unfit for habitaton by reason of being infected
| with disease liable to be contagious, they may
communicate such fact to the Mayor, who
| shall issue an order to be served upon the
owner, agent or lessee, requiring ali persons
| to vacate, and within "A hours, or sooner, the
| building must be vacated.
section 8. Every physician In the city shall
| report TO this Board In writing, Immediately
after his first professional visit, every patient
| he shalt have labOrinH under the Following
| diseases: Typhoid, typhus, yellow fever,
Asiatic cholera, smallpox or other contagious
| or infectious diseases, and every death from
such disease Immediately after 1t shall haYe
| occurred.
| in person or in writing, TO this Board the names
! OF all the inmates of his or her house whom
/ he shall have reason to believe sick OF typhoid,
| typhus, yellow fever, cholera, smallpox or any
| other contagious disease he might consider
dangerous TO the public health. The Superin-
| tendent of Public Schools shall In like manner
| notified locations 4 gOutaUiOua ulspaspe.
and should he ind any attendant in the schools
who reside In said houses, he will refuse them
| admttance to the public schools. only readmit-
| ting them again upon presenting Il certificate
from the Health Board that there was no lon
ger danger from contagion.
Section 10. No person shall use, or hire or
| permit any others to use without consent of
| the Board of Health, any public vehicle which
| has been driven or uGed tor the conveyance or
removal of any person afflicted or dead with
smallpox.
Section IL. When case of smallpox, Asiatic
| cholera or yellow fever is reported to the
Board of Health, the City Physician shall imme-
diately visit the premises where the person is,
| and, upon personal inspection, shall cause a
yellow flag to be erected in a conspicuous
| place upon the premises, the same to remain
| during continuance OF disease.
Section II. NO person shall remove asmallpoX
| patient without consent OF the City Physician.
lie may, with the approval of the Board, cause
removal to the smallpox hospital, or such
| other place as the Board may designate.
Section ID. The Chief of Police may, upon
application of this Board, detail not to exceed
| -FOUR OF ILe icRulhT FORCE 10 act as neultn
and sanitary inspectors, one for each ward. II
shall be their duty to report all violations of
city ordinances detrimental TO public health,
all CUTTERS or sewers that may not be In good
| order, or have become foul. Also all prvies,
| standing water or stagnant pools TO cause the
removal OF all dead animals, garbage and filth,
with low feYers or any kind OF epidemic, re-
| port all persons VINO are using the streets as
sewers, emptying slops and refuse therein, and
20 see that they are brought before the Re
cOrder, and made to understand, through PEN
altes imposed, that they cannot persist In such
acts. III TINS Board lind the city ordinances do
not reach all such cases, they will ask the
Council to make rules that will have the de-
sired effect
Section II. The board shall cause to be kept
in their Office record of ali births, deaths and
lnterments In said city, which shall be open for
the inspection OF any person during Office
hours. Physicians failing 10 make said report
shall be lined by ordinance.
Section %. No person shall inter any human
body IN this city without having first obtained
and filed at the Health office Il certificate
signed by n physician or coroner, setting forth
Us near as possible name, age, sex, color, place
of birth, occupation, date locality and cause OF
DEATH and obtain thereupon burial permit
Nor shall anybody be dieinterred without a
shall see that no dead body be allowed In any
receiving vault for II longer period than 81
hours; ut the expiration of said time 1t must be
buried. They shall also see TO IL that all bodies
OF all persons nine years and over be Inferred In
grave not less than six feet deep, OR II undcr
that age the grave bc not less than five % feet
asecton 10. City Sections and superintendent
OF Cemeteries must, once week, each Mon.
day make returns to the office OF the Board OF
Health names OF all persons deposited in then
respective cemeteries during the preceding
! week.
Section H. a railroad or any other company
transporting dead body without u permit
from the city, or bringing one into the city
who may have died OF contagion, is guilty Of
serious misdemeanor, and shall be prosecu
ted, unless the said body died while In transit
TO this city, when immediate notice must be
given to the Board of Health, otherwise the
penalty will be incurred
Section IL. In case of n serious epidemic, the
Board may meet and adjourn from day L
day, the number increased by an Alderman
from each ward, and for actual service rem
dered during said period, the City Council viii
award additional pay in proportion to amour
of services performed.
Section 10. The Board shall cause TO b,
erected and shall have entire charge of a suit
able vault or morgue, for reception of al
bodies whom IL mny be necessary to hold
post mortem examination upon, Us TO oaus'
OF death.
Section 20. The City Physician In his routine
nt Qha M oil a unEf lnt