The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-09-14
STATE DEPARTMENT. OF HEALTH
IN NEW QUARTERS

ana laDOfat0fleS Oh the 0tat0 ~
partment of Health In Baltimore
City from the Buildings at IA and
16 West Saratoga Street, which have
been occupied by the Department
for the last fifteen years to larger
quarters at 24l1 North Charles ST.
has been sent to physicians through
out the State by Or. r. H. Riley, d.
rector Of the Department.
.For several years." DR.. Riley
said in regard to the change, THE
Department has been housed in two
adjoining buildings. Now. every
thing will be under the one roof.
"There is marked contrast be-
tween the present quarters and the
two rooms that housed the entire
Department when DR.. John s. Full
ton was appointed Secretary OF the
State Board of Health, and State
Health Officer, thirty-two years ago.
DR.. Fulton was the first full time Di-
rector. He was appointed in 1896
and remained in charge from that
year until his resignation few
months ago, with the exception OF
the intervals when he was lent to the
United States Government to organ
ize the great International Congress
SEES on Tuberculosis and on Hygiene
and Demography and when he was
on war duty during the World War;
The Statewide work now done Tor
the prevention OF disease and the
promotion of the health of the peo-
pie of the State was all developed
during Dr. Fulton's term OF ONCE
and under his direction.
Before DIR. Fulton was appointed
to the office, there was only part
time State Health officer. There
was no Statewide work and the
business of the State Board OF
Health was transacted from the pri-
vate office of the Secretary OF the
Board.
estate Departments of Health, as
we know them today, are OF COM
paratively recent development.
They were not established until peo-
pie began to have glimmering OF
T the possibilities of preventing-not
simply Of curing-dsease. and OF or
ganized effort for that purpose.
Maryland was among the pioneers
in the organization of State Health
work. 1t was sixth among the
States in the United States to have
| its own State Department OF Health.
The Maryland Department was Great
ed by an Act of the Legislature pas
sed at the Session of January, 1874.
"Other States in the pioneer group
were Massachusetts,, whose Depart
ment was organized in 1863; Cali
fornia, 1870; Minnesota and Virgin
| ia in 1872 and Michigan in 1878.
"The first President of the Mary
land State Board of Health was DR..
Nathan R. Smiht, and the first Sec
rotary. DR.. E. Lloyd Howard, who
served from 1874 to 1875 when he
succeeded DR.. Smith as President,
DR.. C. w. Chancellor succeeded DR..
Howard as Secretary remaining In
Office until 1893 when he in turn
was succeeded by DR.. James A. Steu-
art who continued in Office until
1896.
From 1874 to 1896. during the
twenty-five years of part-time SER
vice, there are records of meetings
at DR.. Smiths Office at SO Saratoga
Street; at DIR. Towards office at So
Cathedral Street; at DR.. Chancellor's
office; at DIR. Steuart's Office at 1911
John. Street, with occasional confer
ences at one of the well known
Ihotels-Guy's or Barnum's- at
the Baltimore City Department OF
Health.
"The Act by which the Depart
ment was created, directed the Board
to make inquiries into three OF the
scourges of fifty years ago-malarial
fever, typhoid fever and phthisis
(tuberculosis). Much of the work
was carried on by correspondence,
persons interested in sanitary re-
form, being asked to notify the De-
partment of the occurrence or sick
ness that came to their attention.
When the Department was establish
ed on a full-time basis in 1895 with
DIR. Fulton as Secretary and State
Health Officer. two rooms in the
Maryland Life Insurance Building
at 10 South Street housed the en-
tire staff. But it was in those two
rooms that the beginnings OF the
present Statewide work were made.
Public health history that reached
far beyond the borders of Maryland
was created there, too. Especially
notable was the organization OF the
Maryland Tuberculosis Exposition in
1904, the first popular exhibit held
in any part of the country, showing
the possibilities of the care and pre-
vention of that disease and leading
the~way for the education OF the gem
eral public in other matters OF per-
sonal and community health.
1.-THE offices were continued at 10
South Street for nearly fourteen
years-from 1896 to 1910-with