The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-19
Great Record Being Made
 h the States s Health Work
President D. F. TaIIey Presents Summary to Alabama Medical Association, Showing State Leads
 Nation in Some of Its Activities

The address of President D. F. Tal- ley of the Alabama Medical associa- tion yesterday was an interesting re- view of the work being done by the State Health department and will be read with profit by medical men and laymen alike. It was as follows:
 Gentlemen of the Medical associa- tfon of the state of Alabama:
 In view of the fact that our or ganization, both as a State Medical association and 8 state board of health. has been the subject of much discussion and criticism, it may be of interest to many of you to hear a short resume of the conditions under which it has existed and learn what 1t has accomplished in the past few years.
 Our medical association. as a scien- tifie body has kept abreast of the times with other associations of the country.
 The main criticism has been direct ed against the organization as a state board of health, with the impu- tation that it has not functioned well as such.
 Every one who has any knowledge of health work must know, that in order to do good work, a department must have a liberal appropriation W-Nh AlNH tO DGBlH
 In 1879 an appropriation of s3.000 year was made to our state board of health, and it existed on this pitt tance for 2S years. In 1902 the appro- priation was increased to $4,0o0 a year. In 1907 s15,O00 was appro- priated. and in 1910 this was in- creased to S25,000.
 The legislature, at it's last meeting, appropriated s9O,0o0 for 1919, to be increased to $125,o00 in 1920, and $50. 900 in 1921.
 Without Sufficient Fund
 For 23 years the whole appropria- tion was not sufficient to pay the health officer a good salary. How could he organize bureaus employ ex- pert sanitarians, and even begin health work? For 40 years the depart ment did not have sufficient funds to do any creditable health work.
 Not until 1919 was there an ade- quate appropriation with which to begin to organize a real health de- partment.
 When our present health officer. Dr. Welch, was elected to the posi- ton in 1917, he realized that he could accomplish very little with the small amout of money available; see he went to outside agencies to enlist their cooperation and support; in this way he did some good work with funds from outside sources.
 At that time there were organized. in very imperfect way, three bu- reaus; vital statistics, laboratory and sanitary engineering. As soon as the appropriation of $90.000 was avail able Dr. Welch went to work to or- ganize about nine bureaus, through which the activities of the health de- partment were to be conducted. The personnel of the bureau of vital statistics has been increased from two at that time to ten at the pres. ent. It has had the law for coilec- ion of vital statisics amended so as to conform to the Model law, and put into operation the machinery thus created. Under this law 21 per cent more doctors reported In 1891 than d dIsas s{ss I 4o0 iss7
 Importance of Reporting
 There are still many physicians in our state who do not realize the im- portance of reporting their cases. and sending in their birth and death certificates promptly.
 If they knew they were keeping