The Lexington advertiser., 1908-02-28


! The Mississippi state board Of health
has presented the following very in.
! teresting memorial 10 the legislature ;
As the medical department of our
state government we appeal TO you for
your earnest support and cooperation
that we may be able to represent to
the hest advantage that interest en-
trusted 10 US by the people through
you as a lawmaker. You know with
out being reminded of the importance
of this duty. The health of the peO-
pie is of vastly more importance than
rivers and harbors, armies and navies,
banks and commerce, etc, etc, This
being true. you realize at once what
disadvantage We are laboring un-
der as q body without funds. We
would like to be able "a furnish vac.
cine points, diphtheril anti'toxine,
disipfectants, ETC., TO our county
health officers as the law directs with
out drawing on our county treasures
as Is the rule now.
We would be pleased to have a man
in the field as state lecturer, educat-
ing the people along sanitary lines,
te9ching them how to prevent disease
and to check and prevent spread after
il has developed; tn look after the sa.
nitary conditions of all public build.
ings, school houses, depots, railroad
trains, jails etc. also to distribute
literature along these lines. We shorl |
establish, too, and maintain, bacter-
biological laboratory for the early di.
agnosis of contagious and infectious
diseases tuberculosis, diphtheria,
etc. thereby preventing spread, Now,
TO do this as the law provides, and as
we are expected to do to protect the
health interests lf the state, it will be
necessary for us to have at least
$40, 600 per year to enable us to repre-
sent with some credit to ourselves and
the state this department of our state
government.
We shall ask at your hands, too, n
new law and some changes in pres ent
laws, which will be necessary to keep
apace with the times, and other states
This being the medical department as
we have stated of our state govern
ment. we are going to ask that you
change the law as to method OF APP
pointing this body. We feel that the
appointment should be made by the
governor upon recommendation of the
State Medical Association, and that
the number should be reduced to ten,
one from each congressional district
and two from the state at large A
small body would probably be more
active and entirely sufficient for the
work
We, as physicians, feel very forcibly
the need of a bureau of mortuary an6
vital statistics, which should be kept
by our secretary through the county
health officers, and be open at all
times for public inspection. Life in
suracne certificates are limited in this
state because of Jack of this, emigra.
tion is also hampered, etc. The law
requires such reports, but because of
carelessness or Indifference we find it
impossible to get blank returned
from great many physicians. So we
are asking that YOU make such neglect
punishable as misdemeanor.
A few words in interest of the pro
fession. We must have higher stan.
dard of medical men, We would have
no need of such law as we have just
asked for Ito force them to help keep
statstics) were they loyal to the pro-
fession, the community in which they
live and themselves, This can only
be done by raising the requirements
for license, which will work no hard
ship on anyone and save some commu-
nifty from service by an incompetent
man. A man can make as much at
most anything else as he can practic.
ing medicine for the first few years
We ask that a diploma from some re-
putable medical college be required
of each applicant tur license.
10 sum up:
1st An appropriation Of $40, 900 per
year instead off 30, 90 for purposes out.
lined.
2nd. The number be reduced to ten
(10) and 'how appointed" changed.
Bird. A law requiring physicians to
report births, deaths, ETC., under pen
atty.
4th. A higher standard for medical
men.
Now, what are you going to do, my
brother man, for this higher side of
human life? What contributions are
you going to make of your strength,
your influence your money. yourself,
to make cleaner, fuller, happier,
larger. noble life possible for some
of your fellow nen7
b. A. SHEPHERD, M. d.
4.a D. J. WILLIAMS. NJ. D.
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