The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-16
Dr. Riggs Proposition to Divorce Official Health Connections From State
 Turned Down
BOARD OF CENSORS TELLS OF BENEFITS
 OF PRESENT SYSTEM
Local Society Comments Present Plan and Says It Is InOpportunte to Make
 Changes at This Time

At a meeting of the Jefferson Coun- ty Medical society last night, re- port submitted by the board of cen sors recommending that the. present system. whereby the state and county health officers are elected by the state and county medical societies, respec- lively, be continued, was adopted by a practically unanimous vote.
 At the meeting of the society held on July a resolution was introduced by Dr. E. P. Riggs, proposing change that would take the selection of health officers out of the hands of the state and county medical societies The res olution was referred to the censors who recommended that it be rejected, and the present system be retained with such notifications and improve ments as may appear wise and expe- dient.
 The Jefferson County Medical society will join other medical societies in an appeal to the legislature next winter to appropriate s15o,O00 a year for the maintenance and operation of the state health board The appropriation at present IS $zo,0UU year.
 The resolution offered by Dr. Riggs and which was adversely reported by the censors and rejected by the so- ciety, reads as follows:
 RIGGS RESOLUTION
 "Whereas, It is the sense of this so ciety and board of health, that the best interests of the people of Alh- bama. as we'll as the best interests of the physicians composing the medical society will be furthered by basic change of our existing public health system,
 "Therefore be it resolved by the Jef- ferson County Medical society, That it herewith declares for a complete di vorce of official health connections be- tween the state and local governments and the state and county medical so- ceties.
 t "Be it further resolved, That com mittee of three be named by this so- ciety for the purpose of formulating plan for health system conforming to modern democratic practice and ef- ficiency."
 The report of the censors, which was adopted with few dissenting votes. follows:
 PLAN OF SYSTEM
 The board of censors of Jefferson county, in commenting on the above TeSolut10n, deS1reS 10 point out part of the work and the plans of the pres- ent health system
 l. Ala bama has the best equipped doctors of any state in the union, be- cause it's requirements are the high est for license. ? During the present administra- tion, which has spent much time in overcoming prejudices of the past, it has
 (a) Effected an organization with the international health board where by sanitary work in Alabama will be done on a fifty-fifty basis.
 (b) Six field men assistant health officers will be placed in the state with 10 counties each as zone Of operation, to initiate work and direct public health work.
 (c) The bureau of vital statistics will be placed under a modern plan of operation.
 oratory will be placed in Birmingham the Tennessee valley and southern Ala bama.
 te) The bureau of sanitary engineer ing will be enlarged four times through the assistance of the international health board.
 CD bureau of public health nurs4 ing with capable head has already been arranged for.
 (g) A bureau of baby welfare and bureau of epidemiology with the assistance of the United States public health service has also been arranged (h) bureau of yenerea1 diseases and malarial control and a bureau for the care of the feeble minded, and the tuberculosis sanitarium is planned. fDThe sanitary engineering depart anent has had chlorine dosing plants installed since January, at Oneonta Anniston, Eufaula and Dotahn. It has supervised the water supplies of Gads- den, iCitronelle, Atmore. Andalusia, Flo rala Opelika Selma and Greensboro.
 fD The state health officers has or ranized all-time health work in Lee Pickens, Choctaw and Madison coun- ties and has perfected arrangements for Colbert and Dauderdale counties for the training of all time health of- ficers He has about completed ar engagements for a unified health sys- tenn in Mobile county. He has had trained all-time health officers for Tal- 1adega, Pickens and Choctaw coun- ties.
 (S) An outbreak of diphtheria has been suppressed in Elmore, typhoid at Fort Payne. Huntsville. and dysen- tery at Atmore.
 CD A venereal clinic has been ar ranged for in Montgomery and one for Birmingham and Anniston is in process. Arrangements with tne United States public health servico have been completed on cooperative basis for an epidemiologist to look aft CT the special care of venereal dis eases.
 tm, Arrangements with the Scottish Rite Masons to furnish social worker and public health nurse for the state and also with the Federation of Wom- en's Clubs to finance a public health nurse.
 tn) It has accomplished energetic and far-reading work at Muscle Shoals. The above and more is dependent upon what has already been accom- plished and will be through the ap- propriation of minimum of s15t.- 900 from the next legislature.
 BETTER ABLE TO JUDGE
 5. We believe that constructive changes will be made as time goes on with the present basis and the per sonnel plus the appropriation. We believe the men who are in the work are better able to judge of these inn proyements than outsiders. and we be- lieve that the friends of the admnis- tration are better qualified to effect improvement than the enemies.