The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-15
jefferson County Medical
Association to Aid Educa-
tional Health Work
DIR. ROSSER OPPOSED
WYMAN RESOLUTION
Experts to Do the Work of Bettering
Health Conditions Is the Need
of the County, States
DIR. Parke

With the steam roller" Of the progress
sives in the jefferson Medical society
in excellent working order the resolu-
ton of DR.. B. l.. Wyman, that COM
mittee of five be appointed to do educa-
tional health work throughout Jefferson
cnunty was passed at the weekly meeting
of the medicos last night.at the Hillman
hospital. The only opposition was voiced
by DR.. H. N. Rosser the health officer
of Jefferson county, who stated that he
had been consistently ignored" and that
the purpose of the board of health was to
remove him and elect some other physi-
clan.
The resolution of DR.. Wyman was to the
effect that a committee of five doctors
be appointed by the chair and that this
committee formulate campaign OF
health education throughout the county.
The purpose was to get up such propa-
ganda that within month or two the
board of health could appear before the
board of revenue and request the adop-
ton of the report of DR.. Carroll Fox.
Following is the committee appointed
by DR.. Walter D. Scott, the president
of the jefferson County Medical society
DIR. B. L. Wyman, chairman; Dr. r. H.
Hamrick, DIR. e. j. Walsh, DR.. G. D.
Waller of Bessemer and DIR. NJ. j. Har-
rison
Dr. Parke made a talk on the report of
Dr. Carroll Fox, but it had been decided
not to submit it to the board Of revenue
at the present time The time is not
ripe for that yet" said DIR. Parke. He
also talked on the reports of the sanitary
| engineers and of the letters he had writ
ten to the mayors of Leeds and Warrior
on the deplorable conditions that existed
| in that part of the county. He also
stated that the Alabama Safety associa-
| ton had accepted the Fox report for a
| unified system of health, which recon-
mended an all-time health officer and the
| ''vacating of the county officer
| DR.. Wyman got the floor the moment
| DR. Parke sat down. and offered his
| resolution. 1t was seconded and was
about to be voted on when the county
health officer, DR.. Rosser, got up to
speak.
Il have been consistently ignored"
said DR.. Rosser. "by the board of health.
For seven and half months no one has
requested any reports from me. The
county has been inspected and REIN
spected. The Leeds report was made
| three years ago, but buried by the board
| of censors, but 1t Is now matter of
court record. having been used in the
case of the city Of Birmingham against
the Birmingham Waterworks company"
| DR.. H. s. Ward, member Of the board
| of censors, then took the floor.
! This resolution is for the purpose of
starting a campaign of education in JEFF
ferson county" said DIR. Ward, "the
same as DR.. Scale Harris is conducting
in Birmingham. We all know and it is
useless to deny that health conditions
| are bad in Jefferson county and the city
of Birmingham. Let the people awake
to the real conditions and $4,000 will be
a bagatelle to what will be spent. The
county will have to- do 1t. And, DR.. Ros-
ser, if you have any reports to make
send them In"
The resolution of DR., Wyman was then
called for vote and passed with only
| the negative vote of DR.. Rosser
Il want to make motion" said DR..
Rosser, that be allowed to make a re-
port to this society for the past seven
! and half months" The motion carried
| unanimously.
| DR.. Parke then made very impressive
\ speech. in which he recounted his work
on the board of health, and of his long
and friendly acquaintance with DR.. Ros-
SER De decried the health system of
| the state, said that he had fought it
consistently and that he believed the
health system Of Jefferson county should
| get away from the law and get re-
suits.
why. board of health is a dead is
! sue," said DR.. Parke, land I have been
a member of one for the past II years.
What we need Is experts to do the work.
The board of health should act only in
an advisory capacity and very little of
| that But cannot let matters of per-
| sonal friendship interfere with the bet
| tering of health conditions in this county
| If there Is one reflection on DIR. Rosser,
willing to let the past rest-but in the fu-