5. Relative acreage of hill, flat and swamp lands? 6. The varieties of forest timber? the order of its quality and quantity? 7. What streams, ponds or other bodies of water? 8. In what proportion is the water stagnant? 9. In what direction is the natural drainage? 11. Relative acreage of cleared and forest lands? 13. The principal kinds of fruit? 14. What indigenous or wild fruits may be gathered? DOMICILIARY HYGIENE. 15. The general character of dwelling houses? 16. The proportion constructed of wood, brick and stone? 17. The general styles of architecture and ordinary capacity? 18. The method of warming? 19. Kinds of fuel? 20. Any special means of ventilation-other than open doors and windows? 21. The proportion of dwelling houses having cellars? 22. The proportion of wet or damp cellars? 23. The source and character of drinking water? 24. The ordinary depth of wells? the deepest? 25. The average distances of the stable, barn-yard, pig-sty, and privy from the family dwelling? from the well? from the dairy or "springhouse?" 26. The usual style of privy accommodations? 27. The probable number with well or vault? with box above ground? where dry earth is used as a deodorizer and purifier. 28. Have you known of cases of sickness, or house-epidemics, the cause of which was probably drinking water contaminated by leakage into the well from the privy-vault or cess-pool? 29. How are the houses lighted? 30. What illuminating fluids or oils are used? 31. How many deaths and injuries have resulted from lamp-explosions within the past year? 32. How many cases, during, the past year, of sickness and death from Paris green, and other poisons, the result of careless handling ? SOCIAL AND MORAL STATISTICS. 33. What is the population of your county, males and females? 34. What nativities are represented? 35. How many of negro parentage? and the proportion of mulattoes? 36. The industrious habits of the different classes? 37. The general character of the food supply? and the manner of cooking? 38. The principal employments of citizens? the proportion employed in mechanic arts? and in agriculture? 39. What cities, towns and villages in the county? the population of each? the number of postoffices in the county? and how many newspapers printed? 40. How many churches, and the probable value of church property? what religious denominations are represented, and the numerical order of the sects? 41. The habits of the people in the use of tobacco and alcoholic drinks? what classes are the largest consumers of whisky, wine and beer? 42. The number of cases of the "opium habit?" the "chloral habit?" 43. The proportion of females who habitually indulge in the use of alcoholic drinks? and tobacco? 44. The number of idiotic persons? Are they the issue of consanguineous parents? 45. How many blind persons? how many deaf mutes? and what relation of these cases to small-pox, scarlet fever, or other disease? 46. The number of insane persons, and, if possible, the cause of insanity given? 47. What relation of crime to idleness and pauperism? 48. How many cases of suicide during the last year? the mode by which effected? EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RECORD. 49. During the year ending 30th September, 1882, from what cause the greatest number of cases of sickness? total number of deaths? 50. What is the frequency of enteric or typhoid fever? scarlet fever? diphtheria? measles? whooping cough? pneumonia? pulmonary consumption? 51. Do you meet with cases of malarial origin? the most frequent type? 52. How many times has small-pox invaded your county? how many cases during the last year? number of deaths from the disease? how was the contagion introduced? the probable cost to the county because of the presence of the disease? 53. What proportion of the inhabitants have been successfully vaccinated? 54. Have you made any observations to determine the relative value of bovine and humanized virus? and have you witnessed any serious accidents from vaccination? any deaths? 55. Has Asiatic cholera ever existed in your county? If so, when or how often-giving the years? 56. What is the history of enteric or typhoid fever in your county? what also of diphtheria? and during what years were these diseases first recognized? 57. What is the average mortality from enteric or typhoid fever? from scarlet fever and diphtheria? what measures, if any, adopted to prevent the spread of these contagions? THE HYGIENE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 58. The number of school houses in the county? the number of pupils registered in each school district? the number of teachers employed? the style of buildings, and method of heating? the average cubic space allowed Use this Card for a Return to your Local Board of Health. each pupil in the school room? and the character of drinking water supply? what privy accommodations afforded? how many hours of study? 59. Is the light abundant? is it in front of, at the right of, at the left of, or behind the pupils? 60. Are teachers required to clear and ventilate their school rooms by opening the windows and doors at stated hours? 61. What kinds of seats and desks are in use? 62. What play grounds? do trees overshadow the school-house? 63. Have boys and girls the same or separate play grounds? 