The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-28
THE CITY COUNCIL.
The Health and Dog Ordinances re
ceiye AttentiOn---Dr. Craig's
Report Placed on File..-Mr.
Dimick's Offer Re-
inpfnd
Official Report.}

| (0ficial Report)
Cry COUNCIL ROOM, Rock ISLAND,
Feb. 27.-The council met at s O'Clock
pursuant to adjournment. Present, the
mayor and all the aldermen except SIN
net The reading of the minutes of the
previous meeting was dispensed with.
Consideration of the new municipal code
was resumed with the chapter entitled
Health, which, though revised, contain
ed the section authorizing compulsory
vaccination, in order that action might be
taken toward sustaining or repeating this
power Alderman Bennett moved to
amend the first section by providing
board of health, of three members in>
stead of health commissioner, The
amendment was lost:
Ayes-Stengel, Bennett, Farrell, Cavao
uaugh-4
Noes -Lafrenz, Henry. Ladders, Col
Inns, Briggs, Larkin, Gary, Edwards,
Schroeder-9.
The section was then adopted. When
the second section was read Alderman
| Bennett moved to strike out the sentence
giving fun powers" to the commissioner.
and insert instead to report to the city
! council. The section was 50 modified.
Successive sections were approved pn~
! til section 8, authorizing compulsory vac>
Cination in emergencies, was reached aud
Alderman Henry moved It's adoption
Alderman Bennett moved rs an ameud
ment that it be stricken out. The amends
ment was lost:
Bennett, Farrell, Lidders
Noes StengeI, Lafrenz, Collins, Lar
kin, Briggs Cary, Henry, Cavauaugh
Edwards, SchrOeder-10.
And the section was approved the orig
nal motion being adopted.
On motion Of Alderman Briggs
speeches were limited to five minutes, no
alderman to speak second time on the
same subject.
| Alderman Lakin then moved to recon-
slider the order to consider the ordinance
section by section and proceed with the
reading until interrupted for amendment
Alderman Bennett raised point Of order
| that motion could not be rcconsidcred
when partly executed. This point was
ovcrrued by the mayor and the motion
was adopted;
Ayes --Stengel, Lafrenz, Collins, Ler
kin, Briggs, Cary, Schroeder.
Nocs-Bennett, Farrell, Henry, Ladders,
Cavanaugh, E5wards-6.
On completion Of the reading Alderman
Henry moved its adoption. Aldermen
Bennett and Cavanaugh requested that
the ordinance be laid over for for final
action till the next regular meeting. The
mayor ruled the request out of order, this
not being an ordinance but a chapter of
an ordinance. The health chapter was
then adopted:
Aycs-Stengcl, Lafrcnz, Farrell, Hen
ry, LADDERS Collins, Briggs, LarkIn, Cary,
Edwards, Schroeder-1l.
Noes-Bennett, Cavanaugh-2.
Alderman Henry brought up the report
of DR.. G. G. Craig, health commissioner
of an inquiry as to the efficacy of vaccin-
alton in controlling small pOX in cities Of
over 10000 inhabitants, embodying the
original replies to inquiries, and suggest
ed that the clerk read the same during
consideration Of section 0 Of the chapter
on health. On motion Of Alderman Ben>
nett the report itself was ordered embod>
led in the minutes, as follows:
The foregoing testimony Of eighty
five of the most prominent health officers
in the United States is the most valuable
in my opinion that could possibly be obs
tanned.
All of them occupying official positions
of trust, show the confidence in which
they are held in their respective homes.
by the people who best know them.
sent out from this Office one hundred and
forty>fye circulars, and have reported
every reply received TO this date.
Nothing has been suppressed, whether
favorable or unfavOrable to my own po-
sition upon this question. You will no
tice that those who have had the most
experience are the most positive in their
recommendation of vaccination. Taking
all this testimony, as a whole | arrive at
the following conclusions:
In the management of small poX cpl
denies it is not advisable to rely wholly up
on isolation, quarantine. cleanliness, disin
lection, fumigation, or any or all means
combined, exclusive of vaccination.
These measures are valuable as adjunCts,
but vaccination is our sheet anchor, upon
which we must mainly rely.
Recent vaccination, properly aud thor
oughly performed, will afford complete
protection against an attack of small p0Y.
TO ascertain whether or not it is thor,
oughly done, it is proper that the system
should be tested by repeated vaccinations,
!, with unquestionably good and active
virus, every few years, or upon any out
break of small pox. If it is not necesSa-
nv, it will do no harm, as it will
not even make sore, and, as
individuals vary in their susceptibility
to the disease, no limit of time can be
fixed with accuracy, as to when the opcr-
alton should be repeated,
Serious evil results need not follow vaco
: cination, and do not with ordinary care.
The ulcers which sometimes occur when
bovine virus is used, can be readily caus-
cd to heal, by cleanliness, touching occa~
> si0nally with strong solution of nitrate
2 of silver, and dressing with carbolizcd
, ointment, or, if inaammatory, with poul
tees
, | think, however, and so suggested
four years ago to the secretary Of the Hi.
| nois State Board of Health, that the prop
q agation of vaccrine should be under OIL
cial supervision, for it is highly improper
, and unjust, that vaccination should be
held responsible for result occasioned by
= the filthiness, greed, ignorance, or care
lessness Of the propagation think every
! city and state should use its influence
with congress to accomplish this object
and have no doubt but that general and
n united action would be successful.
Should u small pox epidemic prevail o.
c threaten, vaccination is the only safety
Small pox can be wiped out by vaccina
ton just as surely and as efficiently
II as you can put out a fire by remov
J. ing the fuel All cities should have
# ordinances giving to the health officer
! the power to treat an epidemic of this
disease intelligently and with vigor. Vac
e cination should be compulsory in infect
g ed localities The rights of the individ
q ual cease where those of the public begin
No mans within should be held as sa
cred as the life and property of his neigh
I I