Year: 1879

WASHINGTON. July 13. 1879.
THE NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALTH-ITs DUTIES


AND POWERS DEFINED BY ITS VICE PREsI-


DENT.


In view Of the misconceptions which seem to pre-.
vail in many parts of the Southern States with
regard to the powers and duties of the National
Board of Health. Dr. Billings the vice president of
that organization. has addressed the following letter
to the Sanitary Council of the Mississippi Valley:
To PRESIDENT OF THE SANITARY COUNCIL OF
THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY


DEAR Sm-I presume that the kilograms and
printed documents which We have sent To you will
have mado matters plain to you. but there seems to
be much misconcepton as to the powers ana
duties OF tho National Board of Health, as shown
by the comments in the daily press, that we should
have clear understanding ON one or two points.
IL seems to very clear that IL is the duty OF tho
State and local health authorities to take the init
ative in adopting rules and regulations for
preventing the spread of contagious diseases. The
National Board OF Health has made certain recon-
mendations tor such rules which ii has printed and
placed in our hands. These recommendations should
be taken as indicating the minimum amount OF pre-
caution be taken. state or local authority may
make stringent rules than these. and ii they
are stringent, even to absolute nonntercourso.
this Board has power to interfere. 1t is only when
a state or local authority refuses to take even the
precaution considered indispensable by this Board
that he take action legally in the matter In the
next place. l would observe that this Board Is not
expected to do all the work of prevention. nor to
pay for the doing of such work. The state and
local Boards should first do what they can. and then
we can come i'll to supplement their efforts-'to
aid and cooperate in the terms of the law. IL is.
therefore, the duty of State ana local authorities to
keep the National Board of Health fully informed on
thd following points namely


Fnst-As to what rules and regulations they have
adopted.


Second--As to how far they carry out the rules
anu regulations.


TairG-As to what aid they think IL is necessary
that the National Board shall furnish in order that
proper rules aud regulations may be enforced. With
regard to this request for aid details should be given.
This Board cannot place money in the hands OF
local board to be expended at the discretion of the
latter. 1t must be known what the money Is to be
used for, whether the hire OF inspectors or
police for the purchase of disinfectants, for the
erection of sheds, Tor the purpose OF establishing
local quarantine, &c. Please make these points
clear to the members of the Council, and let us
have no unnect ssary delay in the taking of action
by the health authorities represented in that Council


need hardly say to you that IL Is the desire OF
this Board 20 do everything in It's power TO prevent
the spread Of yellow lever 10y aiding state and mu-
nicpal boards of health in their efforts to discover
the nrst cases. to isolate them and thus stamp out
the disease well carry out the usual systems of
quarantine and am glad to be able to you
the Secretary OF the Treasury is in accord with