San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-30
HEALTH LAWS PRIMITIVE.
This Is Charge c: DR.. =. L. Lincecum
at Medical Convention.


Charging that the status of the pres
ent public heulth laws of Texas prove
their inadcquacy and incfiiciency. by
illustrating the functionina of the
present health department in Austin.
Dr. Addison l.. Lincecum. cpidemiolo-
gist, chairman of the department of
state medicine and pirolic hygiene in
its first session on Tuesday afternoon
in the St. Anthony hotel in conIunc-
ton wish the sectional gr0un meeting;
stated that the laws of health in effect
ut the present tire are primitive. aud
that present health problems are too
great to he properly handled by the
inadequate personnel and the limited
funds appropriated for the work.
DIR. Lincecum traced the history
of the present laws. and suggested 4
tentative outline as the basis for a
bill 10 be presented later BY the medi-
cal profession TO the state Legislature
for enactment. Greater scope in its
work and more funds would be the
two features included rs the greatest
changes In the present laws. according
TO DIR. Lincecum' proposed bill.
The laws of the state of Texas
relating TO health were passed at a
time when all our efforts were GEN.
tered around international quaran-
tine" DIR. Lincecum stated. land up
to date they have not been amended to
fully meet the demands OF health con
servation. Although the State Board
Of Health has full powers of quaran-
tine. its functions are not widely
enough separated from this one feat
ure to make it protective and pre-
vcntntive body to watch general health
conditions in Texas"
Bureaus Forced to Beg"
Defining the present status OF the
health department. DIR. Lincecum said
that Article 1921 provides for ap-
pointment by the governor of board
of health consisting of seven mem
bers, who shall be legally qualified
physicians, one of whom is appoint
ed state health officer, and that the
chief work of this body is to study the
causes of infection and contagion, pre-
venting if possible the spread Of each.
The recent placing of the Food and
Drug Department in the board has
been of great valnc. DIR. Linecum
stated. but of the eight bureaus exist
ing in the State Health Department
today, DIR. Lincecum declared that
three of these are temporary, com
PEELED to live from term TO term on
money begged from the Legislature.
The fact that the state health de-
partmcnt's powers are wholly depend
ent on the governor was cited by DIR.
Iincecum. who said that Article 45:jl
(4321) specifies that the governor Is
empowered to issue prOclamations dc
claring quarantine whenever in his
Judgment quarantine may be ncces-
sary.
Due to low salaries and the constant
changes made in the personnel be-
cause of political control, DR.. Lince-
cum said that the state health officers
lead "precarious lives" and said that
the present State Health Officer il the
fourth incumbent to be appointed dur
ing the present governors term Vt Of
flee. Political appointment and the
use of political pull" in obtaining
positions brings together uncongeninl
colleagues. DIR. Lincecum stated. and
causes lack of harmony, repetition Of
effort, and duplication of service.
just Quarantine Measures.
DIR. Lincecum said that Texas. with
her wealth amounting to approximate
ly $3.50, $4,000, has state health
laws that are primitive in the extreme,
amounting to little more than quaran-
tine measures which in reality the
board has no power to enforce. Lack
of legislative sanction and co-opera-
ton was declared by DIR. Lincecum
to be the cause for this condition.
The dangerous position that Texas
occupies geographically as the gate
way from the tropics was cited by Or.
Lincecum as one urgent reason for
revision of the states health laws.
Geographically. Texas occupies he
unique position of being the gateway
to the tropics" DIR. Lincecum said.
"and she has four rail ports and will
soon have five open seaports. Texas
IL only twenty-four hours by rail and
Shours by water from the epidemic
centers of yellow fever bubOnic
plague. typhus feverA smallpox, tropi-
cal dysenteries and perniciOus types
of malaria. Have you observed that
dengue fever makes its appearance in
Texas a short time after its advent
south of the Rio Grande?"
The rapid settlement of immigrants
from the old world brings to us thcic
diseases, DIR. Lincecum stated. and our
climatic condition is another factor
that adds danger to our health prob
lem. In sections where the climate is
damp and warm. malaria and kindred
diseases are fostered. while ia more
healthful sections, where the air is
rarefied. the state is Mecca for lu-
berculars who seek health at the ex-
pense of many Others in the higher
attitudes.
Can't Control Diseases.
sour sanitary code still requires us
TO quarantine for smallpox, instead OF
vaccination for immunity
DIR. Lincecum said. land the law per-
mits a school board to exclude child |
from school when it has humps, but |
denies the local health officer the ,ight |
to bar that child from picture shows |
and other public places where the DIS
ease may be spread"
DIR. Lincecum denounced the pres |
emit laws pertaining to the treatment |
Of the states insane. stating that Jail
is no place for these mentally and |
often physically sick people. The
unique position Of the person afflicted
with epilepsy was cited by DIR. Lince-
cum as one example of the made
laucy of present statutes. as the asy-
lums are not compelled TO admit
ppileptics because they have fits.
and the epileptic colony will not take
the patient il be is even partially in