Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-01-22
Board Of Health Meeting.
Report Of +. II. VanDvke, superin.
tendent of Bnard of Health of
Williams County, N. D. ~

At meeting of the board of health of
Williams county, N. D., held at Willis
ton, Jan. 21st, 1903. at which we're pres
eDt. F. H. VanDyke, supt., W. B. Over.
son, president, and W. D, Rarshall, vice
president, the folloKfne report was read
bv F. H. VanDyke. and was on motion
ordered published in the Williaton Her
aid, Williston Graphic, and Buford Trib.
une:
Gentlemen Of this Board: We have
met here 10 qualify as the Board of
Health of Williams county for the ensu-
ing year., The honorable commissioners
have seen at to appoint US to,our various
positions to hook after the health of our
citizens and the sanitary conditions of
our county. The state has so composed
the board that it is a democratic organ.
ization, consulting of the law, the ne,li-
cal profession. and the people. It is our
duty to make our rules and regulations
so plain that the laity can understand
them, and need not err. It shall be our
burden to prevent the spread @. conta.
Rion and infection-tO see that our water,
food. and, all supposed carriers. OF. conts.
gion and Infection. are clean and pure.
There is bill on pure food laws before
our present senate and house, and may
it not be curtailed and amended so that
it's virtues are lost. It is our duty to see
that our dairy men bring us no milk from
cows affected with tuberculosis or lumpy
jaw; that our butchers kill US only heal
thy meat and serve it to US clean; that
our bakers use no alum in their bread
or yellow ochre in their ROLLS; that our
grocers sell US no canned embalmed
meats. These commodities of life are
essential to. our we'll being. and We
should 80 guard them that they prove
not to be carriers of sickness and disease.
To do this will require the support of
each member of tho board, aud the CO.
operation of the citizens of the county.
We are taught to-day to believe that
contagion and infection are caused by
germs, and that plain dirt makes good
field for them to breed and propagate.
1t by keeping our habitstions and sur
roundines clean, our garbage and refuse
carried of. unslaked lime. or its equiva-
lent. in our outhouses, we can prevent
an endemic in our town or county, our
task has been small and our benefit
great. We have all the natural require
ments for healthy community, it We
live up to these rules.
child is sick with sore throat and fever,
to call in their physician, and should he
pronounce it diphti,erk., to notify the
health officer that he may quarantine
ard isolate the child and family.
It is the duty of every parent a child
is sick with high fever aud vomiting,
and the next day has 4 rash to call their
family physician, aud should lie dag
nose the case scarlet fever to notify this
Board.
Small pox rs we have it today, ia not
nearl y Ms viruient or NJ fatal ~ it was
after the war of the Rebellion, having
been modified by vaccination and treat
ment, but nevertheless it is Il contayion,
aud still il a loaths,ne disease, and it is
the law Of the United States aud also
the State law tn quarantine. Where a
person has lever with headache, back
ache. and later on followed by an ernp-
ton, and the eruption becomes pus, ular;
when they will appear on the thick skin
of the palms of the hands aud the soles
of the fee', the householder .r the ply
stefan is required to report such a case
to the Board of Health, and the law
places penalty for those who break
these rules. ~>.
Sick children, no matter what the
sickness is, should not be allowed to 70
to school, to church, or to any public
RaCnerlnK.
1t is not disgrace to he guaranteed,
as some seem to zee it, hat more of a
calsnity-still for hunanitv's benefit,
anything having tendency to the saw.
ing of life or the mitigation Of disease, il
a duty we owe mankind, and our love
of ftllowman and our hatred Of disease
should be 80 strong that we would will.
ingly forego few davs of liberty
+. H. VANDYKE,
Health Officer, Williams County.