New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-15
HEALTH ORDERS
| CALLED CHILDISH
Society Says Board Is
Trying Cure Instead
of Prevention.
COST HAS DOUBLED
IN EIGHT YEARS
DR.. Emerson Defends Depart
ment and Calls Work Worth
Limit of Power.

Haven Emerson. Deputy Commits
sioner of Health, was invited to the
265th meeting of the Society OF Med
ical Jurisprudence last night TO hear
the Municipal Board of Health accused
of overstepping its functions, Of exer,,
cising unwarranted police power and
Of violating the homes of private indi-
viduals.
The. attack was begun by the first
speaker, Lawrence NJ. D. Mcclure,
president of the Real Estate Board OF
New York City.
"The Board of Health's constant ten
dency to enlarge its powers and IN
crease its activities is one which must
shortly be faced" said Mr.. Mcclure.
at is probably fact that the powers
daily used by the Board Of Health, by
legislative act or by judicial inter
probation, were never intended to be
used except in cases of imminent dam
ger. but once having been granted the
temptation to use such power seems
to be irresistible"
This was the attitude Of most OF the
speakers, who attempted to show that
by this method the Board of Health
mad increased its field of activity from
prevention into treatment. During the
discussion of the speeches feeling ran
so high that the attacks became per-
sonal.
DIR. Reynold Webb wilcox, resenting
the boards "paternalism," said:
If we'd get more highly educated
and more scientific physicians on the
Board of Health its evils would largely
be removed. | regret to say that | re-
gard the orders sent out by the Board
of Health-some of them, at least-as
futile. childish and amateurish."
The main objection made by Mr.. Nc
CURE to the department was that its
expenses were increasing to such an
extent that the taxation on city prop
erty would soon amount to confiscation.
"You will notice." he said, "the ex-
pense of this department in 1914 is 100
per cent greater than in 1906, a period
of eight years, although there has been
an increase of only Is per cent in popu-
laton. This increase has arisen largely
from the extension of the boards &C
tivities along social and charitable
lines, and it is with the new activities
we are concerned"
DR.. +. Eliot Harris, president of the
American Society of Medical Economics,
accused the department of setting itself
I'D as a competitor against family ply
sicians, saying that "the Board of
Health's activities are not limited to
prevention, but are reaching out into
individual and personal treatment and
surgery"
"Yet," he added, "if they would only
confine themselves to their province.
physicians would, despite all economic
losses, continue to believe in depart
ments of health until the crack Of
DOOM"
Dr. Emerson's defence of the board
was, in part: -.
at was the evident intention of citi--
zens in giving this power to the Board
of Health to place the question of life
and death ahead of property rights and
ahead of monetary rights. And until
these powers are withdrawn the Board
of Health will, promise you, use them
TO the limit.
"There has been a reduction NJ TO-
900 in the mortality rate, which means
that there have been 100000 fewer
cases of severe illness. ] am aware
that this touches intimately the peck
cts of physicians, but let me point out
to them this proposition, that with
every step in the reduction OF conta..
gious disease, the physicians life and
the lives of his family are placed that
much nearer safety"