Year: 1873

The necessity for the organization OF
a permanent board of health, composed
Of experienced and able physicians, who
should receive a salary commensurate
with the importance of the duties to he
discharged. is no longer a debata0ie
question in Memphis. The constantly
recurring force of public sentiment
through the columns of the city press
has at last operated favorably upon the
board Of aldermen and cOuncilmen,
whose special committee met yester-
dsv and adopted an ordinance touch
ing the subject, and which is to be
submitted for approval or rejection to q
meeting Of the general council this morn
ing This ordinance viii be found in
another column. 1t is good as far as it
goes. out it does not go far enough. The
remedy for a mischief ought to be
STONY enough to correct it, and if we
are to have a board Of health, let it be of
such material as to insure to the city the
most thoroughly scientific services. The
board should consist OF physicians,
learned, able and experienced. To in
sure their services they must be well


paid, for no physician of the standing
required for such q board Of health as
Memphis demands, can be expected to
abandon q lucrative practice to serve the
general public for nothing. Twenty
Eve thousand dollars a year is not too
much to pay for the health OF
a city of nearly seventy thousand
inhabitants, and with an an
n1al trade OF one hundred million
dollars. The life of one useful citizen
would be chesply bought at that price.
Now that the council has moved in this
matter let them pass no halfway meas
ure Of relief. One hundred and fifty
dollars per month for respectable ply


sician, as chairman Of the board Of
health, is simply ridiculous. The
city has already paid millions
of dollars and almost hundreds
Of lives for this penny-wise-and-
pound-foolish policy Of our authorities.
A sanitary fund Of twenty-five thousand
dollars annually should be provided for;
at least twelve thousand dollars should
he paid as salaries to three Of our very
best, wisest, active, conservative and
most experienced physicians, the re-
mainder to be used in enforcing quarsn-
tine, purchasing and distributing disin-
fecting agents, and maintaining other


wise a thorough sanitary supervision Of
the city and its approaches. -Four thou
sand dollars year is no great compen-
sation for such labors as will be required
Of an able and permanent board Of
health, who viii give its whole time
70 the prevention Of disease, and
so the regulation Of the hy-
gene of the city. A secretary or clerk
should be allowed them, and a proper
Office furnished by the city for their use.
With such a hoard, the provisions Ofthe
ordinance to be submitted this morning
will very soon rid Memphis of disease,
and save her from future attacks as far
as science and skill, well applied, can
save her. But as the ordinance stands |
now, it is little better than nothing. We
hope the gentlemen Of the general coun- |
ell will embrace this opportunity of re-
trieving their official reputation before
ahis people. They have already lost
much valuable time and incurred more
Of public condemnation than the press
has given uttersnce TO. Let them now
act promptly and literally, and the past
may be forgotten in the present aud et-
fective efforts to stay the tide Of the pcs
thence that is sure 10 result from theen-
forcement Of the ordinance proposed.