The record-union., 1891-11-03
AFTER THEIR OCALPS.
The Board of Health Throws the Cant
let to the Trustees.
Liable to Mandamus Them on the
Brush-Burning Ordinance
Doctors Shaken Up, Too.

time, and its causes are several. The
doctors are particularly bitter against
Mayor Comstock, who, they say, takes an
unholy delight in undoing what the
health board does, or tries TO do. They
say that he haggles over their bills, talks
about them on the streets and sneers at
their attempts to keep the city clean and
free from disease.
But it was all kept quiet until last
evening.
LIABLE TO BE FUN.
The Board of Health met last evening
at Health Officer c. b. Nichols Office.
DR.. Tyrrell presided. The members were
feeling somewhat "sore'' over the manner
in which their proposed ordinance pre-
vent the burning of brush in the even
ings had been treated by the Trustees
during the latter's session yesterday, and
1t did not require much to cause them to
express their feelings.ss
Dir. Nichols reported that in accordance
with the instructions of the Board of
Health he had presented the ordinance to
the Trustees week ago. 1t was given its
hrst reading, and was to have been passed
at yesterdays session. But Mayor Com
stock had gotten in his work again and
laid the ordinance over, remarking that
AZ was OILY OH6 OI IIB bOdTu OI 11GdlGu
sensations, and would soon die out. The
doctor said that he had heard great deal
OF complaint from all parts of the city
and in the newspapers regarding the
bruSh-burning nuisance, and had been
abused for not stopping it. when it was
thought that there was an ordinance pro-
hibiting the nuisance. Even the Mayor,
he said, took pains to find fault because
the Health officer was not doing his duty.
But when it developed that there was no
ordinance the Mayor refused to allow
one to be passed that would abate the
nuisance.
Continuing, DIR. Nichols said he had
advised himself fully inthe premises and
had looked up the law. The State law
provided that it was compulsory on the
part of the City Trustees to pass any ordi-
nance the Board of Health might recon-
mend. He believed that the law should
now be enforced. He was tired, he said
OF being snubbed and insulted by the
Mayor, and tired of having abuse in
tended for the Board of Health heaped
upon him.
WILL GO TO LAW, TOO.
The other doctors agreed with Dr.
Nichols that they had not been treated
right, and Chairman Tyrrell remarked
that he was in favor of bringing manda-
mus proceedings against the Trustees to
compel them to pass the brush-burning
ordinance.
DR.. Bruno said he beloved the board
should take the law in its own hands if
the ordinance was not passed, and he put
his idea into the shape of resolution,
which was unanimously adopted. His
resolution was as follows
WHEREAS 1t is considered necessary by
the Board of Health for the sanitary improve
ment of the city of Sacramento that the ordi-
nance relating to the burning of brush, rub
bish or other garbage in the streets or alleys
OF sacramento be passed by the Board OF
Trustees, therefore be ii
ReSOtred, That notice be sent to the Board
OF City Trustees requesting them to pass said
ordinance at their next regular meeting,
under the State law, which says: 1.-The Board
oITrustees shall pass such ordinances may
be recommended by the Board of HEALTH" In
case the Board OF trustees refuse to pass said
ordinance, the Board of Health will proceed
according to said law.
The doctors looked more cheerful and
evidently felt much better after they had
adopted this resolution.
Still they were not through with the
Trustees.
The next matter they took up was the
charges of neglect of duty preferred re-
Gently against Sanitary Inspector Starr
by the Mayor.
STARR EXoNERATED.
It will be remembered that at the time
the charges We're made Mr.. Starr de-
manded an investigation and it was
agreed by the Trustees to have one. And
it will also be remembered that the in
veStigation was considerable Of a fizzle
The Mayor left the office abruptly, and
no testimony was taken. The matter
was, however, referred to the Board of
Health for investigation.
DIR. Nichols said that since the Trustees
had dropped the matter, Mr.. Starr had
expressed his anxiety several times that
the Board of Health proceed with the in
vestigation, and he was promised that
his request would be laid before them.
Or. Gardner said he did not know of
any complaints having been made to the
Board of Health against Mr.. Starr, and
therefore the board had nothing to in
vestigate. The Trustees had not even
notified the Health Board that they had
shifted the investigation. Mr. Starr was
probably anxious for an eXoneration, but
the very failure of the Trustees investi-
cation was sufficient of vindication
After some further discussion, in which
the Trustees with the exception of Mr..
Mclaughlin (whom the doctors say is
their only friend at the City Halr, were
handled mercilessly, it was agreed topay
no attention to the Mayors charges
against Starr, thus exonerating the lat
er.
AFTER THE DOCTORS TOO.
While they were in the humor, the
Board of Health members took shy at
some of their fellow-doctors who have
not been acting just right.
DR.. Nichols started it by saying that he
had an important matter to bring before
the board. There were some physicians
in the city who needed the attention of
the board. These physicians had resorted
to all sorts of subterfuges and even de-
liberate lying in covering up cases of
scarlet fever and other contagious dis
eases. The law was plain on the subject,
nored the law. DIR. Nichols said he had
made personal investigation of the mat
ter and found that the abuse was even
more extensive than he had even i'm
imagined, and was practiced by physi-
clans who set themselves up as first class
in their profession. The only way he
could account for it, he said, was that
some people deemed themselves better
than others and prevailed upon their
physicians not to report cases of conta-
giouS disease in their houses, for fear that
it would not be fashionable. They did
not like to have the warning signs tackled
up on their front doors.
Chairman Tyrrell said that in his opin-
ion the only way to stop the abuse was
to prosecute several of these physicians
and teach them that the law is to be re-
spected.
DR.. Gardner agreed that either this
would have to be done or else nullify the
law.
CASE IN POINT.
Resuming his statement, DR.. Nichols
called the attention Of the board to case
OF recent occurrence that illustrated the
result of the eghgence-crimina negli-
genee it was-of these physicians. A
child had died of scarlet fever, and the
Board of Health had not been notified
that that was the cause of death, and the
house had not been placarded during the
child's sickness. At the funeral another
child attended, and contracted the dread