Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-12
RABIES OF STATE
ARE NOW COUNTED
ps,olution in Illinois Vital Statistics
Brought About by Progress
i've Laws.
BIRTHS MIST BE RECORDED
From Being Behind Commonwealth
Goes to Forefront of Nation i'm En-
iorccment of Reforms.
BIRTHS MIST BE RECORDED

revolution in the activities of the
Illinois state board of health has been
accomplished in the last year In
,snort TO Governor Dunno the board
asscribes the progress of the depart
n,spt as attracting national attention
end quotes the Journal of the Ameri-
.,n Medical association, the authorita-
,lvs notification Of the medical profess
sion. as saying:
Fortunately for the people of the
state new era in public health activ-
,,v seems to have dawned. Illinois is
N be congratulated on her progress,
which all friends of public health will
bope is only a promise Of better things
in the future,
THE year 1915 says the report to
the governor, stands Que in the his,
tory of the Illinois state board of
health as the most important year
since the creation of the board in 1877.
IN times past Illinois was properly re-
rsrded as one of the foremost states
in sanitary and public health admins
,rations. II cannot be said that the
state has stepped backward, but, to a
certain extent. it has marked time
while other stG~es. taking advantage of
the tremendous scientific progress of
recent years, have gone ahead rapidly.
Illinois, consequently, has appeared
to lag behind"
Here Are Progressive Steps.
But in 1915 Illinois resumed its place
in the forefront in public health work,
the report points out, with the follow
ing progressive steps:
Establishment of modern and &C
curate registration of births and
deaths.
Creation Of bureau of sanitary en-
cheering, charged with supervision of
water and sewage systems, and dis
ease prevention.
Employment of state epidemiologist
and four district health officers to fight
contagious disease, supervise quaran-
tine in epidemics and advise local
health officers.
Enlargement of Springfield health
laboratory and establishment of
branches at Chicago and Mount Yer
non for diagnosis OF communicable
disease
Distribution of diphtheria anti-toxin,
anti-typhoid vaccine, smallpox vaccine
and packages of nitrate of silver for
prevention of blindness in children.
These changes were largely brought
about by the enactment of new laws
recommended by the governor and
passed by the Forthy-ninth general as
sembly.
Illinois Babies Now Counted.
Perhaps the most important step
taken in public health administration
in 80 years" says the report, was
the establishment of a modern and &C
curate system of the registration of
births and deaths. For years Illinois
has stood almost alone among the
larger states as being unrecognized in
its vital statistics by the United States
bureau of census
THE bureau of sanitary engineer
ing, working closely in touch with the
state epidemiologist, will place the pre-
yention of communicable disease in ex-
pert and efficient hands, and these
agencies will be further strengthened
by the recent division of the state into
sanitary districts, each with its full
time medical health officers residing in
his own district and working under the
supervision of the board. The dis
trict health officers will not only have
charge of the supervision of contagious
diseases and insanitary conditions in
their districts, but they will be advis-
ers Of municipalities and will bring
about frequent conferences OF local
health officers for the purpose Of ele-
yating the stndards of public health