The Calumet news., 1912-05-29
Hancock Department
LAX OBSERVANCE
OF HEALTH LAWS
INADEQUATE HEALTH INSPEc.
TloN BECAUSE PEOPLE DO
NOT PAY FOR ANY
THING BETTER.

"The cheapest thing the people ar,
getting today. from a financial and eff.
cheney standpoint, is health inspcc.
tion." said Dr. Edward r. Abrams Of
Hancock member of the state board o
health, in an interview on health anC
hNgienic matters with News reporter
Joday. Cheap financially becaus,
they are paying nothing for IL; chear
from a point Of efficiency because they
are getting practically no health in
spection."
Continuing he said. "They are not
getting Efficient health inspection be-
cause they cannot get doctors TO devote
time and attention to il for the salaries
that are paid in most municipalities
in Marquette the health officer receives
S40O; in Hancock / believe he gets
$500; in many townships they pay
from $50 To 500 and the health cfhcer
has the entire township TO look after
A health officer should receive not
less than $1,000 per year. which woGld
enable him to give mp a considerable
part of his time and talents to looking
after sanitary conditions receiving and
investigating complaints and enforcing
the health laws.
Health officials and physicians
throughout the state are lax i'm report
ing contagious diseases to the state
board Of health and TO this fact can be
attributed the epidemic of typhoid
fever in Marquette, where not one OF
the cases were reported up to the time
the state board OF health was called in.
The duty of the physician who attend
ed the first case was to Immediately
make report as soon as he had conf
pleted his diagnosis. then to trace the
origin of the disease.
Every physician knows that from
eight TO ten per cent of typhoid pa
tlents die, even in the very best hos
pitfalls, and it is perfectly safe TO say
up to date ten persons IN Marquette
viii sacrifice their lives to inehciency
and lack OF enforcement of health laws,
At the present time there is an out
break Of diptheria at PoIt Huron. The
state board OF health has been called
in to assist the local authorities IA
stamping it out but Up to the time the
board was called in not one case had
been officially reported.
DR.. Abrams approved of the meas
ures that are being taken by City
Manager Stockly and Health officer
Gallen. in Hancock To enforce cleaner
conditions and to prosecute those who
refuse to obey the laws.
People who refuse to obey the
health laws of the state and Of the
municipality should be prosecuted ne
said emphatically.
The Laurium Sewers.
The state board OF health has no
Jurisdiction in enforcing compliance
with the laws" said DIR. Abrams its
powers are advisory and recommended
tory and it IS UP to the people them
selves and their only elected officials
TO conduct prosecutions. l recently
examined the Laurium sewer, concern
ing which complaint had been made
that it is a public nuisance
There Is no question but that The
Laurlum sewer as n now eNlsts, Is
public nuisance; said the doctor, out
the state board of health has no con-
troll over It, it being a subject for the
residents Of the village to take up and
present to the prosecuting attorney of
the county, whose duty it is to enforce
the law"
Since his appointment as member
of the state beard of health by Gov
crnor Osborn, DIR. Abrams has been
energetic i'm Investigating health condi-
tions i'm this section, and his comments
are based on careful thought and OBJ
servation. He is one Of the most in
fuential members of the board and
his recommendations, motions and sug
gestions have been received and acted
upon as being Of the utmost practical
value.