Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-02-03
VuhDaoArED.
the STATE Boara 81 nsai.A aaa a. sse-
Fetary.


TSt1e Eff~ q sse Register.
trust may be allowed to express mY
qualification at the triumphant vindieation
Of himself and the State Boerd OF Health,
By Dr. James f. Reeves, in his letter TO the
REGISrER Of the 10th ult,
Il is evident that the attacks which have
recently been made upon the Doctor by
some Of your correspondents. are the result
Of malice on the part Of one
or two so-called medical gentlemen
who have had the misfortune to tall
under the condemnation Of the Board OF
Health
That the State Board may not have made
some mistakes, or that the Secretary is in
iauhble. has not been claimed BY any one
But, that good work has been done tor
the State, through this agency, must be
manifest to every one who has given even
cursory examination to the official reports.
Let few facts be stated. "A large amount OF
valuable information on sanitary subjects has
been brought before the public and scattered
broadcast throughout the State, by the
BOard--chieay through the agency OF the
seeretaEy-by means Of its reports, and
other writings. Not little has been done
towards stamping out and excluding cpl
denies. Considerable has been done In the
way Of suppressing quaekery in the medical
profession, and securing greater competen-
cy on the part of druggists. And the pros
psel is, that in the future, the Board will be
able to eject much in excluding epIdem-
les from the State, particularly that
terrible scourge, the Asiatic cholera. The
Board mas been sneered at, by the quscks.
for giving its attention to veterinary sub
iects. Bat why not? Does not the sup
preston OF disease among the lower order
Of animals relate directly to public hea thu
All this, aRd much more, has been accom-
pIshed through the operation Of "a law Sc
cured from the Legislature of West Fir-
ginia, chiefly through the agency of the de-
rided Secretary. The wisdom of this law is
manifest from the fact that it has attracted
the attention Of the medical profession
in many other States OF the Union, aud has
received very high commentator from
different medical associations; and, if l
mistake not, has been adopted, in its lead
ing features, by several States, and incorpo-
rated in the body Of their sanitary laws.
The Secretary Of the State BOARD, Ike
many Others, has his peeulisrities OF temper.
ament, for which every body does not know
how to make proper allowance; but what
ever may be said of him in this respect,
il must be admitted that he has
been working. and working hard in the line
of public welfare. Il Is believed that even
his own health has been seriously impaired
BY his severe labOrS in this direction. 1t
affords me pleasure to speak Of DIR. Reeves
as well educated, intelligent and skillful
physician. Every man who, in any sense,
assumes the role Of reiormer, must expect
in some degree to become the target OF
envy, hatred. malice and unchsritable-
ness. Generally he has to
wait all after years for
his full yiHdication. But sooner or later his
yindieation will come
In view Of the foregoing considerations it
is hoped that the Legislature will be dis
posed to make such prompt aud reasonable
appropriations from time TO time as the
Board may deem necessary to carry on its
good work so favorably begun. The only
wonder is that it has been able already to &C
complish so much with so hight draft on
the public purse.
have only to say ip conclusion that this
communication is made without solicitation
on the part Of the Secretary, and even with
out his knowledge. Possibly he may sus-
pect its authorship, but he cannot say GER
tainly who the writer is that now steps forth
in the cause of truth and Justice TO vindieate
worthy citizen and a man Of public spirit
from the malicious attacks Of few IN
principled qascks, WHEELING.
February 2, 1885.