Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-08


Association. had tried to persuade the
Legislature that it was necessary to
establish a state public health organ
Eation, but no success attended these
}norts until the passage of a bill by
the Legislature of 1885 which created
she State Board Of Health. The first
meeting for the Organization Of the
board was held at the State House
IN April of that year. At this meet
Ing Frederick H. Gerrish, NJ. D., Of
Portland. was elected President and a
Few weeks later. A. G. Young, M. D.,
was chosen secretary and executive
officer OF the board.
Quickly awakening the local health
authorities to serious danger which
threatened us, the State Board Of
Health of Maine found plenty of work
OF a strenuous kind in its first year,
In the same month in which the br-
ganization of the board was effected
there was, in the City Of Montreal,
the beginnings Of an epidemic of
smallpox which effected many people
and wiped out the lives Of nearly
1000 people. As the result of the
neglect OF vaccination the infection
spread rapidly down the st. Law
renee River and following the old
Riviere du Loup Road had covered
half the distance to Fort Kent when
. visit Of the Secretary to Frederic
ton, and an earnest conference with
the Provincial authorities led them to
place inspectors with orders for
drastic action when needed to pre-
vent the nearer approach of smallpox
to their settlements and to ours, With
two personal conferences with the
authorities in Montreal, and widely
extended vaccination including the
operatives on the Maine Central
Railway from Portland to Vanceboro
e we'll as the personnel on the Grand
Trunk, and aided by the Surgeon
General of that Federal Division,
which IL now the Public Health Ser
vice. In paying one-haf the cost Of
tne inspection service north Of our
state. Maine escaped with q total Of
seven cases Of smallpox In that year.
Inc nrst years experiences en-
pnasized very strongly the need Of a
local board OF health in every town
ana . bill presented to the next legis-
lature remedied that deficiency in our
means Of self-protection.
OF the Office in the State House had
been lifted up as q laboratory for
water analysts, the publication was
begun OF a monthly bulletin, "The
Sanitary Inspector" as a needed
educative help ana as a medium Of
communication with local health
workers. and q personal inspec-
tlon had been made OF the school
buildings In many parts Of our state.
the report on this last work was fol-
lowed by q special illustrated paper
g 800 printed pages on School
Houses and School Hygiene, which
received many kind words Of ap-
probation. not only from the
caLlzens OF our own state, but
11om public health officers. depart
ments o! education, chairs OF peda-
8nSy' principals Of high and normal
schools, directors Of departments Of
sanitary Journals all over the coun-
Try. and to some extent abroad. words
Of commentator came.
very early. before 1t was begun by
0ther state authorities, a circular on
1ne prevention Of tuberculosis was
printed and widely distributed. Fol-
1owmg q visit by the secretary to al
most all Of the sanatoriums then ex.
EkS9t IN this country, an illustrated
eRSelal report on tuberculosis was
printed In 1889. One motive for this
work was to show that the treatment
OF cases OF tuberculosis Is success.
3uny carried on in climates not a bit
LESS rigorous than is that Of Maine.
me interest this initiated led to the
xzng OF q meeting in the office of
sae STATE BOARD Of health. which was
which the first steps were taken ~
the organization Of the Maine State
1anatortum Association. Throuph the
Denevolence Of private citizen. az
Maine and OF persons outside the
ssate. our hrst tuberculosis sanato-
rum was erected and put into oper.
etlon In the town OF Hebron.
40 result OF this work there oc,
eurred In Maine, earlier than in anv
otner state. notable lowering of fhe
special death-rate from tuberculosis
very early in its course the state
board Of health was making an
eafnest plea for a much needed
DIVISION OF vital statistics, and at last
~ 1esI special appropriation.
eranIeo by the legislature, permitted
sn's work to start with the beginning
- Tue year 1892. At that date very
pirths, marriages and deaths ana IN
t9O0 when Maine and two othar
States were admitted by Federal ar.
snorlty into the so-called registration
area py virtue Of registering at least
~ per cent. of all deaths, there had
oeem only seven states admitted
earher' while 3S were behind Maine
and rev are not yet classed "a
WITHIN the registration area.
me large amount Of time the az.
ecutive officer was obliged to devote
70 neld work limited very seriously
me scope OF the work begun in that
~ az or laboratory in the office of
sne BOARD. An earnest plea came
r.o.n many sources for meteorological
equip the "State Laboratory ~ Nv ~
eiene." with at first a bacteriolooi.t
ana part time chemist for the vvorlr
VI water analysis. The work. how
ever. grew rapidly. o"
>. Ihe State Board Of Health ceas.a
us work in 1917 when on Juiv tha
CrsanlZanon OF the State Department.
OF Health was effected. From ito or'
sanization until July 1921, L. d. Rrjs-
w NJ. ~ served as State Commits.
sioner OF Health. Later he was SIC.
Ceeoeo by G. F. Kendall, M. D.. who i.
me present head of the officiai health
s ..s.N OF the state. The State Com
81 ~ or Health. who is ex-ofYicio
SsdHS neelstrar OF Vital Statistics. is
eaded and advised in mis- work 49,
5ubHc Health Council consistirg %
ave members. consisting Oh
most Of the work Of the Denar+.
mene is now done under divi.ions
Sacn OF which is guided by a director'
KY Following is an enumeration ~
xnese divisions and a brief sta.o "
aent OF the work done by each:
Division Of Administrstion -.
ork OF which is done under the e
eaas supervision Of the commits.
so oner: This work IL the adminis-
x~uon OF the public health laws ana
o EuIes and regulations of the de-.
v@ment. the formulation Of rules
S0O xS&ulaClOn4 nooda1