St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-10
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Measures They viii Adopt to Prevent Chol

STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Measures They Will Adopt to Prevent Cholera
The regular quarterly meeting of the state
board of health was held in the governors
room at the capitol at 2 o'clock yesterday.
There were present Drs Hand of st. Paul,
Smith of Duluth, Staples of Winona, Davis of
Mankato and Hewitt of Red Wing. After
the reading OF the minutes of the last meet
ing, the secretary reported the work of his
office for the last quarter in detail. The
board then entered into review of the acts
Of the last legislature respecting public health,
and the change thereby affected in the duties
Of the state aud local boards. The first of
these acts considered was that recognizing
the local boards of village, boroughs and
cities upon common basis and with equal
powers, anything in the charter of such vii
lage, city, borough to the contrary notwith-
standing. 1t is required that these boards be
elected on the first Monday of April, 1885. to
be composed of at least three mem bers. one of
whom must be physician and health officer,
their terms of office to be for three wears.
two years and one year respectively, and one
member to be elected annually thereafter
Upon the board so constituted the existing
laws confer all the powers necessary for the
control of infectious diseases of men and of
animals, the regulation of offensive trades.
the guardianship Of the water supply and ali
other powers necessary for the preservation
OF the public health. But these powers are to
be exercised under the general direction of
the state board OF health, especially as regards
infectious diseases of both men and animals,
and the control Of offensive trades
The secretary was instructed to call the at
tention of local authorities to the above re-
quirements and in view of the contingencies
of the coming summer to urge immediate
compliance with the law; also to REQUIRE of
all local boards that they furnish promptly to
the state board the dates of their organiza-
ton, the names, addresses and terms of
service of their members.
HEALTH REGULATIONS.
He was also instructed to furnish further
plans and suggestions for the sanitary in
spection of all towns, cities and villages re-
quired to be made in the month of May,
and to insist upon the speedy and thorough
performance of that inspection as neces-
sary preliminary to thorough sanitary work
this spring. In this inspection the first step
must be the discovery of the location and
character Of all privies or other receptacles
of human excretion, cesspools and collec-
tons, solid or fluid, of other refuse organic
matter; next the relations of such collections
to the water and air supply of every Inhabited
house. 4 simple plan for making record of
such inspection was proposed by the secre-
tary and approved and ordered published by
the board.
The board insist particularly that the
greatest of the dangers to health above
noted is the privy as ordinarily
constructed, and that local boards of health
be directed to insist upon the cleaning and
filing OF all such as are not water-tight
vaults and the substitution therefor of a
cheap and practical above ground structure.
The plan published in the last report of the
board for such construction was approved.
of which description may be procured of
the secretary. For the removal of night soil
and garbage the board recommend the use
Of what is known as the closed tub system
and the organization of regular scavenger
force under the direction of the health
officer. For the disposal of such garbage
upon farming land. In Chicago this is done
upon land preparing for use as public parks
AS TO CEssPOLLs,
which in the absence of a sewer system
are almost a necessity, the board insists that
if used they be surely water tight, that over
flow be prevented, and that they be regularly
cleaned under the direction of the health
officer, it being distinctly understood that if
water closets are discharged into cess pools
they become prvies and should be treated as
such.
After the further discussion of this matter
the board entered into the consideration of
the precautions to be taken against the
POSSIBLE ADVENT OF CHOLERA.
The secretary stated the arrang ements
which he had made with other state health
authorities and with the Canadian boards of
health, Of which the board approved. The
whole subject was carefully gone over in de-
tail and every arrangement perfected for
prompt, and it is believed, successful deal
ing with the disease should it reach Min
nesota.
The secretary was instructed to notify rail-
road and steamboat companies of the regua-
tons of the board as respects the sanitary
condition of depots, grounds, cars and yes
sells.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CATTLE.
Under the law these are now the care of
the local and state boards Of health The
secretary reported the correspondence of the
office and the action of the local boards
where disease exists. Many details of
management were determined upon, and
active measures will be vigorously enforced
until disease is exterminated.
The board adjourned, to meet at the call
of the secretary.