The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-02-12
DIR. HOLToN DIES TODAY.
Continued from Page. ~

they Travelled extensively through Ire
land, Scotland, England France
Switzerland, northern Italy and south
ern Germany. In each of those coun-
tries DR.. Holton visited the principal
hospitals and insane asylums, where
he was given the fullest opportunity
for study and observation. He reached
home in October of that year. While
abroad he was made a member of the
British Medical association. In 1871
he attended meeting of the Rocky
Mountain Medical association in San
/ Francisco and was elected to member
ship.
! In 1873 DIR. Holton was called to the
/ char OF materla mediea and general
pathology III the medical department
| OF the University of Vermont and for
Is years continued in that professor
| ship When he took the chair the
medical class numbered 10 and when
he resigned go students were enrolled
and more than 300 had received their
degrees as doctors of medicine. He
received from the university the de-
gree of A. NJ. in 1879.
The state legislature elected him in
$3.50 % bANottt u ln2 I IlIN tISllt Vi
Vermont and state Agricultural col
lege, which office he retained by sue
cessive reflections for Is years. In
that same year he was made medical
examiner for the Vermont asylum for
the insane at Brattleboro. now the
Brattleboro Retreat
: An honor which Dr. Holton consid-
cred one of the greatest that ever
came to him was his election. in 1902
as 7r7sident of the American Public
Health association For nine years he
was treasurer Of the organization. Tic
, was active in the organization of the
Pan American Medical congress, q
body composed Of representatives OF
all the countries on this hemisphere
and was chairman of the board OF
trustees and executive committee Tn
der the patronage of the national gov
eminent this congress met in Wash
lngton in 1898. In 1901 he was presi
dent of the American Tuberculosis con
gress. As vice president of the Ameri
can Medical association he delivered
IN Baltimore, Md, BY appointment Al
: grafton on state medicine before tina
body in 1895.
: He was 4 member and in some in
. stances an officer, of numerous othe
p medical and scientific societies both il
+ this country and abroad, among then
being the Boston genealogical soci
ETY., the New York Therapeutieal SO
ciety, the American Academy of Polit
zeal and Social Science, the American
geographical society and the Ney
L England Educational league. For thre
years Dr.. Holton was surgeon Of III
18th Regiment, Vermont Eoluntee
Militia
:. Numerous and important as wer
:, his other activities. by far his mos
l. valuable work--a work whose benefit
r. can never be measur ad-wos as secrc
tary of the Vermont state board G
health. Indeed il is through his labor
as secretary and executive officer q
that board that he is best remembers,
e In 1878, while president Of the We
le mont Medical society. he advocated
)r state board of health. In aceordan(
with his suggestion a committee {
Il three physicians, of whom he was on
of was appointed to lay the plan befol
ir the legislature. Not until 1856. hoy
IN ever, did the idea become a law TIE
i'll years later DR.. Holton was appointe
member of the state board and fro
rs 1900 to 1912 be held the position ,
. secretary and executive officer
II In that position il became nacessal
II. for Dr. lIolton to visit practically e
"a cry part Of the state, many Of the
+ repeatedly, and 10 keep on file a va
number Of statistics and other recor
: relating to diseases and mortality
20 Vermont. These in later wears we
nj kept by card index systems at his ~
n dence, and he could command in in i
- slant a great fund of interesting al
"a valuable information.
DR.. Holton resigned his office of sc
rotary of the state board of health
:. October, 1912, but remained on t
= board and received another reappoir
:. ment in 1915. Not long before |
- resignation government statistici
- in Washington came to Vermont to a
- dress the state board. He conn
mented the officers for their excella
work, stating that Vermont rank
Z thi~d among all the states in I
''e Union in the accuracy Of the recor
g. of vital statistics whereas a few yes
'lti before it ranked 18th. Sanitary ct
= ditions in the state vastly improv
- during Dr. Holton s association wi
the hoard, but the work involved
constantly increasing mass Of def
IN which fell largely uron the secrAta
ne and II was this multiplicity of dut
Ia that led him to resign.
NJ In accepting his restoration the o
ha or members of the board wrote him
| part as follows: W. wish to recC
" our appreciation Of the untiring 2
and rare good Judgment with VIII
Won have administered this office d
ING the past p wears. We feel Il
the public health interests of
= state, and that means the people of
7oh whole state, are permanent V
debtors. Your services in this dir
ton antc-date the establishment OF
state board Of health in sacur
40 which YOU were very LARGELY infu
- tial. Your work along these lines
,u.. be increasingly appreciated as Ii
goes on
DR.. Holton reached his 50th anniN
sarv as a nracticino physician Ma
9. 1910. and his close friends plan