The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-16
OUR HEALTH Protectors
Affiliated Boards Of LackaWanna
County in Session.
BOROUGH COuNCILMEN SCORED
Tho First Convention of Its Kind Ever
Held in tho Statc-TwO Eminent Sani.
tarians OF Philadelphia Present.
New Sanitary Code Discussed.


heAssociated Boards ofHealth of Lack
awanna county was held yesterday in
the board of health rooms. in the city
hall. Two sessions Were held, one in
the afternoon and one in the evening.
The event was remarkable for two rea-
sons. First. because 1t was the first
of its kind ever held in this
state. this organization being the
pioneer Of affiliated county boards;
second, the sessions were honored with
the presence of two of Pennsylvania
greatest sanitarians. DR.. Benjamin
Lee, Of Philadelphia, secretary of the
state board of health and DR.. w. b. At
kinson, of Philadelphia, secretary of
the associated boards of health of Penn
sylvania.
The convention opened shortly after
O'clock with DR. J. X. Bentley in the
chair. There We're present the follow
ing officers and delegates:
President. j. Il. Bentley, NJ. d..
Scranton: vice-presdent, F.. L. Van
Sickle, NJ. D., Blakely; secretary and
treasurer. M. C. Judge. Taylor; execu-
tive committee. s. d. Davis. NJ. D., Jer-
myn: ]. c. Bateson. NJ. D., Elmhurst;
j. w. Houser. M. D.. Taylor; b. w.
Cooney. Dunmore; II. L. Thompson.
Blakely; Joseph ]. Dolphin, Olyphant;
w. A. Paine, NJ. D.. Scranton: Sylvanus
Smith, Blakely; l. :. Graves, NJ. D.. Jer-
myn: w. p. Kennedy NJ. D.. Priceburg;
Thomas +. Mahedy. Jessup; William
Van Doren. NJ. D., Archibald: Michael
Moran, Archibald; T. J. Burke, Arch
bald; Thomas Boundy, Mayfield; Wal
ter Briggs. Scranton Richard Thomas,
Scranton; f. f. Weston. M. D.. Taylor;
j. f. Tubbs, Taylor: William b. Atkin-
son. NJ. D., Philadelphia; Benjamin
Lee, M. D.. Philadelphia; Charles r.
Knapp, NJ. D., Wyoming.
Dr. Benticy's Opening Address.
Dr. Bentley delivered a short opening
after which he introduced DR..
Lee, who gave a lengthy and
learned dissertation on the sanitary
code of Pennsylvania for the restriction
Of communicable diseases. In his pref
atory remarks he outlined the growth
of health boards in this commonwealth.
Ten years ago. when the state board of
health was organized. there were only
fifteen municipal boards in existence.
Now there are 900 boards, and 1t Is
hoped that by the enactments of the
next legislature 1,500 boards will be or
ganiZed.
DR.. Lee commended the organization
Of the associated boards in this county,
kind in the state. and hoped that the
of Lackawanna county
would be emulated throughout the
state
He then had read the new sanitary
code, approved June IS, 1885, which
makes of a board of health an independ-
ent body coordinate with the councils
and not creature Of 1t. DR.. Lee point
ed out the most important phases of the
new law and gave detailed explana-
ton of some seemingly ambiguous
clauses. The law gives the board
almost unlimited powers. 1t lays down
very strict regulations which boards
are Instructed to enforce and in addi-
tion gives the board the power to make
the regulations even more stringent if
1t so wishes.
With Regard to the Social Evil.
The question of regulating the social
evil was touched upon lightly by DR..
Lee. He hoped in a few years that the
matter would receive legislative atten-
tion. Placarding houses where cases of
diseases are located Is, by
the new law, left to the discretion of
local boards. DIR. Lee spoke in favor Of
placards and advised the local boards to
make this clause mandatory. Many
people, he said, contend that placard-
Ing Is liable to create a panic and that
a person in dread of a disease Is more
liable to contract the disease. He
secuted this idea and argued that n
panic was very often a desirable thing
as "a good, wholesome dread" of dis
ease has the effect of waking people up
to the necessity of better sanitation.
Among the many new features of the
law upon which DR.. Lee laid particular
stress was the clause governing under
takers. Hereafter they will not be per-
mitted to use an ice box in cases of
death from contagious disease and 1t
Will be the duty of the undertaken to
print the notice Of death and to have
appended mo funeral" This latter
clause Is to prevent members of the
afflicted family from going to the
newspaper offices, as is usually done,
thereby placing newspaper men in dan
ger OF contracting the contagion. DR.
Lee recommended the erection of a dis
injecting plant in this city.
The utter disregard which borough
councils show to their local boards of
health occupied the attention of the
body during the remainder of the
afternoon.
Continued Warfare at Jcrmyn.
Thomas Boundy, editor of the Jermyn
Press. who represented the Mayfeld
board of health, stated that there Is a
pntinual warfare In his town between
!. board and the councils. Joseph j.
Dolphin. of Olyphant, reported that a
similar condition Of affairs existed in
MS borough. Sylvanus Smith, of the
Biakely board, In commenting on the
sanitary condition Of Olyphant, said
that he had occasion to pass through
the place every morning on his way
to work and after inhaling the fresh
and wholesome ozone of Blakely, he
could scarcely bear the stencil that ex-
lists in the central part OF Olyphant,
where the Huns ana others of careless
habits had formed a settlement. All
this, 1t was claimed, resulted from
health authorities being Handicapped
by Indifferent councilmen.
DIR. Lee remarked that, generally
speaking, borough councimen are ig-
norant men who do not rise to the ne
cessity of proper sanitation and who
have no appreciation of the work that
q board OF health can do far a town.
Being appealed to for a remedy to over
come the existing difficulty DIR. Lee ad-
vlsed that the law be resorted to.
In answer to question by DIR. Rent
ley as to the proper method of proceed
ure In the case of pollution of a water
supply. DIR. Lee advised that the water
company be reminded that It was it's
duty to furnish pure water and con-
to abate any communicating
nuisances; II this warning was not
needed court should be asked to revoke
the company's charter
The Evening Session.
After a supper at the Westminster
The delegates reassembled and listened
10 three excellent addresses. w. b. At
xinson, M. D., of Philadelphia, the
state aecretary Of the associated