The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-01

present board Is adequate 10 the necessities
OF the service; what is required in the
present anomalous state OF national health
legislation. These are questions Of the mt.
most importance, and demand the most
serious consideration,
WHAT Is REQUIRED TO CORRECT THE PRES.
ENT ANOMALOUS STATE OF THE NATIONAL
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE?
This question is OF momentous import.
anco TO the people OF the United States.
Always mcnaced by yellow fever, and
now threatened with a visitation OF cholera,
the most yirulent since the epidemic OF
lS32-two preventable pestlenCes-
government presents TO the world the
ridiculous spectacle Of having a well organ
ized and competent board OF health desti-
tute OF power or funds, while all the funds
Tor public health duties are placed at the
discretion" Of the President. who turns
that discretion over 10 one oil his subor-
dlnatcs. Thus the powers and duties
OF the national public health service have
undergone successive dilulons, until there
is now nothing left OF once
. vigorous board Of health but the
name and organization; aud Of
an efficient administration Of public health
duties, but such good offices as the Off
cials OF the Treasury may render. The
only remedy for these evils is the passage
by Congress OF law that shall leave moth
ing 10 the discretion oi public officer,
but which shall, in plain and definite Ian.
guage, confer upon a health department
adequate powers, and finnish il with am.
pie means TO perform efficiently iis duties.
While efficiency and ECONOMY should gov
ern a department in the administration Of
public affairs, II is certain that in the pre-
yention OF epidomics efficiency is too often
sacrificed 10 economy. With remarkable
force, a Senator in Congress. protesting
against meagre appropriations 10 the
board Of health for the protec.
ton OF cpidemics, exclaimed, "You
give $1,000 TO prevent an epidemic
which costs the country S20,OO0.OO0 loss
when once Il obtains iooihold on our
shore!" II is a simple truth that the csli.
mated pccuniary loss TO this country by
the yellow fever epidemic Of 1873 would
have sustained the National Board OF
health, ut its current rate OF expenditure.
one thousand years. But pccuniary loss
10 the country should count Tor nothing
when weighed in the balance against sick.
ness, loss OF life, and misery which pcsti.
lence leaves In its train. Spain has, dur
ing the present epidemic Of cholera, lost
100, $40 Of It's people. while 27l, 223 other
persons have suffered from attacks
OF the scourge. How vain Il
would be TO attempt 10 estimate,
In any pecuniary way, the loss To that
country which these figures imply. In
The firm belief that this country could be
protected from foreign cpidemics, as chol.
ERA and yellow fever, by the national
board Of health, or, II they succeeded In
gaining foothold, that they could be pre-
-vontcd from spreading from one State into
another, and quickly stamped out by il
cooperation with State and local boards Of
health, Il seems 10 me Of vital importance
that Congress should, at an early period Of
It's session, clo,he that board with all the
power that can be lawfully given IL, and
supply II with adequate funds.