Morning journal and courier., 1893-04-27
COMMUNICATIONS.
The state Board OF Health.

COMMUNICATION
The state Board OF Health.
Tothe Editor OF the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
have been, together with my profes-
sional associates, too recently brought in
to unpleasant relations with this useless
and nondescript state institution, to view
with the least liberation it's recent attempt
to tighten Its grasp on our state treasury,
and to perpetuate it's existence by enlarg-
ing Its scheme Of administration. Inotice
with surprise in the New Haven Register
of Saturday, the 22d, that, In announcing
the election. of Professor Brewer of your
city as president, to succeed A. E Burr of
Hartford resigned, that the board, not
satisfied with the estimated results of the
recent exhibition of itself before the legis-
lsture and the public, takes on now e
new series of antics. The Register
says: 1 suppose by authority, that
"the board considered bill now
pending in the legislature, which pro-
vides that on July 1, 1898, upon the nomi
nation of the state board of health, the
governor shall appoint a health officer for
each county in the state, who shall be an
attorney at law, his salary to be 81 200 per
annum. He shall appoint a health officer
In each town in the county who shsll have
authority, except in incorporated cities
and boroughs." This abrupt ending of the
paragraph would indicate that more is to
come. But from the past history of our
state beard of health, We certainly know
that the object of this bill, 'fntroduced by
request" ss the customary phrase of
apology has 1t when members can't endorse
the bills they offer, is to hlch more money
from the state.
Our state board of health is a ounningly
devised private enterprise, publicly organ
lied for private and personal ends, with
great blowing of horns and an ostentstious
display of anxiety for the public health,
which has not been to any great extent en-
dangered; and offering to the frightened
people, whose alarms they have raised and
sustained, protection which they do not
need, and which the board of health Ia un-
able to afford. The objective point of all
this demonstration is the accumulation of
money without compulsory labor-the pay
msnt of unearned salaries. Such an organ
izahon as this exists, or did exist, in a.
most every one of our States; and
we could give you date, time and
place when this gigantic conspiracy
against the public peace and the public
moneys of the country was fully organ
lied. Delegates from state boards assem-
bled and organized themselves as a ma
tional association of health officers; and
| the treasury of each state was regularly
drawn upon for funds; even the treasury
| of the United States paid to 1t a heavy
| tribute, which was demanded In an in
creasing amount, and with as much regu-
| larity as any other appropriations; and
| when nothing less than thres-qusrters of
| a million would satisfy the bold rspscity
| of their demands, congress in a spasm of
| indignation passed quickly an act striking
| out the enacting clause of their charter
| and ths national board of health suddenly
ceased to exist.
| Not SO, however, was the case with the
state boards of health. In some such states
as Connecticut, for example, the dimin-
ished vitality of this mighty octopus, with
its suckers deep down in the treasury of
the state, continues to grow, and its appe
tite is increased by what 1t feeds on.
Il u
necticut state board of health has been
| from the very frst day of its existence a
costly piece of useless fringe to this state.
1t has cost the state the expenditure of
| many thousands of dollars without con-
| fering upon 1t the least benefit, and is
being worked daily for the sole benefit OF
| few of its officers, who have, for some
reason or other, failed of success in their
regular lines of employment, and at
Il L. Ia
ed on the state. We very well remem-
ber the excursions they have made in
the valleys of the Housatonic and the
Nsugatuck, to examine into the pollution
| of streams; and previously they came into
Massachusetts, to testify as experts in q
suit for damages to the public health by
howage from the raising of DAM and
these officials came up to swear that the
dam complained of was the cause of the
annual prevalence Of intermittent and ty-
phoid fevers. They were ignorant Of the
historical fact that both these fevers had
annually prevailed up and down these
rivers ever since the first settlement of the
| country. It is needless to say that the
court gave Judgment for the defendants.
Whenever the usefulness of the state
board of health is discussed the lawsuit
in Groton comes up for comment.
In this case and at the instigation of the
II
formal opinion expressed to the effect that
some deaths which had occurred In that
village were caused by "oyster spat" de-
, posted upon the brushvood placed In the
+ harbor, and this after q personal inspection
: by the board, the secretary confirmed the
statements of the local board-the limo
cent oyster spat was removed and tbs
state was sued for damages and WA
obliged to pay Sc, 900 as the value of tn,
/ arI - .gah
ness 1t was found had originated from
, cases brought from other places. We alst
, remember well the excursions of the boart
: into this vicinity in search of pollutions IL
our rivers An appropriation of s., ,00t
had been made to defray the cost, and al
{ our manufacturers were questioned as h
0 the annual amounts of chemicals used b,
. them and turned into our rivers. Beinl
: mostly chloridss and other salts of linn
and soda, the effects must have beel
= salubrious, for not case of sickness wa
: OF the river 10 the other. We also MOTTO
;. that another application has been recsntl,
made to the legislature for $12, 900 o
more, for the further investigation of tn
. same question, viz the pollution of streams
8 Investigations of this kind, though the
v have thus far been barren of useful results
" seem to be fsvorite line of work for tn
L DOaIup IOL IL hHOrQs Lne members mn
d outing at the expense of the state, a
u though not new fact has been ascertain
= ed.
Il The state board of health is an ingen
}. ious and persevering crowd of cormorsnts
Y and, like the other scayenger birds Q
I prey, scent quickly the approach of gam.
n Connecticut is well supplied in nearly e,
g cry town with active and well organize
4 health boards that are fully capable c
protecting our villages, towns and seaport
d from the ravages of any epidemic of dii
aa ease that may approach our shores. 1t |
is the height of impudencs for the officers {
4 this state board eff health to pretend III,
N they are superior in their practical know
edge of sanitation" as they are pleased |
call the measures by which we all protet
40 our communities from pestilential disease
= They have no knowledge that is not con
20 mon to the entire profession of medicir
m throughout the state; and they are ee
q y tainly not our superiors In common honest
M and intelligence. They have, IL IL true,
certain sort of reputation a. scientific O
)" ports before some of the lower courts, bl