The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-07-02
DEATH OF DIR. HUNT.
Secretary of State Health Board
Closes a Useful Career.
Special TO the Jersey City Nears.

Special to the Jeyseu City NelS.
METUCHEN, July 2, 1S94.-Dr. Ezra M.
Hunt, Secretary Of the State Board OF
Health, died yesterday at the residence of
his son, DR.. A. Clark Hunt, in Metuchen,
after a lingering Illness He was in his Gath
year.
DR.. Hunt, as is well known, was affected
with lung trouble, and had been an invalid
for some months. He had left his home on
North Clinton avenue and gone to the home
of his son, where he died peacefully yester-
day.
DR.. Hunt was born in Metuchen, Middle
sex County, January 4, 1880. His father
was the Rev. Holloway W. Hunt, for many
years the pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church of Metuchen. The Hunt family
came originally from W~estchester County,
New York. Dr.. Hunts early education was
received in the Irving Institute, ~Tarrytown.
He received his classical education in Prince
ton College, graduating in 1649. he studied
medicine under DR.. Abram Coles, a we'll
known practitioner of Newark. and attend
ed lectures az the College of Physicians and
Surgeons in New York. He received the de,
gree of M. D. in March, 1852. He located
and pracUiced in Metuchen. In 1852 he was
appointed lecturer on materia medica and
therapeutics in the Vermont Medical Col
lege of Woodstock. The following year he
was chosen Professor of Chemistry In the
same college.
He served as assistant surgeon In the
Twenty-ninth New Jersey Infantry. After
serving with the regiment for two months
he was placed in charge OF the Calvert street
| Hospital, Baltimore, and remained there for
| some time. In 1865 he was elected Presldent
of the New Jersey Medical Society. lie
| represented New Jersey III the American
Medical Association and became PRESIDENT
! of that body. In 1878 the State Board OF
Health was formed and he was selected
| Secretary, q position that he filled for six
teen years. The duties of the office COM
| PEELED him lately to give up his practice.
He has written much for medical publca-
| tion. and was the author of medical works.
| Among the works produced by him was
'sThe Physicians Counsel and Patients
and PHYSICIANS Aid" He wrote several
| religious books-'Grace Culture" published
| bv the Presbyterian Board of Publication,
| and ga Commentary on the Old and New
| Testament" published by Scribners.
DR.. Hunt is credited with having started
| the first sanitary movement In 1866, ana was
| instrumental in obtaining much benehclai
| lepislation in the interests of sanitation.
He was President of the State Sanitary
| Commission created by an act OF the Legls-
| ture in 1866. This commission had then to
| deal with Asiatic cholera, and the commits
| sion prevented the disease from becoming
endemic. He was also made the President
Of the Health Commission created by act or
the Legislature of 1874.
In 1876 DR.. Hunt, then Secretary of the
| State Sanitary Association, went to Europe
| with Surgeon Major John S. Billings, U. S.
n, for the purpose of inspecting hospitals
and studying sanitary questions, returning
in January, 1877, profoundly impressed with
| the sanitary needs of the State. He con
| ferred with Senator George G. Ludlow, who
introduced and supported a bill to establish
q Stata Roard of Health.
DR.. Hunt was twice married. A widow
and three children survive him. One is q
| student in Princeton College. ThesHunt was
| an elder in the Fourth Presbyterian Church.
He will be buried from the residence of his
son. DR.. a. Clark Hunt, of Metuchen, on
Tuesday. The State Board of Health will
attend in a body.