Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-08-23
STATE SANITATION.

or Infectious Diseases.
DR.. George Holman, secretary of the State
present condition and prospects of the State
Board OF Health were, to which he replied:
That the board exists at all is due solely to
the determination Of the present members, in
the face of many difficulties, that it should not
go down. During the existence Of this board,
now more than three years, the state has not
given dollar toward its support; the MEM
bers pay their own travelling and hotel bills,
and, further, contribute each monthly
sum toward meeting its current op-
Grating expenses This will be continued until
next winter when the Legislature may, if it
sees fit, either give sufficient means to carry it
on properly or repeal the law.
'Why was not the organization abandoned
under such unfavorable circumstancesr'
''The board regarded the sanitary interests
Of the State as being far too important to be SO
sacrificed; besides the advantage of maintain
ing such an organization, even if in a crippled
condition, is considerable, as. if the law were
suffered to lapse years OF effort might be re-
quired to effect reorganization and put it
again in working order
What is the sanitary condition of the States
Are the people generally prepared to meet and
tight epidemics effectually."
ITO find out just what the condition in this
respect is / recently sent to the county clerk
OF every county a circular with the following
questions:
/. Is there County Board of Health now in
existence in your county, If yes, when was it
organized and under what law?
2. Who compose the board at present and
who are its officers.
8. Is there health officer for your county,
II SO, please give his name.
4. Are there any subordinate or auxiliary
boards Of health in your county, as city, town
or township boards!
5. What compensation, if any, is allowed
members of the County Board of Health and
health officer. if such officials exist in your
county, and how is payment OF such provided
fors
8. What is the sentiment of your people in
regard to q County Board of Health? II one
now exists, is public opinion favorable to its
continued existence with necessary financial
support:
If none exists. is public opinion favorable
to the organization and maintenance Of such a
body!
"Replies have been received from every
county in the State, and from the information
thus collected it appears that there are county
health officers in six counties only, namely:
St. Charles Clay, Pettis. Moniteau, Buchan-
an and Schuyler, and in several OF these
counties as Pettis and Schuyler, there are,
in addition, county boards of health. From
the same sources it was learned that local
boards of health exist in the cities of Sedalia,
St. Charles, Jefferson City, Cape Girardeau,
Warsaw, Washington, KirksvilIe, Fulton,
Osceola, Moberly, Hannibal, Carthage, Beth
any, Neosho, Chillicothe, Oregon, Lancaster,
Edna, Shelbina and, probably, Rolla. I have
written to the mayor OF each OF those Cities
asking information regarding the names of OFF,
GERS and members of these boards, how long
organized, and the law authorizing their crea-
ton, their powers and duties under such law,
ETC., and thus far have received replies from
the eight first named cities, which represent
these bodies to be in fairly efficient state Of
organization.
s.All the health officers of counties have also
Of al inf "a
tion as to their official powers and duties, ETC..
but thus far only DR.. Trade, OF Pettis County,
has responded.
'In reply to question No. 6. especially the
concluding inquiry whether public opinion is
favorable to the organization and maintenance
of county boards of health, the clerks OF Greene,
Knox, Lawrence, Livingston, Maries Ripley,
st. Louis and Schuyler Counties gave an un-
qualified Yes while an unqualified No came
from DeKalb, Dunklin, Laclede. Lincoln, Pu-
IasSl, Randolph Wright and Crawford in answer
to the same question.
ION the same point a qualified Yes came
from Audrain. Benton, Butler, Cape Girar-
ieau. Clark. Grundy, Holt, Marion, St. Clair,
Sullivan, fancy and Texas counties; and a
qualified No from the clerks of Andrew,
Barry, Boone, Carter, Cass, Clay, Daviess,
Douglas, Gasconade, Iron, Lewis, Linn,
Madison, Miller, Mississippi. Monroe, Nor
gan, Oregon, Usage, Shelby, Washington and
Wayne.
''In many counties the clerks were unable
to say what the state of public opinion was on
this question, the list being follows: Adair,
Atchison. Barton Bates, Bol1inger, Buchanan,
Caldwell, Galloway. Camden, Cedar Charitan,
Christian, Clinton, Cole, Cooper. Dallas. Dent,
Franklin, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Howard,
Howell. Jackson, Jefferson, Mcdonald, Macon,
Mercer New Madrid, Newton, Nodaway, Ozark,
Penscot. Perry, Pettis, Pike. Platte, Polk, Put
nam. Rails. Ray, Reynolds, ST. Charles, ST.
Francois, Ste. Genevieve. Saline, Scotland,
Scott. Shannon, Stoddord, Vernon and Web
Ster.
1.-THE clerks Of Carroll, Dade, Gentry, Jasper,
Johnson. Lafayette, Moniteau, Montgomery,
Phelps. Stone, Warren and Worth made no at
tempt to answer this question one way or an
Jther."
HAS any county board been organized be-
cause of an outbreak Of diseases"
Eyes in Schuyler County, where smallpox
prevailed to a considerable extent last winter
and to the question asked positive yes is
given: but equally positive no comes from
Randolph County. whose principal city-Mober'
ly-has but recently been freed from vista
ton of smallpox, in which upwards of fifty peo'
pie were affected. and trade and travel much
deranged and Inconvenience. They were so I'm.
prepared for such an occurrence that the city
authorities were compelled to send for DR.
Grindon. of st Louis, to take charge of affairs
and act as health officer until the outbreak was
subdued, as result his active and Intelligent
management"
what is the probability of an epidemic Of
smallpox in the State next winterT'
''The indications are that it will prevail
more or less severely over a considerable ter.
ritory. not only in this State, but elsewhere: g
series of localized outbreaks having already
occurred IN different parts of the country thi:
year"
what precautions should be takens'
'tBoards of health should be organized il
every county and town, and be in readiness tt
work the moment danger to public health from
any source IS feared. They should be at worl
whether an epidemic threatens or not a!
thorough sanitation is the best safeguard
against the more commonly fatal dis
eases. There is no law compelling the forma
| ton of such bodies. but the Legislature SHOULD
| supply the omission the next session, as Their
| are probably not fewer than eighty counties il
the State in which such being. health official
either Of county. city or town, is entirely Tn
| known Some counties and towns thus stu
| ated seem inclined to pride themselves OF
| their healthfulness. when. IL such is tn
| fact It can only be demonstrated by an accu
| rate return of all the deaths with their causes
| Probably not less than $1,000 deaths occu
yearly in Missouri. and not more than one
| fourth OF them are reported or the causes as
whether the State is healthy or not until i'm
provement is made in its sanitary officials an
! organization"
The LIE Moyne school for coloret
children at Memphis, Tenn, is a mod
ell one. apparently. A visitor describ
ing it says: Imagine hundred an
twenty-five white children up Nortl
remaining quiet without teacher Il
| ~ r.,