Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-02
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
 OUT OF EXISTENCE.
To Be Succeeded by Health Cornis-
 sioner and Council.
Hartford, July 1


 The state board of health as at pres ent constituted went out of existence Saturday night, after having served it's age and generation for a period Of 39 years. It will be succeeded by health commissioner and a council of health To a certain extent the council will be advisory in it's functions. The com missioner will have power to act on his own initiative. The committee on public health and safety in reporting the bill for the reorganization of 'Cne board made 1t clear that one of its purposes was to secure greater. efh- ciency by placing responsibility on an individual official rather than by dis tributing it over the membership of a board.
 It was at the session of 1878 that the general assembly passed the act ere ating the sta te board of health. It was predicated on. a report made to the general assembly by a commission con- sisting of Henry Bronson, Francis A. Walker, Dr. Charles A. Lindsley, Prof. William H. Brewer of New Haven, pr. Charles J. Hoadley, the state librarian, Dr. w A. M. Wainwright of Hartford and Samuel c. Fessenden of Stamford.
 The committee made it's report at the May session of 1875. but it was not until three years later that the general assembly took action to put it's recom- mendations into Legislative effect. The report recommended the establishment of a, state board of health and that it
 
 piIing vital statistics. Up to that time the state librarian had charge of the vital statistics. It was in 1854 that the state first undertook the work, in a systematic way, of collecting vital stu tiStics and for a little over 20 years 1t was in charge of the state librarian. The report concludes with a. paragraph which states that the financial loss to the state from preventabEe diseases was among the millions every year.
 The first board of health under the low of 1878, which created it, was ap- pointed by Gov. Richard D. Hubbard on March 27, 1878- It consisted of membership of six and the statute pro- vided that there should be three phy- sicians and one lawyer. The first mem bers were Dr. J. s. Butler of Hartford and A. c. Lippitt of New London, for two years each; Alfred E. Burr of Bridgeport, for four years each: Dr. Charles 4. Lindsley and Prof William M. Brewer of Yale college, six years each. The first meeting of the board was held in the old United States hotel in Hartford on April 9, 1873 Dr. But Ter was chosen permanent president The statute prescribed . salary of S1 900 and expenses for the secretary. It was the only saIaried position con nected with the board. Dr. Lindsley was chosen temporary secretary for the meeting. Dr. C. W Chamberlain of Hartford was elected permanent sec TetdTV- NDn the deaGh or IJr. Nnan lain six years later Dr. Lindsley was elected to succeed him as permanent secretary. The statute required that the secretary should be physician.
 Dr. Lindsey died in 1908. He was a member of the board for 2S years and it's secretary for 21. During his in cumbency of the office Of secretary Dr. Lfndsley was not provided with an of flee nor was the board with a pace in which to hold it's quarterly meetings. Inc of was in the residence of the secretary in New Haven. That arrangement continued from the creation of the board until the appointment of Dr. Joseph H. Townsend of New Haven to the secretaryshtp as the successor of Dr. Lindsley in 1906 A suite of rooms was then provided for the board and It's secretary in the capitol and the work of the state board of health took on a more departmental appearance
 Dr. Townsend died Jan. ' 1916. and Dr. John T. Black. who had been health officer of New London, with a record for efficiency, was appointed his sue cessor- Dr. Black secretary re- cetved a salary of s3,000 a year. His salary as commissioner of health to which he was appointed for six wears by Governor Holcomb, will be $4000
 The reorganized board has powers under the statutes which were not vected in the old board of health. Tn the past the work of the state health authorities has been innpeded by the local regulations of towns This ha1 been particularly noticeable in the eDf dernic of smallpox