The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-06
THAT S., 600 LOSS.
Efforts of state Health Board to Pre-
vent Its Recurrence.

The State Board of Health has prepared
"a bill which il will present to the Legisla-
ture reconstructing the entire system of
laws of this State i'm reference to health
and sanitary matters. In connection with
this the board has sent to every member
of the Legislature the following letter:
ADDRESS you upon a matter of great
economy to the State. There is annually
lost in Indiana not less than. s5.Oo0.VO
through unnecessary disease and unneces-
this great sum be saved. This may be done
by the Legislature if ii VIII pass a proper
health law. \ bill has been carefully and
studiously prepared for the consideration
of the coming General Assembly. Its first
clause puts the present Board of Health
out of office. and so il is pain that self
seeking does not prompt this movement. The
major portion OF the bill has been drawn
from the health laws of Massachusetts
New York. Michigan and Pennsylvania.
These States have, through their health
laws. gained much wealth and power. Why
may not Indiana do likewise. The old law
is inefficient and not up TO date. IL does
not take account of recent discoveries i'm
sanitary science and fails to meet any con-
ditions necessary TO accomplish thorough
health work. IL may be likened unto an
old. wheeZy engine that coughs and groans
as il haulS its insignificant load. The State
Board of Health does not come as a sup
plant. 1t simply gives that
the disease and death annually known in
Indiana cause enormous losses i'm money
To the State: that much of this disease
and death IL unnecessary and that a prop
er health law will. through prevention.
save more money each year than is re-
quired to run the State government
In speaking of the matter yesterday. DIR.
Hurry, secretary of the board. said: Here
is a first-class example of the utter useless
ness of all the health laws we have: I
have received seven letters from as many
citizens in a small town asking the board
to send someone there TO stop the spread of
diphtheria. The board is powerless to do
anything unless the people of that town
sanction it. All 1 can do is to go there
and get those i'm authority to call a meet
ing of the Town Council to pass such or
dinances as | may suggest for the good OF
the town. But this is not always easy.
1t is especially true that i'm small towns
the people do not take much stock i'm the
ideas that the latest scientific discovery has
proved to be true i'm regard TO disease.
and the result is that they will not pass
such ordinances as are really necessary TO
make il possible to stamp out the disease.
Then that Is not the way those things
should be done. They should not be left
to the whims of the people of any town.
We should have a law in this State that
will give the health authorities the power
to go into a stricken town and promulgate
"A code of rules TO be followed which will
be as much law as if enacted by the Legis-
lature. and the board should have the pow
cr and the means to enforce these rules.
II is useless to undertake to stamp out
contagious disease when an effective quar-
antine cannot be maintained