The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-05
HEALTH BOARD FETE;
NOW so YEARS OLD
Half Century Of Achievement
to BE Celebrated With
Banquet at Plaza.
MAYOR TO BE A SPEAKER

The New York City Health Depart.
ment will celebrate the ffticth anniye..
sary Of its esta blishment next Thursda,
night with a banquet at the Plaza Hotel.
Health Commissioned Haven Emersoa
will preside.
Mayor Mitchell will speak on The
Health Departments Place in the Cry
Government" City Chamberlain Hear
Bruere on "The Future Of the Heai.a
Department." State Health Commission
Hermann Biggs on 'Thc Scientific Con
troll OF Infectious Diseases" DIR. Walter
Il. James, president Of the Academy Of
Medicine, on THE Medical Profession
and the Public Health" Supt. William
Welch Of the Baltimore Childfen's Hos
pital on THE National Importance az
Preventive Medicine and DIR. stephen
Smith, h was a OF the FIRST
Board OF Health when It was esta blished
fifty years ago on THE Developmenj
of the Health Department as Seen b.
a Pioneer"
As at present constituted tho Iloal.h
Department dates from 1866. when tn,
Metropolitan Health Board was formed G.
safeguard the health OF the residents
Of the cities OF New York and Drooklyu
and the counties of Westminster. Queen
Richmond and Nassau.
Great Changes In Fifty Yeass.
Fifty years has seen great change
When the board WAS organized New
York city had the highest death rate
OF any large city In the world. sanitaTI
conditions were bad. much Of the drink
ing water supplied to the city wa i'm
pure and smallpox and typhus fever
were widespread
Among the first acts Of the new board
was the adoption Of regulations dxiiB q
standard for illuminating oil. providing
for the destruction OF mad dogs n
establishing a systematic inspection OF
tenement houses. That the milk dealers
of those days were no more honest thar
many Of this day is shown by the fac.
that the Health Board of long y com.
planned that 81 great raud u perpe-
trated on the people by tho systemat'
d.lutlon of milk with water and adding
that for every three quarts OF pure mil
there is added one quart Of water" The
chemists ~ the department also found
that the hair toiics Of that day cor
Ia ned lead In considerable quantities
IN 1870 the department was reorgai
lied, with special bureaus for sire.
cleaning, sanitation. statistics ana per
m'ts.
In 1874 tho health authoritics under.
took to decrease the smoke from tn
Harlem and Hudson River Railroad
trains on Fourth avenue. Surprising as Il
may seem. the department reported tha'
the supcrintcndents Of the roads me-.
toned cheerfully adopted the view Of
the board and the annoyance has sine
existed at It's minimum" This 10 the
first instance m record OF the control o!
smoke 10y health authorities.
. Ed SENSATIONAL Campaign In 1874.
The first publication Of the Healt
Department was issued In 1874. II W.
u siinple one page leaflet on the care a.
infants and WAS distributed among III"
tenement population Of that time. tn.
Was followed by a number Of simil,'
l,anlets on other health subjects, manl
OF them of a popular character.
Al outbreak Of smallpox In lsI
caused the organization of the frs
corp for vaccination. In that year III.
department reported the vaccination o.
i26.0V0 persons.
In Isa. Dr. Ernst J. Lederle. who WI
then acting chemist Of the departmcr'
made a FAR reaching extension Of the q
partmcnt's powers in Selling 200 gallon
ri milk from diseased COWS. His acttu'
vas upheld by the courts Ar "just!fti!r
In IL. protection OF the public hcalth
Instances of impure milk are rare no.
the milk supply of the city generally be
ing conceded to be rs pure AS that o.
any city In the world.
Nothing perhaps better ILLUSTRATED IT,
way in which the department has KEEP
pace with the march Of progress tina
the introduction of illustrated lectures
soon after the invention OF the stcr'-
opticon. followed in more recent tiir e
10y the giving of motion picture cNhl
tiuUs.
Some Of these things vii! Ia told ,
the dinner.