The San Francisco call., 1896-07-02
THE BOARD OF
HEALTH DEFIANT,
It Will Not Give Up Its
Inspection of
Vessels.
THE NEW REGULATIONS
A Pointed Letter Sent to the
Marine Hospital
Service.
THE C0MPONENTs OF A JELLY
What Mr.. Wenzell Found in the
Few Samples Which He
Examined.
THE coMPoNENTs OF A JELLY

1t looks very much as if the Board of
Health has thrown down the gantlet to
the Federal quarantine authorities, and
that it is the beginning of quite con-
tention.
There was read at a meeting of the board
yesterday letter drawn up in answer to
communication from the supervising
surgeon OF the Marine Hospital Service,
informing the board that the local service
would hereafter do the quarantine inspec-
tion instead of the City officers. The COM
munication which will be sent in answer
is as follows:
SAN FRANCISCO, July i, 1896.
Waiter Wymdn, MD, Supervising Surgeon
General, NJ. II. s., Washington, d. C.--DEAR SIR:
We acknowledge receipt OF your letter of the
10th inst. to the president of this board, where
in you inform us heretofore the boarding and
inspection OF vessels arriving al San Francisco
from foreign ports has been permitted to be
cause of the necessary delay in the construc-
ton OF the steamer and later because of the
lack OF sufficient appropriation" and further
say that 1.-The last Congress made appropria-
tions sufficient to enable the service TO per-
form the entire quarantine function at the
port of San Francisco" and that with the ap-
proval of the Secretary of the Treasury you
are directed on July or soon thereafter as
practicable to begin the boarding and inspec-
tion OF all vessels requiring ins pecton-"
In reply thereto we call your attention to
the plain language of the laws OF the State of
California, under which this board was ap-
pointed to carry out through its quarantine
officer the functions of boarding and inspect
ing vessels requiring such inspection.
These laws, section 3015, California Poliu-
cal Code, require that 'ino person shall leave
or communicate with any vessel subject TO
quarantine or examination by the Quarantine
Officer until the Quarantine Officer has
boarded her and given the necessary orders
and directions"
We are unable to find any warrant in any
provision of the United States statutes of April
4 q
1898. for the statement in your letter that this
inspection by the local Quarantine Officer
"has been permitted to be continued" or that
Congress appropriated moneys "to perform
the entire quarantine junction at the port OF
San Francisco"
On the contrary, the United States statute of
April 20, 1878. provides specially "that there
shall be no interference in any manner with
any quarantine laws or regulations as they
exist or may hereafter be adopted under State
| laws"
| We both believe and hope that our respective
| duties may be carried out without friction,
and possibly TO the greater efficiency of the
| quarantine service, until the exclusive and
tremendous responsibility OF safeguarding. the
Nations health from infectious diseases shall
| have been finally fixed and determined.
Until we shall be absolved from our plain
duty under the laws of this State, duty our
| oath of Office compels us TO perform, we shall
| do that duty so far as lies in our power
You state you are acting under the instruc-
| tions OF the honorable Secretary OF the United
States Treasury; we are acting under the COM
| manding laws of a sovereign State, and as ner
officers sworn to maintain those laws we shall
attempt to enforce them so long as We are
| charged with that duty.
| In submitting the document DIR. Morse
said the law on the subject had been thor
oughly looked up, and it was only after a
| careful investigation of the subject that
the reply had been framed. The commu-
nication was adopted by the board.
A communication was received from Mr..
| WenZell regarding certain analyses of
| jeliies which he had made. His report
was interesting. OF eight samples which
! he had examined all were made from bad
| fruit, and three had been colored with ami
line dyes. The currant jellies, of which
there were several samples, ali showed the
presence of apples and aniline, and one
sample of strawberry jelly was shown to
be made from apples and turnip pulp.
The matter was placed in the hands of
Inspector Ben Davis, and he was ordered
to arrest the sellers of the samples for yio-
lation of the pure-food laws.
The charge against James McDonough,
of having fed the COWS of his dairy on the
marshes off the San Bruno road was con-
sidered.
Inspector Dockery testified that last
week he found a number of cows on the
marsh and ordered the Poundman to take
| them. McDonough claimed some of the
cows and number of young men took
the COWS from the Poundman. Who had
taken the cows he did not know or he
would have had them arrested. He had
had troub BILE over McDonough's cows once
before. Market Inspector Davis corrobo-
rated him.
Further hearing of the case was post
poned until next week.
Dr. II. Morrow was appointed an inferno
at the City and County Hospital in place
of DR.. n. M. McGilligan.
1t was ordered that the Supervisors be
requested to appropriate $500 for the pur-
chase of instruments and hxings for the
Receiving Hospital.
The communication submitted to the
Grand Jury suggesting certain increases
in the force and expenses of the Office was
read and approved.
There have been 1866 deaths during the
year, as against 6059 the year before. The
births as recorded were 5000, against 1855
of the preceding year. The casualties
| numbered 1S3. the suicides 173, and homi-
cides 81. Consumption claimed 1908 n
| less than the year before Thirty of these
were under 15 years of age, and of this
thirty fourteen were under years. These
are considered to be due to the impure
milk the board has been making such a
| fight about. The increase in the death
rate is the first noticed in seven years.
| The report OF the plumbing inspector
| took the form of set of plum bing regu-
| lations such as are in use in Eastern cities.
| They will add to the City's revenue lit
! tie, for under one of the regulations the
City is allowed to charge a fee for plumb
] ing permits.