Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-31
STATE HEALTH BOARD
ANNUAL MEETING HERE LAST
NIGHT OF THIS BODY.
INTERESTING PAPERS ARE READ
school Hygiene and Water Supplies
= Two of the Important subjects
Compulsory Vaccination an" """'
nnfjne Rules Discussed.

The members Of the State Board OF
Health. who were recently appointed by
Governor O'Ferrall, met at Murphy
Hotel last night. and. after organization
transacted much business of interest.
There we're present Drs. Rawley w.
Martin. Of I.ynchburg: Hugh NJ Taylor,
Paulus a. Irving, and Landon Il. Ed
wards. Of Richmond; V. G.. Culpeper' OF
Portsmouth: ]. +. Harvie. Of Danvillei
and J. II. Neff of Harrisonburg' the lat-
ter two being the only new members OF
the board. DR.. Martin was reelected
president. and Dr. Irving was chosen TO
succeed himself as secretary.
PAPER on SCHOOL HYGIENE.
This being done. Or. Irving submitted
!. his report which was altogether routine
in it's nature. and an elaborate and highly
interesting paper on school hygiene, pre-
pared by Dr. X. j. Preston, Of Marion, an
ex-member OF the board was read. The
paper treated OF the avoidable dangers OF
imperfectly ventilated school-rooms. ana
discussed the question exhaustiVey'
Among other things, the paper suggests
that 1.-The ears Of children should never
be boxed or pulled. nor should Children
ever be struck over the head, nor on the
palms Of the hand with ruler. Ihese
punishments are dangerous. Pupils should
not be deprived Of their meals, nor OF
their periods Of exercise and recreation.
1.-THE baneful cigarette is pro-
duclng untold injury TO the rising genera
tion. and should be abolished by law
on, ,srITT TlpETN
No action was taken on this paper and
the board, passing TO the next subject
DR. Neff spoke in regard to the Jaw
regulating the vaccination Of school-chll-
dren, asserting IL as his opinion that lhe
Legislature should make It mandatory on
school boards 10 see that pupils are
vaccinated, rather than discretionary, as
is now the case. on motion Of DR.. Tay-
Tor. a committee was appointed consist
ing Of himself Drs. Nen and HarVe' TO
examine into school vaccination.
DR.. Neff then discussed the quarantine
question, and argued that instead or one
city quarantining against another 10 guard
against infectious diseases it were better
that the infected individuals be quaran-
tined. No motion being mace with REFER
ence to this, the question OF reports from
county boards of health was taken up
and on motion Of Or. Taylor, DTS. Cul-
pepper. Edwards. and Irving were app
pointed a committee TO decide as to the
character of the reports TO be made by
county boards.
VENTILATION OF SCHOOL-ROOMS.
AT this iuncture DR.. Edwards offered
the following resolution, which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Public lnsu-
tutions and Hygiene:
"Resolved. That the board take up the
subject of ventilation i'm school-rOOms ana
other public buildings and ask for re-
port from a committee of three, TO be
appointed. said report 10 embody pracu-
cal working suggestions to be presented
during the next session Of the board"
President Martin suggested that COM
mittee be appointed to write paper Oh
milk infection. or children's disease, for
the May issue Of the Bulletin. the Off
cial organ Of the board, and his sugges-
tion being adopted. DR.. Harvie was dele
gated to prepare the paper.
USE OF CIsTERNs CONDEMNED.
DR.. Culpeper, chairman Of the Commit
tee on Water Supply. made a report. I'm
which he condemned the use of cisterns
and also assahed the use Of water meters
in cities. asserting that both were in
strumental in producing disease. the for
mer by causing impurities I'm water, and
the latter by causing a dminution in the
use of water. This report was discussed
by Drs. Taylor Neff. and Harvie. DR..
Nen defended the use of cisterns. and DR.
Harvie spoke OF the many benefits TO be
derived from the use Of water meters.
The report was laid on the table.
Dr. Irving. under the head Of new bust
ness, offered a resolution endorsing Sen
ate Executive Document, No. 3. which
provides for the institution by the Gene
raj Government Of "A permanent census
bureau Action on this was deferred until
the next meeting. and after adopting a
vote II thanks TO DR.. Preston for his
admirable paper on school hygiene the
board adjourned to meet again i'm June.