Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-12
OUT OF ADJUSTMENT.
IS TRE ORGANIZATION OF THE
laEAATH DEPARTMENT.
- "'a Communication ON ,lae Subject fcern
Dr. Styal. 0u-stfon OF the
Public Health.

"''Rii ictclNeu al unlS Office from tl:C.
treasurer OF the Medical Society Of VIZ
Sinla and a we'll known physician, now
practising here, and will be read with
interest:
The arraignment o: tie president of
the Board of Health of this city before
his honor. the mayor. on serious charges
made against his integrity as man.
and the manner in when he discharged
MS official duties during the recent
pubic excitement, caused by The fear
" an invasion of the Community by
yellow fever. makes it apparent ID all
thtrt there is something radically out
of adjustment in the WORKING, Of the
health department.. OF in the ordinance,
governing that department o. our city
government. which it is the duty Of tn,
community and the Com 2lun Council
20 seek out and remedy. 10 Fall at
zentlon to some things Which the
writer who has no other interest than
that felt by all good citizens in the
matter. conceivcs to be Serious defects
in the mana cement ~ Nv. city's gov
eminent Of the health affairs Of this
community. is the sole object CT this
paper. Without attempting anything
IKE full exposition Of my views upon
ihe subjects involved l shall briefly
present few of them 1t is We'll
known that the epidemic OF smallpox
which prevailed in this community last
winter cost the city 4 great deal more
than such opidemics generally cost
elsewhere and I an, fully convinced
chat this great cost was in 10 small
measure due to the lax manner in Which
the epidemic was handled.
Perhaps the most serious defect in
the organization Of this city's health
department is the authority the Boar,
W Health seems to have 70 employ its
own members to attend persons affect
ed with epidemic diseases. and to con
tract lor IN" maintenance and support
Of those affected and in uuarantinz
This has proven TO be IN unmitigated
evil wherever practced ana has Ions:
since been abandoned by the most eH-
perienced and best governed conlmuni-
ties 1t is a matter Of common report
that the president of The Board If
Health was employed ut stioend If
$40 per day TO attend smallpox eases
during the epidenlic la : winter and
WAS. also. allowed to contract for the
maintenance and support OF the affect
ed and those held in quarantine. Wills
he was paid a salary # only $500 4
Year u protect the community agains
the countless evils arising from c;.:-
denies. had sanitation and worse nv
:sicne-four hundred dollars Il yea. as
The guardian of the pubic health, and
as many or more thousands to let III :
epidemic spread and to become in his
own person the most active medium irr
us destruction. With these same Erac-
tlces in force the community is moro
than liable 70 repetition of its last
years experience with smallpox dul r :
the approaching Writer.
The responsibility for this state Of
affairs lies with the Common Council,
rot with the Board OF Health and they,
not the president Of the Board OF
Health. should answer at the bar of
public opinion for all the ills arising
out Of it. The council should not peg
init any condition 10 exist in the man
agemcnt of the public health which al
lows the president. or any other n.cni-
Der of the Board OF Health To realize
thousands of dollars by the admission
IF an epidemic, for which he is laid
only !, pittance to exclude.
The remedy for this condition might
be found here. as it has been found
elsewhere. in the following:
"A council committee on health. whose
duty 1t would be to award all contr ret 5
for maintenance and support Of affect
ed and uuarantined. and to exercise i
genera! SUPERVISION over all hcalt!. at
fairs in the city.
The president OF the Eoard Of Health
should be paid a sufficient salary 10
secure the services of a thoroughly ~
relnnced and competent physician and
he should not be allowed to be a ,,Afty
TO any contract for supplies, or be en-
ploycd by the municipality 10 at.-ru
f.3S so nf .ariT ,ay, ,ir -: &c
ease. His duty to prevent and suppress
epidemics should be 50 .learly def. :e.
by ordinance that there could be 10
possible ground for his net knowing he
is interested in the suppression Of dis
case and not in its spread
During the prevalence o. smallpox 81
ocher epidemic disease. the Board Of
Health and council COMMITTEES. on
health should Jointly employ a corlpe-
tent physician at a stated salary, to
attend all the city's cases and require
him to reside at the hospital or near
BY, and give his entire and exclusive
attention to the service FOR which he is
employed. If the epidemic is very ev
tensivc this Physician should no. be
allowed to leave the hospital, and the
city should employ another physi ian
- visit and diagnose all suspected cases
before they aue sent to the hospital arg
report to the Board of Health.
The authority to issue necessary per-
mits to pass from and into the citv in
time Of threatened or actual epidemic
should be vested in the whole Board OF
Health only, and should be signed l.oth
by the president and secretary OF the
same.
The city is to be congratulated upon
the courageous and cninently just las
posal Of the case BY her chief rnagis-
tratc.
"R. T. sTYLL, Phi. G., M. d.
Newport News, Va, Oct. il, 1899.