Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-01-09
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.


Recommendations Contained in the An
nua1 Report, just Out-The Records OF
Births and Deaths-Co-operation Be-
tween States-The st. Louis Leprosy Pa
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Etc.
The annual report of the State Board
of Health to the Governor is just out.
1t is analytical of the sanitary situation
in Missouri, and contains few figures
The first point made is that the public
health interests of the State are at a
disadvantage because neither branch OF
the State Legislature has committee
on sanitary affairs. 1t is deemed deslr-
able to have such committees for the re-
ception and consid craft of sanitary
measures.
The neglect of physicians to supply
complete records of births and deaths is
seriously felt. The law directs that this
be done, under penalty of SO for each
case neglected. This neglect is especial
ly to be regretted this year, ON account
of the compilation Of the Federal census
reports. Nevertheless the State Board
protests against the present lack of pro-
vision for compensation of physicians
for such returns. The board recon-
actment of law to pay county clerks
for collecting and tabulating statistics
sent them by physicians under the ex-
listing law.
The board points out that every I'M
certified death is direct temptation to
the commission of murder.
Co-opera tive efforts between this and
other States have met with some sue
cess, the quarantine conference held
last March at Montgomery. Ala, hav-
ing been productive of good results.
The board commends the action Of the
National Association of Baggage Agents,
taken last summer, to govern the trans
portation of corpses by rail, and regrets
that it is not within the legal power of
the Missouri board to adopt and enforce
the requirements of railroad companies
in this respect.
With the rigid enforcement of modern
quarantine regulations, it is deemed al
most impossible for Asiatic cholera to
obtain foothold in America, and scarcely
in Europe.
Smallpox is very limited in its raw
ages, and the practice of vaccination is
recommended as an almost infalllble
preventive. Diphtheria and scarlet
fever are now regarded as being far
more destructive than smallpox, but the
board believes that both diseases are
under better control now than they were
year ago.
tuberculosis is still doing destructive
work. Sanitarians regard the presence
of every patient suffering with pulmo-
nary consumption as a menace to other
human lives. and earnestly invite the
attention of the State and National
governments to this disease, which is
entailing greater disability and suffer-
ing than any other known, both as to
man and domestic animals.
The st. Louis leprosy patient is not
regarded as a serious menace to the pub
lie health. the State board declaring
the perpetuation an spread of this dis
ease to be due to a continuous bad regi-
men of habitation and constant associa-
ton with affected individuals.
The board deprecates the alleged
false economy of the State and National
governments in apprOpriating money
to destroy domestic animals affected with
such diseases as rabies, CHAMBERS, farcy,
and food animals suffering with splenic
fever, Charlton, Texas fever, actinomy-
Ghosts, swine plague, trichinosis, etc.
No objection is made to the appropria-
ton of money to investigate and pre-
vent diseases of domestic animals, but
the board insists that too little expense
is incurred to prevent danger of human
life from the existence of such diseases.
The board commends the medical prac-
tice laws of Missouri, along with those
of several other Western States. and
quotes with admitted satisfaction legal
decisions upholding State boards of
health in the enforcement of such laws.
The decisions referred to affirmed the
right of such State boards to pass on the
sufficiency of medical diplomas, and to
revoke licenses of registered practition-
ers for promulgati of immoral litera-
ture and other unprofeSsional acts.
, The board declines to pass upon the
question of the substitution of a three
term rule for the two-term rule now in
force in medical colleges of the State,
but is unqualitiedly of the opinion that
agitation of this subject may be produc
tive of good results. 1t believes that the
State board should be relieved of all du-
ties relative to the regulation of medical
practice, and suggests, as matter of
justice to physicians, that the entire
business of regulating medical practice
and education in this State should be
placed exclusively in the hands of the
medical profession.
The total number of registrations dur
ing the year was 3S3, of which 341 were
i
believes that the complete registration
of physicians should be published and
paid for by the State, the State board
having at its disposal no means to pay
for such publication.
The foregoing report is published by
authority of the State board, and is
signed by the secretary, DR.. George
Homan, of St. Louis.
"A man who was deeply in debt was
sick unto death. ''Ah,' he sighed, IF
| could only live until l paid off my
debts" ''Humph. sneered the doctor,
bluntly, you want to live forever, do
you?"-Texas Siftings.
"A man who lives near Leetonia, O.,
was badly scared one night by some
thing he thought was ghost at his bed
room window. Investigation showed,
however, that the INTRUDER was only his
old white horse.
"A Fruitful Mission.-..I have missed
you from the Sewing Society, Mrs.
Proudfoot, for two weeks. You do not
know how much good we are doing to
the poor Zenanas." Pardon me, Mrs.