The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-03-06
Dir. LINDsLrr's REPORT
: To the state ooarA of Health.

AFrom the report for 1895 of Dr.. C. A,
Lindsey, secretary Of the state board
of health, the following is taken;
He speass> with satisfaction of the re-
suits already OF the new law making
it the duty of'tRe county health officers
to prosecute forNmolation of the laws
relating to the registration of vital sta
tistics.
For years gross inattention and neg
lect on this subject was manifest and
the state board was powerless in the
matter.
Still another public benefit comes
from the new system of sanitary law.
Its operation has been to lift the prac-
tice of public hygiene, in large meas
ure, out of the mire of politics,
Politics and health administration
have no more affinity for each other
than oil and water
Another mark OF progress in health
promotion in Connecticut is incident to
the new sanitary laws.
Among the earliest important meas
ures of the county health officers was
the preparation, with the aid of the
state board, of a code of sanitary regu-
lations for towns,
This code has been almost universal
ly accepted by the town health off
GERS, and by due publication has the
force and validity of law. So that
practically the same sanitary regula-
lions prevail alike in all the towns in
the state.
Thanrafinollxy Ia
but practically it has many difficulties
which prevent its best results. Chief
among these is the absence in almost
all the towns in the state of an isola-
ton hospital for cases which cannot
be isolated in their own homes.
But Notwithstanding this want, the
prompt notification of infectious dis
ease, supplemented by an intelligent
sanitary administration, will accom-
plish a vast amount of good
| In this connection it seems proper
to call the attention of the town health
officers to their true relations, respec-
| lively to the state board of health
and the county officers. The latter are
| their proper advisers upon all questions
Of legal nature, but upon questions
| concerning the control of contagious
diseases. and upon strictly sanitary
matters, the state board of health
! should be consulted when they are in
doubt.
| This is here alluded to Because some
town health officers have made their
reports Of epidemic diseases, to the
county health officers instead of to the
state board.
| rt,N-r tlr I
1896, the examining committee have
held nine special examinations.
or these the committee of the Con-
necticut Medical society conducted
seven and the committee of the Con-
necticut Eclectic Medical association
conducted five.
The total number of candidates eX-
amined was seventeen, of whom thir
teen We're found qualified and four were
found not qualified.
The former belief that water was
purified by the process of freezing is
not known to be an error. Why il
should have enjoyed the confidence of
the good public so long as it did is
somewhat surprising, in view of the
fact that it is within the experience
| VI tNCAS WINS pSl9oi W nav
seen dirty ice. Science now teaches that
it may be not only dirty, but that it Is
capable of containing many forms of
bacteria, preserving their vitality, and
among them at times some disease
! producing germs
| 1t cannot be denied that a rigid ap-
| plieation of the rule would very Sc
riously interfere with most import
/ ant industry. A very large amount of
capital is invested in the business of
storing and selling natural ice. One
or two generations ago ice was re-
| garded as luxury in which only the
wealthy could afford to indulge. 1t has
! long passed the stage of luxury, and
under changed conditions of living il
| has become an Indispensable necessi-
| ty. An absolute ice famine for year,
1 in Connecticut would block or de-
rail the wheels of business in many
/ directions. The greater our use of ice
| the more important it is that it should
he obtained from unobiectionable
| sources.
| In the meantime until the danger OF
| poisoned ice is removed by getting ii
from safe sources, 1t behooves us to
| be more prudent in the use of it. Sus-
pected ice should never be allowed to
come in contact with what we eat or
drink.