The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-08-24
The Matter of Health-A Subject
for Legislation.


Wedge6eld, S. G. August 22.-T1e polit-
ica meeting at Shiloh, Mr. Editor reminded
us of one of the first sayings We ever remem-
ber of having heard ''There were two over
seers to one nieeer in North Carolina before
the wa-." Fifty voters aad twenty-five or
thirty candidates. We might venture the as
eertion that should The candidates come to
Wedge6eld the condition would be more so.
Ia these times of education, progress and en-
lighteameut no candidate should receive even
his own vote who did not favor sustaining
the State institutions aud improvement of the
public schools; but why should all OF them
mention dspeusary aud stop. We fear the
people are 70 blame. Every man who runs
for Office now seems to be we'll educated as to
how the people want them to be and touch 10
subject that they are not obliged to. Our
humble opinion is that education and health
60 hand in hand. What good does learoiug
and money both do nan or woman, either,
if they are sick all the time and there is no
class of men who work free of charge more
for the good of the people than doctors. Yet
when they talk health and how to preserve it
they are treated as if they were working for
the good of themselves or some other brother
physician, or some body of physicians. For
example, there is one State Board of Health,
created by the Legislature. one of the most
important organizations 10 the State solely
for the care and protection Of the people of
the State, largely at the expense of the ply.
scians of the State and yet our people work
against it as though it was only for the beHe-
fit of "the doctors," at the expense of the
people. Every day you hear of somebody
getting sick, complaining that the doctor
cannot get them we'll 10 day, and grum-
bling when the doctors bill is presented.
But you never hear any one ask about the
State Board of Health, or trying to carry out
the laws Of nature to prevent their getting
sick The State Board of Health is cempos-
ed of seven pbyslcians, and the Comptroller
General and Attorney General of the State.
The law provides that they receive the same
pay as members Of the Legislature, and re-
oaire them to meet four times a year The
board asked last year for 81 500 to carry 90
their work. 1t was by hard work on the
part of the Senate that they got an appropri-
alton of $500, and from this last amount
the Comptroller General deducted 1872 for
printing, which leaves the paltry sum of S978,
thus discriminating against the board, mas
much as 10 all of the other departments of
the State the printing is paid for out of the
State treasury. Owing to the inadequate ap-
preparation the board can only meet ouce
this year, while the law says it
must meet four times. Penny wise
and pound foolish Some of our smart
men last year fought the appropriation in
the House, using as an argument that Doctors
could not tell typhoid fever from malarial
fever spiced with -idcue and so-called sar-
casm, when the board had no money to en-
ploy pathologist by which to decide at once
what the disease was.
Now what have the doctors of the State in
council done? In the place of Dr.. Taber who
died last year, they appointed Dr.. Wilson Of
Charleston, one ofthe best pathologsts in the
country. What was their main object in se-
lectng Dr. Wilson? Because the Legislature
did not give them any money to employ a
specialist, aod Dr.. Wilson being on this
board would do the work for the men, wo-
men and children of South Carolina for
nothing. There are forty odd doctors over
the State who serve on committees, who not
only receive no pay but serve at cousidera.
ble cost to Themselves This they do cheer
fully for the people of South Carolina, and
these people who should be grateful, send
men TO the Legislature who ridicule, belittle
and abuse theua and the cause they represent.
How many voters are asking their candi-
dates how they stand as to the State Board
appropriation, and extending the Act to
every township in the State, so that we who
live in the country districts may have the
same protection as those who live in cities
where they have City Boards of Health ?
am afraid to write any more, kr. Editor,
for fear you will not publish 80 long an arti.
cle and one fear go dry to great many,
so will close oy simply making a few COM
parsons between our impoverished State,
aad partially 80 by her penny wise and
pound foolish lawmakers, and some of her
sste. States South Carolina received this
year Ss7s, Massachusetts, S57, 900, Alabama
$4,000, illinois $50 Minnesota $4,000,
the little State of Rhode Island $4,000; and
so it goes Of course the large, rich States
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