The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-02-05
FOR PUBLIC
GOOD HEALTH
STATE BOARD INvoKEs AID OF
THE LAW.
!. I.3TioNS TO BE BROUGHT
Sanitary Authorities Proceed Against
Counties That Have Not Made
Necessary Appointments.

In several counties of the state the
law requiring the appointment of
county health officers has not been
complied with. Now the delinquents
are to be prosecuted, as the neglect
is considered SO seriously by the state
BOARD of health as to warrant the
adoption OF tne drastic measure pro-
posed in order that the public health
may not be endangered because OF the
neglect of county commissioners.
This action was decided upon at the
boards meeting at Helena last Tues
day, when a resolution was adopted
requesting the attorney general OF the
state to proceed against the delln-
quents at his earliest possible conve-
nience. The board is determined that
the law shall be obeyeu and the ap-
pOintments made.
The attorney general was also peti-
toned to proceed against another
class who have been showing their
contempt tor the law. These are the
health officers who are not making
their reports as required by law. In
their case lne attorney general was
f; asked to take sucn steps as he might
deem most advisable.
The board decided to call a meeting
of the local and county health officers
! of the state, to be held at Helena May
and 3. The purpose OF the board
! is to bring the officers together for
| a general study and discussion sof
! the best methods of handling and
/ preventing the spread of cOntaGiOus
and infectious diseases. A commiVee
/ was appointed to prepare a pro
! gramme, which will include a number
i of papers by prominent members OF
| the profession in the state. Effort
will also be made to secure a lecture
| from some eminent scientist outside
of the state.
An invitation to attend wild be ex-
| tended to all who are interested in
| sanitary matters, regardless of wheth-
er they are members of the profession
or not.
/ A resolution prevailed requesting
| the Montana representation in con-
gress to secure a continuance of the
Investigations made by the United
States marine hospital service into
the spotted" fever, the mysterioul
disease which appears annually in the
Bitter Roo valley and occasionally
near Bridger.
Law Is Strict.
1t has developed that i'll some cOun-
ties trouble has arisen over the man
ner III which health nfilers have been
appointed. In those counties the COM
missioners made such appointments
While sitting as boards OF commits
sioners, whereas the law requires that
they be made while the commission
ers are in session as county boards
| of health Dawson county is one OF
those in which this provision of the
law was ignored and the result is that
i suit has been brought for the re-
i covery of money paid to health offl'
Ger on the ground that he had not
been legally appointed.
i General Health Good.
I The secretary of the board reported
that with one or two exceptions the
work of the different county health
!, officers has been performed in an ex-
= cellent manner. Reports are made
! by them promptly in majority OF
cases. The general health of the
J state at this Llme is good. The n,z-S~
ber of contagious diseases is smaller
than it has been in amy school quar-
ter since the creation of the board.
| Nearly all the physicians of the
state have been making reports o1
] births and deaths to the Offices od
the county clerks. A few have taken
stubborn stand in the matter and
refuse to make such reports. In those
cases steps will be taken to enforce
compliance with the law. A fine o.
$50 is the punishment imposed fol
any doctor who fails to make the
reports.