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BOARD OF HEALTH REPORT.

To HON. ISAAC P. GRAY,

Governor of the State of Indiana:

The State Board of Health herewith presents its Sixth Annual Report for the fiscal year ending October 31, 1887, together with the vital statistics for the year ending September, 30, 1887.

From the manifest interest in matters pertaining to the public health by the people, we feel warranted in saying that marked progress has been made in sanitary science. This conviction is strengthened by the readiness with which the public generally comply with all reasonable regulations for the prevention of contagious and infectious diseases. The interest taken in these matters is further evidenced by the fact that applications for reports of this Board are almost daily received. In fact, so great has been this demand that the number allowed by law (three thousand copies) is wholly inadequate.

When, however, we consider our population, two million, it can readily be seen that this small number of copies will supply comparatively few. It is needless to say that the number now authorized by law should be largely increased in order that this growing demand may be supplied. Within the year embraced in this report the members of the Board have made sanitary inspections of penitentiaries, jails, county poor asylums, together with all the State benevolent institutions. It is believed that these inspections have aroused a general interest in those who have charge of these institutions, and that much good has been accomplished. In fact, many instances are known where improvements were made as soon as possible after defects were pointed out. Perhaps never in the history of our State has the general health been so good as within the past year. There has been no serious epidemic. The number

of deaths from zymotic or filth diseases has been few. This in itself is strong evidence that the causes of these diseases have been lessened by improved sanitation, and that there has been a more careful observance of some of the well-known laws of hygiene.

It is due to the public press of the State to say that this marked progress in sanitary science is largely due to the hearty manner in which they have seconded every effort on the part of the Board to ameliorate the condition of the people. In every instance, so far as has come to our knowledge, the newspapers have advocated compliance with the suggestions promulgated by health officers, and have thus been a great power for good.

We feel justified in quoting the following from the admirable report of Irving A. Watson, M. D., Secretary of the New Hampshire State Board of Health, believing that it is equally applicable to our State:

"No educational advancement has been more marked in this State than that of sanitary science. The most noticeable indications of this are the demand for local boards of health that shall do something more than draw their salaries; the construction of public buildings upon a better sanitary basis; a better knowledge of the prevention of zymotic diseases; a more rational view of the avoidance of contagious diseases among children, and a higher appreciation of the value of domestic sanitation."

A subject which has been the cause of more or less controversy since the organization of the Board, viz: the appointment and dismissal of Clerks of the Bureau of Vital and Sanitary Statistics, has been finally settled by a decision of the Supreme Court, which is given in full in another part of this report.

The medical law enacted by the Legislature of 1885, has, in some quarters, and by a certain class of physicians, been violently opposed. This opposition, as was stated in a former report, came chiefly from those who found it difficult to comply with its provisions, owing to a lack of sufficient qualificatious. All doubts as to the constitutionality of the law are happily dispelled by decisions of the Supreme Court, sustaining it in all respects.

In compliance with an act of the General Assembly to regulate the practice of dentistry in the State of Indiana, approved March 7, 1887, the Board, on the 28th of June, as provided in said act, appointed Dr. E. J. Church, of Laporte, a member of the Board of Examiners, to examine applicants for license to practice dentistry. His term of service is for two years from the date of his election.

We have repeatedly urged the necessity of amendments to the law creating this Board. In another part of this report will be found a bill which was introduced in the Senate at the last session of that body. It was referred to the Committee on Public Health, and returned with favorable recommendations. We believe that if the bill had become a law that it would have aided very materially in collecting vital and sanitary statistics. Under the present law this part of the work of the Board is very incomplete and unsatisfactory. It is hoped that in time the law will be so amended as to render it more efficient, and will enable us to keep pace with other States in this particular. From the large number of applications received for the services of a State Veterinarian it is very evident that such an officer is highly appreciated by the people. In the absence of a fund to pay him not as much has been accomplished as might have been had there been an appropriation available for this purpose. The last Legislature passed a bill providing for a Cattle Commission, but owing to the unfortunate muddle in that body it failed for want of the signature of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. While such a law would doubtless accomplish much good, we are of the opinion that a State Veterinarian under the control of this Board could accomplish all that such a Commission could, and with much less expense to the State.

Elsewhere in this report will be found a statement of Dr. E. H. Pritchard upon his work for the past year.

FINANCIAL EXHIBIT.

The following is a statement of the receipts and expenditures for the fiscal year commencing November 1, 1886, and ending October 31, 1887.

All accounts have been submitted to the Board for its consideration at its regular meetings, and when allowed have been

certified by the President and Secretary, and audited by the Auditor of State, before warrants were drawn for the same.

Out of the annual appropriation of five thousand dollars, to carry on the work of this department, the members have been paid all actual expenses incurred by attending regular and special meetings of the Board, as well as expenses caused in making sanitary inspections of various sections, and the different public institutions under the control of the State Government. (Report of inspections made by the members of the Board will be found in another part of this report.) From our fund we pay office rent and current expenses of the same, the Secretary and Clerks' salaries, printing bills, including all publications of the Board, except the Annual Report. The Board supplies all of the city, county and town health boards, with physicians' blanks for the return of births, deaths, contagious and infectious diseases, county clerks blanks for the purpose of making returns of marriages, and furnishes county boards of health with blanks to make regular quarterly reports, as well as blanks for special reports of contagious and infectious diseases, preventable disease circulars for general distribution among the people, and the rules and regulations of, the Board, for the government of physicians and health officers, programmes, and all necessary printing for sanitary conventions held in the State. The failure of the last General Assembly to pass the General Appropriation Bill, does not cripple this department of the State Government, as the money to defray its annual expenses, was wisely provided for in the Act of the Legislature creating it.

We have no balance after meeting all of the obligations for the year ending October 31, 1887.

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