The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-29
HEALTH BOARD %
BEGIN CAMPAIGN
IN State At ONCE
Important Plans to Be Pro
jected at First Meeting on
Wednesday,. Fight on
White Plague.
,rk for the protcctionlof the pub

II! ut1ALS 11l s w. 7+l3s
Work for the protectionlof the pub.
lllc health in Virginia will receive 8
tremendous impetus through the or.
ganization on Wednesday of this week
of the new State Board of Health
oft1tes of which will open on July Isl
at. No. ITO Capitol Street, and Off.
Gals OF which will qualify and enter
Upon their new duties at once
DIR. Ennion G. Williams, the new
State health commissioner. has out-
lined the. preliminary work Of the
board with such care that the de-
apartment will be In position to become
| Immediately effective IN no way,
however. does the board supercedc or
interfere with county or city health
organizations, the function of the State
body being to supply facilities which
1t would be impossible for localities to
maintain Individually, to educate the
people generally in health matters and
to give advice in case Of epidemic.
The New Bonrd.
The work OF the State board will
be largely educational the department
laboring as closely as possible will,
the public schools, and arranging for
the instruction Of both teachers and
pupils in 8hyglence and methods of pre-
venting disease.
monthly bulletin will be issued
and copies will be sent to all physi-
clans. public institutions and news
papers In the state, giving information
as to the condition of the public health.
AS there rs no State law in Virginia
compelling the registration-of vital
statistics, there will be for the present
OF determining precisely the progress
OF the campaign against various dis
eases.
The board will have completely
which will be in charge of DR., Meade
Blacksburg. and to which physicians
throughout the State can send samples
Of those suspected of having consump-
ton for examination and report, thus
giving to country and small town doc
tors the same facilities now afforded
to physicians in all cities by the muni-
cipal health boards.
:, pr. Allen ". Freeman; formerly the
be the assistant health officer under
work will be. largely of the same char
acter throughout the State as it has
been in Richmond. Wherever cpl
denies of contagious and infectious
spond to the call of the local or coun-
ty health boards. and will make per-
sonal examlnatio into the causes. The
request for assistance will always have
for, as already stated, their authority
Is by no means limited by the new
board, the powers Of which are largely
advisory.
Itions on preliminary examination
seem TO justify it. as for instance in an
Iepidemic Of smallpox or typhoid fever
the State authorities stand ready to
take charge of the situation. and do
Everything possible for the relief OF
has had two requests from county au-
|thorities to make an expert examina-
ton into the cause of the prevalence
Iof typhoid fever in their localities, and
as soon as he Is sworn in on Wednes-
day he will leave the city on a tour
|of Investigation.
Campaign In State.
In addition to directing the work OF
the department, DR.. Williams, the chief
health officer, will make his especial
work a State campaign against tuber-
culosis, by means of literature sent
out. and lectures in schools and col
leges. before county medical societies.
scIption. The law authorizes the de-
partment to establish a State sanato-
'rium for the treatment of consump-
tives Ii the way be clear. and this
matter will be considered by the board
lat it's meeting on Wednesday,. Several
sites have already been offered both
for white and colored Institutions The
board has not determined as vet, how
ever. whether the best results will be
obtained by a single State hospital or
S.1s. ~
treatment Of the cases under their
care.
a branch only partially provided for
under the present appropriation will
be the department of sanitation. which
drainage systems Of various cities and
report on their healthfulness For the
present, archaeological examination
can be made of samples of water sub
United, hui. eventually 1t is hoped the
board can retain for all or part of his
time the services of a competent SAINT
ltary engineer who can confer with
towns and cities proposing to erect and
enlarge water plants. and advise them
from q sanitary viewpoint With regard
to the location of the town and its
nea : ths to surrounding settlements
nnd hs y q POSSIBLE sources
ready there have been a number Of
requests for examination of samples Of
water from streams which it Is, pro-
voirs.
stand for Publicity.
/ The officials of the new Health De-
partment stand for the fullest pub
licitN with regard to conditions
/. throughout the State, and will publish
4 the facts IS rapidly as they can ne
4 gathered. II is believed that only in
this way cam the public be educated
Editions and to the Importance Of adopt
ling the best methods Of preventing the
\ spread OF disease.
1lMOL|l2lNERS GOT