64. Where are outer garments and wet clothing hung? and what provision for drying? 65. What percentage of pupils are absent on account of sickness? is headache a frequent complaint? 66. What precautions are taken to prevent the spread of contagious diseases in the schools? 67. What precautions would be enforced to-day were a case of scarlet fever, diphtheria or small-pox discovered in the school-room? Local Boards of Health will use their best endeavors to secure in each neighborhood or county district, one or more persons who can be interested in the work of promptly answering the above questions. Reporters are requested to duplicate the numbers, and in each instance to make answers as full as possible. The State Board of Health trusts confidently in the capability and readiness of its friends in every county of the State, to furnish supplies to complete a thorough sanitary survey of West Virginia. JAMES E. REEVES, M. D., Wheeling, Sept. 15, 1882. Secretary. [NO. 3.] Physicians' Records and Return, in accordance with Section 6 of an Act Amending and Re-enacting Chapter 150 of the Code of West Virginia, concerning the Public Health. been exposure to infection?......... Is there evidence of recent and proper vaccination?............Date of last vaccination............................ .188...Do you attribute the outbreak to causes connected with place of residence, water or food supply?.. .Has the patient been ......What disinfec isolated?.... ...Where?. tion of the premises and things?. of contagion in the house or in the family?.......................... Results of this contagion to others (at date of report). ......Termination of case or cases.... What proof [No. 4.] Report of Prevalent Diseases and Deaths in the county or town of in the practice of Dr. for Cholera......... Small-pox.... Scarlet Fever......... Diphtheria..... Croup (Membranous) Whooping Cough........ Measles......... Enteric (Typhoid Fever... Cerebro-Spinal...................... Erysipelas......... Pulmonary Consumption Accidents and Violence.... Puerperal Fever...... NOTE.-Local Boards of Health will please summarize the Records of Diseases and Deaths reported to them on these cards by Physicians; and once in every three months make report of same, with any other matters which may be deemed of importance to the Secretary of the State Board. Respectfully, JAMES E. REEVES, M. D., Secretary of the State Board of Health. NOTE.-The State has the undoubted right, in the exercise of its supreme power in the interest of the whole people, to require such information or any other service it may deem necessary for the protection of society, and to promote the general welfare, reasonably holding, that the advantages of protection, etc., constitute an ample return. This argument applies with particular force to the duty of the medical profession of West Virginia, where so much, has been done by the State to elevate the standard of the practice of medicine and surgery. "The obligations of physicians," says Dr. O. W. Wright, an educated lawyer as well as a physician, of Milwaukee (State Board of Health of Michigan, Seventh Annual Report, 1873], in discussing the subject, "to furnish the public health authorities with death certificates, and reports of contagious diseases in their practice, not only pertain to this higher plane of legal duties, which is above and beyond mere property considerations as viewed in the amendments of the Federal Constitutions, and in provisions of the Constitutions of various States, but may be construed as in the nature of a license. The State, in the exercise of its police power, may impose any reasonable condition on the practice of medicine. It may require an annual license fee or it may allow any man to practice physic or surgery only upon the condition that the practitioner shall furnish the public with certificates of death and information of the existence of infectious diseases. It is universally understood to be one of the implied and necessary conditions upon which men enter into society and form governments that sacrifices must sometimes be required of individuals for the general benefit of the community, for which they have no rightful claim to specific compensation.'" RULES AND BY-LAWS OF THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH OF WEST VIRGINIA. [Adopted July 26, 1882.] I. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The officers of the Board-a. President and Secretary-shall be elected every second year at the first regular meeting after the appointment by the Governor, as provided in section 3 of the amended Act of 1882. II. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD. The Board shall meet annually, on the second Wednesday in July. Special meetings may be held on call made in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of the amended Act of 1882. III. THE DUTIES OF OFFICERS. The President and Secretary shall perform the duties prescribed by law, and by the rules, by-laws and resolutions of the Board. IV.-REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. The Secretary shall at each annual meeting make full report of his official acts during the preceding year, and accompany the same with recommendation of such measures as he shall deem necessary for the public good, and the faithful execution of the law. |