Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-02

ment by competent ofhclalS. II -
an ever present debt owed the
taxpayers and Is of equal I'M
portance with the maintenance OF an aoe-
quate police department as a protecuon
against crime and criminals. the puolc
health daily becomes more serious prop
lem, with the continued growth OF the large
cities and the increased sources OF con-
tamination for the water supply upon
which these cities depend.
When a State, through the agency OF an
experienced and skilled health depart
ment, practically eliminates typhoid and
scarlet fever; when dtphtheria has been
nearly eradicated and the waters of the
state are being rapidly purified, there IS
useful lesson to be learned by other states
and the methods employed embody every
element Of interest for those engaged else
where in protecting the people from the
ravages OF disease
About two years ago Pennsylvania came
10 fun realization that Its health laws
were meagre and Ineffective; that death
and disease were stalking hand in hand
within the environs OF the Commonwealth,
and that its negligence had grown so great
as to excite the wonder of the country.
Almost on the spur of the moment its ON
Gals decided that a remedy had to be
found. Result: The state Legislature OF
1905, with the approval OF Governor Penny
packer. placed on the statute books three
of the most comprehensive health laws
ever devised in the United States. II was
necessary that some Immediate and rad
ical steps be taken, for the State was
years behind her sister states in this
work.
STATE HEALTH ORGANIZATION.
Tie State Board of Health twenty years
In existence. had been IN Efficient hands,
hut with only nominal appropriation
al very limited powers This Board was
ahle 10 advise the doing or many things
but had no power TO put In operation nee
essary health measures.
The Legislature OF 1905 created the De-
partment of Health and gave its head
abundant power and large appropriation
10 protect the health OF the people OF Penn
sN'vania. An act passed by the same
Legislature charges the Commissioner with
the preservation Of the purity of the waters
OF the State while an earlier act creates
a Bureau Of Vital Statistics under the
Commissioner of Health, witch bureau
VII for the first time in the history of the
State collect accurate statistics of births
and deaths.
The act creating the Department OF
Health gave the Commissioner such broad
powers as to create fear that unless a
thoroughly upright and level headed man
were placed in charge OF the department
great harm would result by the use OF
misuse OF the authority vested in him
These fears were uuieted when Governor
Pennypa cker appointed DR.. samuel G.
Dixon, president OF the PHILADELPHIA Acad
emy of Natural Sciences, a man not only
OF Worldwide scientific repute but an active
man of affairs, who brought to the office
great executive ability as we'll as the nee
essary knowledge of sanitation.
Health Commissioner Dixon, but shor'
time in Office has been making long strides
toward perfecting the largest and mos
Important State health department in the
country. Commissioner Dixon, assisted by
his chief medical inspector, DR. Frederic
1al fV,az,
each county, keeps in close touch witt
every community in the state and is abb
AT the first signs Of an outbreak of disease
to put In motion the machinery for han
ding the epidemic and checking III
spread.
In a rural district without a board o.
health the Health Commissioner on learn
ing OF an outbreak Of typhoid fever details
the county medical Inspector to visit th'
scene and seek to locate the origlna
source OF infection. II may be the watel
or the milk supply Perhaps he nnds nu
rnerous petty pollutions of the water sup
Div that must be cleaned up. He urges tn
water company to have its watershed pa
trolied constantly and the pollutionl
stopped.
to the homes where the disease Is, and
without interfering with the family physi
clans he sees that the necessary precau
lions are taken to avoid secondary cases
The county medical Inspector may hnt
that the source OF Infection Is the mill
supply. and under Instructions from th'
Commissioner of Health he may find 4
necessary to cut OF an infected supply anC
insist upon the daries being put in SAM
tary condition.
OIPHTHERIA AND SCARLET FEVER.
Cases OF scarlet fever and diphtheri;
are closely watched. for as they general.
occur among school children II must b.
made certain that there Is careful isola
ton of the patients and that the othe
school children In the same household ar
excluded from school during the period o
illness and for thirty days after recover,
and dislnfection OF the premises, as re
quired by law.
when the daily reports OF communicate
diseases come in from the physicians q
the cases in the rural districts the record
are taken on on large sheets, and to eac
household in which there is a conta Eiou
disease Is sent a circular containing rule
observed by nurses and attendants
charge OF the patient Special attention
paid in these Circular 70 the necessity c