The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1883-09-11
AN ORDINANCE
To Promote the Health Of the city, to
Create and Establish Board OF
Health, and to Define the
Powers and Duties of

Powers and Duties OF
the same.
Section !. BE Il ordained by the City Council
OF the city OF San Antonio. that there be. and
e hereby, created and established, in aud for
Board OF Health" TO consist OF 1--WE members.
to-wit The Mayor and City Physician TO be
eN-oficio members of the said Board. and three
citizens who she'll be physicians In good stand
ing. and graduates OF some regular medical
college, to be appointed by the Mayor and con-
their own members TO preside at their meet
ings who shall be styled the President of the
section 2. The appointed members of the
Board shall hold office for one year, or until
their successors have been appointed and qual-
cause; provided, that the members first ap-
pointed under this ordinance shall hold Office
until March l, 1885, and all vacancies shall be
hlled for the uneXpired term only. They shall
qualify by taking the constitutional oath of
office. Any falling TO qualify within 10 days
after the appointment shall be deemed have
declined the office, and new appointment
shall be made. Three members win constitute
a quorum for transaction of business, pro-
Section .. The Board shall be provided by
the Council with a suitable Office, which shall
be known as the health Office" In which they
shall hold their meetings at least once a month,
or as often as the pubic health may require
or when called together by the President or
any four ~ members OF the Board. The meet
inRs shall be public, and their records open
Section L. 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, aims
house, schools and all health Institutions and
shall bee that all the sanitary ordinances of the
city are strictly enforced.
Section 5. 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
to the Council, and shall include therein the
report of the City Physician, and all other
mn N ola ag flA lima
furnish detailed statement OF the amount
of money that will be required for the depart
ment during tue ensuing fiscal year; ana the
Council may provide Tor 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 rs all other branches of the
city government.
shall perform the duties of the Secretary of the
Board, and shall keep all Its records, books and
papers, and perform such other duties US may
be prescribed by said Board
Section Z. Whenever notice shall have been
given to the Board that any public building Is
unit for habitation 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 hotirs, or sooner the
building must be vacated.
section =. Every physician In the city shall
report 10 this Board, In writing, Immediately
after his first professional visit, every patient
he shalt have laboring 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 IL shall have
occurred.
Sections. Every householder shall also report.
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 pubic health. The Supern-
tenuent of Public Schools shall in like manner
be notified of locations of contagious diseases,
and should he Nod any attendant In the schools
who reside In said houses, he will refuse them
admittance To the public schools. only readmit-
ting them again upon presenting certificate
from the Health Board that there was no Ion
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 used tor the conveyance or
removal OF any person afflicted or dead with
smallpox.
Section IL. When case of smallpox, Aslatic
cholera yellow fever is reported 10 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 conspicuous
place upon the premises, the same to remain
during continuance of disease.
Section ". No person shall remove asmallpox
patient without consent of the City Physician.
tie may, with the approval of the Board, cause
removal to the smallpox hospital, or such
other place as the Board may designate.
application of this Board, detail not TO exceed
four of the regular police force TO act as health
and sanitary inspectors, one for each ward. II
shall be their duty 70 report all violations of
city ordinances detrimental 10 public health,
all CUTTERS or sewers that may not be in good
order, or have become foul. Also all priyies
standing water or stagnant pools TO cause the
removal OF all dead animals, garbage and nth,
to report any locality that may be infected
with low feyers or any kind OF epidemic, re-
port all persons who are using the streets as
sewers, emptying Stops and refuse therein, and
TO see that they are brought before the Re-
corder, and made 10 understand, through PEN
alties imposed, that they cannot persist In such
acts. IL this Board find 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 TO make said report
shall be fined by ordinance.
Section ID. No person shall inter any human
body in this city without having first obtained
and filed at the Health Office u certificate
signed by 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 u burial permit.
Nor shall anybody be disinterred without a
permit from this office. The Board OF Health
shall see that no dead body be allowed IN any
receiving vault for longer period than ~
hours; ut the expiration OF said time IL must be
buried. They shall also see to II that all bodies
OF all persons nine years and over be inferred In
a grave not less than SIX feet deep, or ~ under
that age the grave be not less than five co. feet
deep.
assertion 10. City Sections and superintendent
OF Cemeteries must, once "A week, leach Mon
day make returns TO the office of the Board of
Health names OF all persons deposited in their
respective cemeteries during the preceding
week.
Section II. A railroad or any other company
transporting dead body without permit
from the CITY, or bringing one into the city
who may have died of Uontagion, 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 viii be incurred.
Section IL. In case of a serious epidemic, tn,
Board may meet and adjourn from day u
| day, the number increased by an Alderman
| from each ward, and for actual service rem
dered during said period, the City Council will
award additional pay In proportion u amoun
| of services performed.
Section 10. The Board shall cause to b,
erected and shall have entire charge of Il suit
| able vault or norgue, for reception of al
bodies whom IL may be necessary to hold
OF death.
Section 90 The City Physician in his ROUTINE
| OF duties shall follow out all directions OF thi
uaWaal