The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-30

public health and property of human
life. (see article 4si5 Under title Nl
Sayles' pigesn
But your memorialis,s desire par.
Ucularly ia call your attention TO the
taet that State medicine is now nrom
mont factor In the more advanced e{ates
manship of al the civilized nations of
me earth England France Germany.
and even semi barharous Hungary have
all provided effective organizations fo,
me administration Of sanitary laws for
inc benefit OF their people Your me-
moralists have been unable 10 secure a
COPY OF the health laws Of the ropublic
OF Mexico, but Il is understood that tbs
! enlightened government of that voupr
nation mas recently taken an advanced
posIlou on the subject OF public santa
In indeed state medicine public by.
gene or some other title Of similar slc
uiueaNce constitutes a special branch
OF teaching In most nt The prominent
medical schools OF the world.
:, Massachusetts WIS the FIRST OF tho
nnited states To provide board of health
10y the protection of the lives and prop
OF her cllzons' Massachusetts wns
NE hrst or the United States 10 sufler
from yellow fever More than 200 years
ago when the city OF Boston was a village
Hs compared with the present populatiop'
yellow FEVER swept 2600 human lives out Of
existence Subsequent visiatioas were
orly little less fatal, Ene1tive sanitary
measures nave long since rendered them
exempt Philadelphia and New York wsrs
the next places visited by The pestilential
seotrge They. too. are now considered
( exempt. as Is also Baltimore the latter
standing pre- eminent for its cleanliness.
Thirty states OF the Union within the
knoMiGdge OF your memoriaists have
awaited themselves OF the protection ~
Z u Tod NJ.
OF health, Organization OF this kud In
many states, II Is true, are imperfect and
lall Tar short of the accomplishment OF the
purposes Tor which they were Instituted.
In Others, however. as for instance the
States OF Massachusetts, New York. Ohio,
Michigan. Tennessee, Florida and Alabama
| have organizations of supreme excellence
the benefits of which are beyond computa-
ton. We do not mention the boards Of
/ health OF Mississippi and Louisiana be-
cause the results of their labors, while ap-
precleted by your memorialists, are less
4 palpable to the popular mind
I'VE may refer, however. to the COM
| paratiyely new State of Colorado. whose
board of health and vital statistics have
| contributed more Through their annual
/ reports) TO the material interests OF that
I Commonwealth than all her mineral de-
/ posts, Even the Territory OF Oklahoma
| pronting by the prosperity secured to her
/ OF health and vital statistics, has been
1 prompt TO avail herself OF similar or
G@aization, and Is now reaping benefits
therefrom, in the acquisition Of desirable
| citizens,
"The comparatively healthy condition OF
our state and the apparently low death
rate in it's population, may to some extent
excuse former legislatures Tor negligence
on this important suhject but the recent
widespread prevalence OF smallpox, with
all OF its loathsomeness and fatalities, tho
no less widespread prevalenco OF cerebro-
spinal meningitis. with the fearful death
rate that attends it, progress, seem 60 de-
mand of the present legislature prompt
and efficient action on this subject.
That our present health laws are wnOl-
ly Insufficient for the protection to which
people are entitled Is made oonspicuCisly
manifest by The results OF the epidemic
now prevalent IN Laredo and the eXtraor-
dinary measures adopted 10 abate Il. That
this foul disease has been distributed from
that point, or some other, despite the vigil
lance " the present health officer, over a
very large minority OF the counties of the
STATE, is apparent from constant reports
IN the daily press during the last three or
four months
iNour melnorialisis made an effort 10
secure accurate mtormatinn As to the
number OF counties In which II has APP
peared aud an application 10 the stats
health office for information on this sub
Ject was met with the response that his
was merely y quarantine oiiico and kept
no record Of the character requested.
The damage which mas occurred 10 the
state from this residential visitation Is
beyond computation. Its peeuniary cost