Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1907-01-09
DiPhtherIa. AntitooeIn clIytrI b1ltIn6 Citations
Pennsylvania

six members, the majority Of whom shall
be physicians Of ten years experience and
one civil engineer They are also APP
pointed by the Governor, with the advice
and consent of the Senate, for four years
and serve without pay The law says
1T shall be the duty Of the Commissioner
of Health to protect the health OF the peo-
pie of the State and to determine and en-
ploy the most efficient and practical means
for the prevention and suppression OF dis
ease" To carry out effectually the respOn-
sibility which this duty imposes the Com
missioner and his agents are given full
power to order nuisances detrimental to
the public health or the causes Of disease
and mortality to be abated and removed
and TO enforce quarantine regulations.
The Commissioner may issue warrants
to any sheriff, constable or policeman to
arrest persons who dlsobey the quar-
antine orders or regulations OF the De-
partment of Health, and in the inspection
of nuisances the Commissioners duly au-
thorized agents have the power and au-
thority conferred by law upon constables,
and where an owner OF the property re-
fuses to abate a nuisance detrimental to
the public health the Commissioner or his
agents may have such nuisances abated;
and to cover the cost of such action the
Commissioner may file a lien in the name
of the Commonwealth. as provided by law
for other municipal liens.
The Commissioner may revoke and mod
lify any order. regulation, bylaw OF or
dinance of a local board of health con-
corning a matter which in his judgment
affects the public health beyond the ter
ritory over which such local board has
jurisdiction.
General supervision is given the State
Commissioner of the registration OF
births, marriages, deaths and diseases; or
practitioners Of medicine and surgery, OF
midWdves. nurses and undertakers and OF
Iall persons whose occupation Is deemed
to be OF Importance in obtaining complete
registration Of births, deaths, marriages
and diseases.
| There are laid upon the Commissioner the
duty and responsibility Of preserving the
! purity Of the waters of the State for the
/ protection Of the public health. By wa
tiers Of the State" is meant all streams and
| springs and all bodies OF surface and
ground water, whether natural OF arti-
/ fetal. within the boundaries Of the State.
] whenever an the opinion of the Commits
sioner the sewage discharged into the wa
ters OF the State by individuals, private
| corporations or companies becomes in1ui1-
Gus to the public health he may order a
discharge Of such sewage discontinued.
He may also revoke permits that his de-
lpartment grants to municipalities to con-
struct or extend sewer system whenever
in his opinion the interests Of the public
health demand Il.
SKETCH OF THE WORKERS.
The personnel Of the department Is OF
ldistinct interest, since to those men has
been intrusted the health Of several million
people Samuel G. Dixon was born In
PHILADELPHIA March q. 1851. He prepared
for Harvard, but instead went abroad to
study. Returning to Philadelphia, he was
4 Graduated from the Mercantile College and
N lat L. az n
Bar in 1877. He studied medicine and was
4 graduated from the Medical School Of the
I University Of Pennsylvania In 1886. having
4 been. singularly honored by the trustees
before graduation by an appointment to
the position of assistant demonstrators or
physiology He went abroad again 10
study and was graduated from the Depart
ment of Bacteriology Of Kings College,
London. and afterward studied In Petten-
lkoferss laboratory of hygiene. in Munich.
while in Europe he made an exhaustive
study Of the disposition OF sewage IN large
cities. Upon his return, In 1888 ne was
made professor OF hygiene IN the Medical
school and dean of the Auxiliary Depart
lment of Medicine of the University OF
Pennsylvania. Leaving the university In
l1SqO he was made professor of bacteriology
J and nicroscopical technology at the Acad-
| env Of Natural Sciences Of Philadelphia,
executive curator in 1892 and president In
1885 which last TWO DOSlluuS ne sun noluos
he served for several years as member
of the Board Of Education Of Philadelphia
/ and as chairman of the Committee on Hy-
riene and did much to improve the sani-
E ltarv conditions of the schools Of that city
) DR.. BENJAMIN Lee who for twenty years
was the secretary Of the former sta .
{ BOARD Of Health, occupies the position OF
assistant TO the Commissioner. HIS long
: experience especially fitted him for the
t work of aiding the Commissioner to estao>
= ush and successfully build up the new De-
. lpartment of Health. DR.. Lee was spec
cialist OF widely recognized ability IN or
thopedic surgery before he began TO de-
vote his life to sanitary work
DR.. Frederic c. johnson. chief medical
Inspector, at the time OF his appointments
was assistant chief resident physician in
o the Philadelphia Hospital.
\ +. Herbert Snow, chief sanitary engi.
e neer, is one Of the best known engineers
. in the country Mr.. Snow is a pioneer in
= the work of devising sanitary systems OF
s sewage disposal and his knowledge and
Il experience are Of incstmable value TO the
= Department of Health in It's dealings with
e municipalities and corporations IN regard
r to sewage and water supply systems.
= DR.. Wilmer r. Bait state Registrar Of
-lVitai Statistics IS a graduate of the Uni
= 'versitv OF Pennsylvania Medical school,
tlclass OF 1854 For a number OF years he
- had been identified with sanitary work In
4 Philadelphia and with The State quaran-