The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1915-04-28
HEALTH OFFICERS COLUMN.
BY u. L, TAYLOR.

L propose to write this week about
the fiscal court. 1t would be hard to
separate the fiscal court form the
health officers work. 1 was made
health officer about 25 years ago, and
have been continuously in that posi-
ton ever since. The law authorizing
the appointment Of health officers re-
quires the fiscal court to make a reas-
enable compensation for their services.
That is the rock upon which l and
the fiscal court have always split. It
used to be common when the health
officer did any work in his line, to
present the bill to the fiscal court for
payment, and after good deal of
wrangling and cutting down of the
bill, the remainder would be paid. A
good deal of prejudice has always ex-
listed in the fiscal court against the
health officer, and for what reason 1
never could tell. The Kentucky Leg.
islature a few years ago amended the
law as to require health officers to
work under salary. Under the law
the fiscal court fixed my salary at 5000
per annum, 1 was then undertaking
to run that Office and practice med-
icine at the same time. was at that
but little while until I found it
could not be done. If the health
officer had any smallpox patients on
hand nobody with sickness in his fam
lily would have him. 1 remember l
was once called to 60 Is miles to see
after burying man dead with small
pox. got through with the job at
10 O'Clock at night, and although l
stripped off my clothes and burned
them, and put on fresh clothes, and
took general bath, nobody would let
me stay at his house that night, and I
had to wend my way home before 1
slept Then undertook to have the
fiscal court give me enough salary TO-
make living and give up the prac-
tice of medicine altogether. Ever
since 1 undertook this 1 have had
trouble with the fiscal court. The
law plainly says that the fiscal court
shall pay the health officer a reason
able compensation. The fiscal court
is now paying me s40O per year for
myself, horse and buggy, which
amounts TO the magnificent sum of
ST.. 10 per day and for which I am de-
voting my whole time. Under my la
bors the death rate from consumption
has been cut down from 60 per year in
the county to 30. The fiscal court in
this county is no worse and no better
than in any other county. There are
very few health officers that will give
their whole time to the work of the
public health for the salary that the
fiscal court will fix. Ihave been un.
dertaking to do the work, and make
the fiscal court foot the bill. The law
says that the fiscal court shall pay the
health officer reasonable compensa-
tion, and the law further says that
the county board of health shall indi-
cate in writing, to the fiscal court the
value of the services of the health
officer. Notice the law says they shall.
The law makers intended that this
thing should be done. But what could
be done, if the fiscal court ignored. al
together the recommendation? 1t
was not long after these laws were
passed before the fiscal courts of the
State got into trouble with health
officers in various parts of the State,
because the fiscal courts refused to
obey the law. They were sued and
quite number of cases reached the
court of Appeals. 1 want the men,
bers of our fiscal court to carefully
read these opinions which am going
to give. A c ase went up from Kenton
county. and was decided by the court
Judge Paynter deciding the case, writ
ing the opinion. In this case the fis-
cal court refused to allow any thing