The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-07
THE CITY PHYSICIAN.

1 OII1 III Sl0fAN.
Last week the City Council turned
down the Mayors nominee for city
physician. Before the Council took any
action it was generally understood that
There would be no confirmation. That
the matter was decided on partisan
grounds no one doubts, who under
islands what is going on, and the great
isolicitude and apprehension of some of
the councilmen for the health of the
lefty was interesting if not instructive.
| If the city is in excellent condition
from a sanitary point of view, and we
believe it is, why would not that same
lcondition be continued if there were u
change of physicians at the head of the
ihealth department? No man has been
nominated, no man viii be nominated
as city physician who has not proper
appreciation of the Importance of keep
ling the sanitary condition of the city
at the very best.
| Nothing can have more effect on the
health of the people than the food they
eat and the water they drink and their
inspection should never be placed in
the hands of an incompetent person.
and of course the competency of the
person will naturally depend much on
his experience; yet when the Mayor
nominated a successor to the inspector
who was appointed under the predeces-
SCR of the present Council, he was con-
lfirmed. Was not this to imperil the
health of the city and tempt fate as
found in spoiled meats and decayed
vegetables? 1t was, according to the
theory Of the Council in the matter Of
lefty physician. We remember now that
the gentleman confirmed by the Council
as provision inspector is a Republican,
which would per Sc qualify him in Re-
publican eyes to hold any position in
the world.
Tonight the Council will meet and it
lis very likely that Mayor Baskin will
lsend in the name of a physician who
islands high in his profession and
against whom none will make charges.
/ This gentleman, we understand, is
Democrat, but we trust that this fact
will not materially affect the general
health Of the city nor produce an cpl
idenlic of cholera infantum, a thing very
year when green apples are so plenti-
ful and children so eager to eat them.
Summer is not the only time when vi
irulent diseases may spread. All know
that the ravages of diphtheria are far
more deadly in winter than at any
other season, so it is quite likely the
Council would not deem it safe to con-
firm any one whom the Mayor might
name for the post of ,city physician. In
fact it is becoming clearer and clearer
to the people that their health and
being depend upon maintaining the
health department, as now constituted,
intact. Some years ago Brown-Sequard
thought he had discovered the elixir of
life, but he hadn't; that remained for
those councilmen who turned DIR. Nc
Achran down. The good people of this
city will have to learn anew their cate
chism; for while in Adam all men died
so in the health department as now of
lficered shall all men be kept alive.
The chamber of commerce should
cease to send out literature that tells
Iof our mountains so grand, our valleys
$50 fertile, our lake so beautiful, and at
mosphere so clear and pure, and how all
these give long life and to the old bring
back the strength, the vigor and the
visions Of youth. Let this cease, and
let there go forth in future a picture of
the health department and a tale at
tached telling how there is the Foun-
tain of Youth for which Ponce de Leon
sought in vain; that there sits Hygeia
and that there is Atropos whose shears
have rusted with long disuse.
The Mayor, who may consider that
those who elected him and most of the
Council expected changes to be made in
the health as well as other departments.
has the interests of the city so little at
heart that he will try to comply with
the wishes of the people and will again
nominate a successor to the city physi-
clan. Persist in this course, Mr.. Mayor.
and the people will stand by you and
not lose their health either