The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-18
FIERY PAPER ON Il,
- l!Ii's HEALTH !::!
Investigate the Health Department, s ~
fnits the following report: 54 u. /.
Continued from First Pase'o' }.

with the gravity of me 2% t,sf ret,,niete
~ .s,co I s,,nu,d ia kept 81 Ill It's proceed.
nre and sG I" that end employed stetot
taper. whose transcript l,. s y nere"''n
'u 1hIs ' trascript is yoiun,nIous record.
siusve evidence tlis prIs,ssn,s n esa !
tts sd,nlstya tio Il te new etkods.
slromgSTI ot, bv Tic officers Of their func.
tions. 4,,.1 1. ,..brnt
~ az . 'co,npleto copy Of this report IN the
hands OF cnch member Of the Council.
but iack Of means to have such copies
made prevented ths: MN, J., !, !, 3, 1,
Inc course OF the investi Ion the mem
hcrs OF the Board OF Health were pres.
nyl,ation aa t soa GenSf or a tho
so,91lerd pn2pose Of o6talnns al! the
and OF avoiding doing any Injustice 70
the members Of the board IN ex paret
After very careful and conscientio,s
elaboration, your committee submits the
{ {a!o oRGfA ;,n::,TS AND ORDINANCES
Organization OF tho Board Of Health WIS
established for conditions obtaining many
years ago, when Richmond as vet had
not reached It's present size and import o.
been been made in thc knowledge Of tho causes
OF disease. and before adequate mcthoof
and means had been developed to pre-
vent 1t.
2. The science and practice Of sanlta a,
lion and hygicne is n distinct branch OF
learning from that .possessed by the gen,
be so recognized In the efforts q q com
m,nltv in lis warf,ro against disease.
g. rho Health, department Of Rich
nond IS practically "a. duai IN
Pe!E "9 from " b. q c ne coa %h and
the Board Of Health a
{. The Committee on Healtl, changes
expected 10 be trained IN sanitation. and
hence this body Is dependent on the bo5 rd
OF Health for advice and Recommended
tlons.
limited by being unable to take final nc-
ton. this power being vested IN "a
Council. after reference to the Commit
tee on Health.
nealtl, is IS Tho executive of,ccr Of III.
board. and tho other two members are
merely n s.1 advisory capacity. 80.
OF Health are general practltionTs
Of medicine, and their compensation
from the city is so small sato make
II ine te hn1 nrva 1 W sns n0aro
8. No member OF the Board Of
M Health has received such training as
is nowadays considered necessary,12r
a public health officer. and az -yfht
stated. being unable to devote hts en-.
tire time TO sanitation he cannot
keep up with the rapid advances In
oa I se siate ha the O. bs
Justly him him in devotlas Ills entire
ISL time to The city. It would not b
equip himself III the study}4of these
5s8 laws which are recognized AS a part
Of a mans education In tins class OF "a
9. The sanitary officers or inspectors
4 attached to this department are entirely
Inadequate In numbers and efficiency to
RRhey have "f had pu nsitser IL. training
The instruction 10 tell what constitutes
daneer, from :ant1ry sssndp9,, ~:
.s nj a. Officers. one died and his pise.
was never filled; so We have only three,
one very old man. In fact. they are
all good. worthy men, but old. broken
Of absorbing new information" More.
over. ''when the clerk tof the boardl Il
sick. and. unfortunately, during the last
1ody Ia. Sc to be there here 10 transfer e.rt.
Gates. as nobody can be buried uuth 4
certificate has been Issued. One Of these
officers has to be there, and that brings
Il down to two sanitary policemen Tor
The w!,oIe city Of Richmond"
10. The clerk OF the Board OF Health
Is registrar OF vital statistics, bookkeeper
the street Cleaning Department. APP
parcntly, he Is expected to>Ilo moro work
than It is possible for him TO do efctncly
The q ne hs,n Hs: .th,0sd
In a i'aphazard way, and with lack
Of that systematic plan which Is required
to make department good at the start,
to meet special conditions and emergen-
cIes as they arise. and to keep abreast
With the rapid growth OF sanitary selence
IL. Such ordinances as are In existence
he was mot sufficiently converssnt with
all the laws (relatlra to the Health De.
70 exactly where nn the,
where you can get them complete Is with
Mr.. august. TIE clerk Of the COUNCIL"
CD DEPARTMENT. ar N t:S'Ir,t or VITAL
!. Tho data for the compila tion Of the
statistics are gotten from tito brill, cer-
tiacates OF nhysIcians and mldwives, and
the de grsh retn. q sso.n
show In 1904 (the year examined sspe.
claIIy by your comnlttee). an actual de.
crease ln population OF Richmond by an
birth. (Births reported, CSC; deaths,
1870. incomplete returns by physleians
and -sn!dWlves Is, OF course, the expIana.
3. While there Is presumably no de.
flclency In the actual number Of death
certlficates (sInce no burial Is permitted
without oncl. the information contained
In these certificates Is very deficient.
4. Your committee recognizes tho FOL.
lowing purposes OF death certificates;
(a) TO prevent the conceallng OF death
from criminal causes.
90 TO obtain accurate data from
which. by comparison with the statlstics
OF death In other communities, nm idea
Of the local health situation may be OH
tained.
(c) TO indicate what measures should
be adopted to prevent or suppress dis
case.
Id TO supply evidence OF the efficiency