Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-11-27

pgpers we're referred to Council, aud first
came no in the First Branch OF that body,
last night.
Oue Of the papers, which sufficiently in
dicates the tenor Of the other, although
the second contained no pertOnal refer
enoes, was as follows:
To the Committee on Health Of The city Council.
"GESr1ENEg:-Permit me to call your atten-
ton 70 an action taken by you on october II,
lSsq. and the injustice which NAV result from II
I 10 the uracticing physicians Of this city
You order al failures on the part Of physi-
clans to comply with See OF the ordinance Ia
relation 70 the Health Onicer," etc, 10 be report
ed by that officer 20 the Chief Of Police. This
section requires the reporting promptly by physl-
clans 20 the Health Officer Of all cases OF small
pOx variloid, ASittic cholera, and other formi-
dabie COZ tagiOus diseases Neither your com
mittee or Council has intimated la any way what
Won consider "other formidable contagious dis
eases The Health Officer has no authority given
him By any ordinance OF the city, TO say what
he NAV or may not consider 'O'her formidable
eortsGious diseases His duties are executive
NOT legislative Tae physicians are left 10 their
own construction OF the meaning OF other form
liable contagious diseases and can report such
as each one may look on as proper TO have the
Health Officers attention called TO.
"Wil your committee take some action In
reference 10 this matter and report 10 Council an
amendment 90 Sec. I, defining what diseases are
so form daily contagious as 70 require the re-
port ng Of them TO the Health officer, and for II
failure in 50 doing the sub'ecting OF the phys
clans OF this city % the disgrace OF Police Court
81 avn prompted 10 ask this at your hands, bv
an experience I had last week. ] reported a
death from pseudo meml ranOus lsryugiiis 10 the
Health Ohicer. After he had received my Ger
Ndcate he met Dr.. Birney, Of North Main street,
and stated 70 him he had heard of new disease,
and that he did not believe there was such
disease When he named the disease and was
told by Dr. b that every educated physician was
perfectly familiar with it, he enquired of Or. B.
III he hsd any works on medicine which treated
oft Dr. B. took him to his oilce and showed him
four works on the practice Of medicine, in each
OF which the disease was fully discussed. He eN-
amined the four works for half an hour ana
then stated that in his opinion my patient had
died of diphtheria. From never having heard |
OF a disease he was able, after short thirty
minutes perusal Of four books, TO become so per
fectly familiar with 10, as 70 Affirm that had
WHOLLY certified % an untruth.
His next step was TO break In on the dead
bows family I'm the midst az their grief, forbid
public funeral. order the diHnfectlng OF the
house. and the destruction Of the dead boys /
clothing bis last act in this matter was 70 send
the accompanying petition TO the City Sergeant, /
in order 20 have me ARE ted and not seeing any /
more chances 90 air his knowledge, he subsidized /
II wish TO ask OF your Co nmittee by what /
shadow OF authority does the Health officer as
sumo 20 define what diieases other than those /
specially named in the ordinance, are 10 be re |
ported 10 him. Should he undertake TO name |
them he would be practically amending an or. !
dinance by adding 70 It's subject matter. The
authority TO enact and amend ordinances is
vestei i'm Council alone. / also would ask by
what authority he dares TO 90 b, hind my certt-
cafe of death from a disease, Of which he never
heard, and disease which he did not believethe
human family was subj ect TO, and order me 10
be taken before the Police Cont ior trlal tor an
offanse against Sec. Z. 10 he 80 never heard or
the diseeSs how could IL possibly be crowded by
him under the head OF other formidable con-
tsgiOus diseases
Council rs but d reasonable one TO risk sub
ecting sl OF any OF the physicians OF this city TO
an experience similar TO my own, would be an out
rage on a class Of your citizens, who have always
been prompt in assisting Council In LOOKING
after the health of the city.
from malice and Ignorance on the part OF It's
offices. and IL is also the duty OF physicians TO
assist carefully in carrying into effect All orders
of Council which are intended 10 protect the
's'''D - '''' Yours respectfully,
&c. BAIRD"
There was another communication from
Dr.. L. D. Wilson upon the same general
subject. in which the inadtquacy Of sec.
: Of the ordinance YVES ably pointed out.
THE SUBSEQUENT PROCEEDINGS.
When the reading of the communications
had been completed, Health Officer Garri-
son, who was present, came forward, by
invitation OF the Mayor and read long
statement of the situation, from his stand
point. in the course Of which he referred to
The oNisc ionable nature of Sec. 7, which
allowed sll sorts Of en- t,uctiOns to be
placed on what was required, aud gave
rom for great differences of opinion as to
what diseases we're contemplated 70 be re-
ported, and also TO the tonts9iousness OF
such diseases. The paper proceeded:
"a case In point Is that where physician OF
this city was recently called to see child that
was supposed to be suffering from an attack OF
diphtheria, and when Questioned as 10 the ma
ture of the disease, stated that IL was only
cold, as have been crediiably informed ana
when the child died two days later, certified the
cause Of death as pseudo membranous laryn
git S.
Mr.. Can pbell then offered the following
resolution
WHEREAS, The medical profession OF
the city If Wheeling have complained CT
the gross IL justics done them by the Health
Ordinance; and,
WHEREAS, All the ordinances concern
ing health, viz: the garbage ordinance, the
crematory ordinance, and the ordinance
concerning the Health Officer, are TO
great measure defective and do not fulfill
the demands fer which they were created
and
WHEREAS, The Health Committee has
from time TO time amend. the aforesaid
ordinances, and still find them defective
and cooperative; Their fore. be it
"ResOlred, Tnat CJuac'l give its consent
To the formation Of Board OF Health, and
tina. the COMMITTEES on Health be instruct
ed TO proceed at once to the proper accom-
ulishmeut OF such Board"
The whole matter, sf,er long discus
sion, was referred to the Committee on
Health TOR consideration and report
When the matter came up in the Second
Branch, there was another lorg racket, du'-
ing which the several papers were re-resd
In reading mis- paper Dr. Garrison preiactdit
with the statement that he would not, at
that time, attempt to reply to the ungen-
tlemanly charge OF ignorance aud malice,
reserying that matter for another time.
When the papers hsd been read Mr..
Maxwell moved to lay the action Of the
First Branch on the table This was
done unanimously. He followed this
with a resolution to refer ell
the Heslth ordinances to the
Committee on Ordinances, for thorough re-
vision and simpli6cation, in the hope OF
doing away with the present Trouble OF
having the Health Officer oonstrue the law
in one WAY and the Coz mittee on Health
another. In doing this, Mr. Maxwell re-
ferrsd to the fact that there had been dis
cord and trouble oil summer, and 1t was
time it stopped. Mr.. MaXWelPs resOlu-
ton WAS adopted, Mr.. Davidson voting no
The mstter then went back TO the First
Branch, where, evidently by mistake, Mr..
| Msxwellis resolution went to the Health
/ Committee, the First Branch members rot
/ being aware Of the non-currence IN their
| first action.
Tx Wheeling Installment Co.'s grand
display. IfyOu do not see it, you miss
treat.
DON'T fail to attend the grand ball given
I by the Beethoven Singing Society, Novem-
/ Der ~.
USE Lily Crsam-sn elegant toilet article
/ Or Thanksgiving Eve the Beethoven
Singing Society will give q grand ball.
BEEcHAM's PILLS cure bilious and uer-
Vous ills