The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-11
IT HAS MUCH POWER
BUT NO WHEREWITHAL
last Legislature Provided
$35, 900 a Year for the
Work, but $4,000 More a
Year is Required.
palladium specially

tnat the next legislature Will De mucn
more liberal with its appropriations
for the state board of health than the
former legislatures have been. The
state board Of health has for several
years been complaining because 1t has
not had sufficient money with which
to carry on It's work, and it has COM
planned that Il has been sorely hamp-
cred along this line. The last two leg
islatures especially were the target for
the criticism of the board because
much new work was cut out for the
health department while the appro-
priations made by the legislature were
30 small that the new requirements
could not be met as they should have
been met.
The department Is not complaining
about the power 1t has under the law.
II has wide Jurisdiction. both In the
health department and In the pure
food department. 1t has authority to
condemn anything that Is injurious
to public health. It has power to con-
denim school houses which are in an
unsanitary condition.
Inspect School Plans.
Plans for all school houses must
be submitted to the state board of
health for approval before they are
adopted by the school authorities. The
health department pays attention to
the ventilation, heating, lighting and
every other feature of the proposed
buildings. II takes into consideration
the provisions for the safety OF the
pupils in case of fire or other catas-
trophies. 1t sees to It that ample pro-
vision il made for exit from the build
ings. 1t takes into account also the
general surroundings. the ground on
which the building Is to be erected.
In fact. every feature OF the construc-
ton OF the school house must receive
the approval Of the board before the
building can be erected.
The board has authority to inspect
all school buildings and to determine
whether they are sanitary or unsani-
tary. It has the power to condemn
any unsanitary school building and to
prevent the use OF q building which
1t regards as unfit for use, and this
power has been exercised in numer-
GUS instances throughout the state.
To Control Epidemics.
The health department has full pow
er to take control Of an epidemic In
order to guard against spread Of
disease. It collects and records all
health statistics In the state. such as
births. deaths. accidents, ETC. Com
plcte records Of these matters are
made and kept In the office of the
board where they are valuable many
times, for reference.
All OF this requires much help both
in the office and In the field. and all
OF this help costs money. In fact
the department has not had enough
money to carry on this part of the
work as 1t should. The department
has made frequent complaints about
its lack of field men to send out in
the state and make inspections. 1t is
understood that scores OF complaints
reach the board of unsanitary condi-
lions at school houses in the state
that cannot be investigated because
the board has not enough field men to
send out to make the investigations
Besides this the state board Of
health has the food and drug labor
atory az one of its departments, and
this costs lot of money. This is the
pure food department. 1t has charge
Of the Endorsement of the pure food
laws OF the state. which Is one of the
most important tasks In all OF the
state government.
Has Two Laboratories.
Two laboratories are maintained by
the health department. One is the
meteorological laboratory which deals
with disease. In this laboratory tests
are made to determine the presence
1T typhoid fever. consumption. hydro
phobia and other similar maladies. It
employs several chemists because Of
the great amount OF work that Is sent
IN by physicians from all over the
state All OF this work Is done free OF
charge.
The food and drug laboratory en-
I ploys several chemists and clerks, and
several field inspectors. These in
spectors go about over the state and
NV tue4t tsHC xWAG ASS<yu laws AIG OO<sy-
ed. 1t II their duty to make inspec-
lions Of AL groceries, meat markets,
drug stores, hotels, restaurants. bak-
cries, slaughter houses. canning fac
tories and other food producing
places. In fact, they are supposed to
visit and inspect every place in which
food stuffs are produced or sold. They
explain the laws to the manufacturers
and dealers and see that they and the
rules Of the board Of health are obey
ed. They have the power, represent
X ing The health department to con-
II tlemn f0odstuffs that ara unfit for
n ui1a. They ALSO cause the arrest ok
y parUnna who willfully violate the pure
yped laWa There b scarcely coun-
m n inelana Ii which there have NOT
oo proeecutlOns by the inspectors