The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-04-18
SANITARY CONVENTION.
MEETING TO DEAL WITH AN M
PoRTANT QUESTION.
Measures to be Taken to Prevent
Cholera or Other Disease Germs
Entering the State.



SAN FRANCISCO, April IA sanitary
convention, called by the State Board OF
Health-the first of its sort ever held in
Callfornia-met in Masonic Hall of B'nai
Birth building this afternoon. About
nifty physicians from various parts of the
State assembled at the appointed hour.
DIR. Ruggles, President of the State
Board. called the convention to order.
DIR. Henry 5. Orme of Los Angeles was
elected Chairman; DR.. William II. MAYS.
San Francisco, First Vice President: DIR.
Martin Regensberger, Second Vice
President; DR.. Winslow Anderson. San
Francisco, Secretary.
Or. Orme, in taking the chair, spoke of
the importance of the meeting and of the
sanitary feature of medical science. The
busy, practicing physician is too busy to
often attend to the preventive side OF
medical science. Sanitary measures for
large cities must be directed, to be effect
i've. by carefully chosen Board of Public
Works. a skillful sanitarian should be
secured and given ample power to carry
out the measures he may deem wise.
During the present year the dreaded
cholera may come to the great fair at
Chicago. Europeis looking out to do her
share and has been cleaning UP. America
should not be too timid.
DIR. j. r. Lajne of Sacramento nra-
scented paper on Relative Merits of
Quarantine and Cleanliness" DIR. Lame
said an absolute land quarantine on State
lines was next to an impossibility.
Relative quarantine, as it is termed. aims
to do all that is possible, but il will he
well not to rely too much on the eff
cacy OF quarantine. Cities and towns
should take necessary sanitary measures
with the full expectancy of cholera or
other disease germs entering the State.
Publication of water, soil and air are
essential. A fearless and dauntless Health
Officer is of the greatest value. Physi-
clans should not alarm communities.
but should quietly work with the most
influential people to help to do away
with plague-spots, and secure pure
water, pure air and pure soil, so far as
possible.
DIR. Davidson Endorsed the sentiments
of DR.. LANES paper as fully up to the
times.
DR.. Ruggles said that Asiatic cholera is
disseminated as easily as smallpox. 1t
won't do to rely on quarantine. He
favored stopping every passenger coming
into the State and compelling thorough
examination.
DIR. Regensberger said the probabilities
are that we will have cholera soon in the
United States, this almost to a GER
tainty. In case of an epidemic the Health
Officers are almost powerless. The citi-
zens, individually, must be held re-
sponsible for neglect of sanitary meas
ures. There must be State laws to back
up the efforts of the physicians.
"Cholera. Its Cause and Prevention ,,
was the title of paper by DIR. George c..
Macdonald of Sausalito. He reviewed
the various cholera epidemics since the
fearful scourge that ravaged Hastings
army of India. Impure water from the
Thames, contaminated by sewage. was
the great cause of the London epidemics.
DIR. w. r. Cluness, formerly of Sacra-
mento, read paper, sis Cholera Coming
This ear ?" which he answered by saw
ing that this, like all matters of futuritv
is problematical.
DR.. Ruggles of Stockton read paper on
the subject. He expressed the opinion
that cholera is no more infectiye than
typhoid fever, arguing from the virulence
of the fever in favorable places.
DR.. Cotter of Yuma presented an argu-
ment for the most effective quarantine
possible at the State line.
d. S. Herrick of this city, in paper on
The Disposal of Refuse" showed that
San Francisco pays nearly three times as
much for the disposal of it's garbage as
Chicago does, and nearly five times as
much as is paid by Boston.