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UNLICENSED PHYSICIANS

We believe that this state has as few illegal practitioners as any state, but we do have a number. Some of these are men who persist in efforts to practice after having failed to successfully pass an examination. A few have never attended any medical college. Fewer still are so-called cancer curers, and several are drugless healers of several sorts. We have made active efforts to suppress the practice of these persons, several of whom are women. It is not always easy to secure the interested cooperation of the prosecuting attorneys and grand juries seem generally to possess a large amount of sympathy for this kind of criminals. We have had difficulty also in securing the interest of local medical men even to the extent of aiding in supplying witnesses. The result has in most cases prosecuted been failure to secure an indictment or failure to convict after indictment. Juries seem to regard all such prosecutions as resulting from the jealousy of physicians, and all intelligent medical practitioners recognize the proneness of many fairly intelligent persons to run after medical imposters of all sorts, if only they freely advertise their so-called cures. Owing to this disposition on the part of many people, and the difficulty of conviction, we sometimes feel that it may be as well to give free license to these ignorant imposters and let the people learn from sad experience the folly of their course. Even our legislatures, at almost every session, have been passing joint resolutions authorizing or directing the Public Health Council to issue licenses to unqualified men-in one case to a man who had never attended a medical institution. Under such circumstances why waste time and money in instituting prosecutions. The sole purpose of a state health department is to conserve the lives and health of the people, and one very important means of accomplishing this desirable end is to furnish the people with skilled medical attendants only. Legislatures and juries, therefore, should endeavor to cooperate with the state health department in efforts to have the requirements of the law as to medical education complied with.

HEALTH IS PURCHASABLE

It is a motto of the New York State Board of Health that "within certain limits health is purchasable," and the great Pasteur has said, "It is within the power of man to do without all infectious diseases". In our January bulletin we presented figures from the experience of the Toronto, Canada, Board of Health demonstrating that just as money expended for health purposes was increased, so the infectious diseases decreased in number. Someone has said that any nation can, when impelled by a motive sufficiently strong, secure money in any amount which may be required. "It becomes our duty, therefore, to appeal to our Legislatures in such a way as to cause them to see that disease is a foe always threatening, always alert, always ready to find our weaknesses and take advantage of them, a foe, however, against whose attack our measures can be made efficient."

Typhoid fever is one the preventable diseases with which this state is too commonly afflicted. If all the knowledge that we possess as to its method of spread and methods of control could be made effective, this disease could in a few years be made to disappear. The statistics of thirty-five registration cities of the United States with a population of 20,000,000 shows that the deaths from typhoid fever, which gave for the years 1907-11, an average of 19.7 per hundred thousand, were reduced in 1912-17 to 6.7 per hundred thousand. Thus were saved, by the active efforts of health departments, 2,600 lives and 1,500,000 days

of sickness and economic loss. This experience should certainly impress legislators and municipal councils with the importance of making liberal appropriation for public health purposes. The American Public Health Association, at its annual meeting in October 1918, passed a resolution urging all health authorities to strive for an appropriation of 25 cents per capita to be expended for public health purposes. Thus far the appropriation for the state health department in West Virginia has barely exceeded 2 cents per capita. May we not hope that the Legislature of West Virginia will see the importance of making somewhat more liberal appropriations than have thus far been secured for public health purposes. STATE HEALTH COMMISSIONER.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COUNCIL

From July 1st, 1917 to June 30th, 1918

The first meeting of the Public Health Council for the new fiscal year beginning July 1st, 1917, convened in the Junior High School building, Charleston, W. Va. at 8 A. M., July 10th for the purpose of examining applicants for licensure to practice medicine. The members of the Council were as follows:

1st District-Dr. J. L. Pyle, Chester, W. Va.

2nd District-Dr. W. T. Henshaw, Martinsburg, W. Va.

3rd District-Dr. F. F. Farnsworth, Frenchton.

4th District-Dr. H. E. Gaynor, Parkersburg.

5th District-Dr. L. H. Clark, Kyle.

6th District-Dr. V. T. Churchman, Charleston.

Ex-officio -Dr. S. L. Jepson, State Health Commissioner, Charleston.

Thirty-eight candidates appeared for examination. All the members of the Council were present and assisted in the examination, the practical examination being conducted at the McMillan Hospital.

At 8 P. M. July 11th the Council assembled in executive session at the office of the Department in the Masonic Building, all the members being present. On motion of Dr. Jepson, Dr. Churchman was chosen as President pro tem. Nominations for president being called for, Dr. Farnsworth was placed in nomination by Dr. Pyle. No other nominations being made, on motion of Dr. Clark, Dr. Farnsworth was elected to the presidency by acclamation.

A letter was read from former President Golden who had represented the Council at the meeting of the Federation of Medical Examining Boards who stated that a committee composed of himself and Secretary Bierring of the Federation had visited President Pritchett of the Carnegie Foundation and had secured from him a promise that that body would make an investigation of all irregular medical schools and the character of practice done by their graduates.

Dr. Farnsworth reported that some dissatisfaction had been caused at the University by the appointment of a new Director of the Laboratory. The question of removing the laboratory to Charleston was discussed, but no definite action was taken. Dr. Arthur Lederer, the new laboratory director, appeared and set forth his aims and purposes. On motion of Dr. Pyle the following resolution was adopted.

RESOLVED: That three standing committees be appointed by the President, namely, 1. A visiting and inspecting committee for the tuberculosis sanitarium at Terra Alta. 2. A managing committee for the State Hygienic Laboratory at Morgantown. 3. A committee on reciprocity. These committees shall consist of the President and one or more members of the Council, and they shall act for the term of two years, unless sooner discharged or changed by the Council.

The resignation of Dr. C. R. Weirich as Director of the Department of Preventable Diseases was was received and accepted, the doctor having been commissioned in the Medical Officers Reserve Corps of the Army.

On motion of Dr. Churchman the following resolution was adopted:

RESOLVED: That hereafter twelve questions be presented to applicants on each subject, any ten of which may be answered.

The following assignment of subjects for the coming year was made:

Dr. Pyle-Anatomy and Embryology, Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Gaynor-Chemistry and Medical Jurisprudence.

Dr. Farnsworth-Physiology and Histology, Materia Medica and Terapeutics. Dr. Henshaw-Bacteriology and Hygiene.

Dr. Clark-Surgery, Practice and Pediatrics.

Dr. Churchman-Special Medicine.

Mr. Mayo Tolman was reappointed to the position of Director of the Department of Sanitary Engineering, and Dr. Harold B. Wood was appointed as Director of the Department of Preventable Diseases for the term of two years. The executive session adjourned to meet July 24th.

CHARLESTON, W. VA., July 21, 1917. The Council met in executive session at 9 A. M. All the members present except Dr. Clark, from whom an excuse was received. President Farnsworth announced the appointment of the following committees:

Committee on Reciprocity-The President and Secretary.

Committee on Laboratory-Dr. Pyle, Chairman, Dr. Gaynor and the President. Committee on Sanitarium-Dr. Henshaw, Chairman, Dr. Churchman and the

President.

The questions for the next examination were then chosen. The grades of the papers on the recent examination were examined and it appeared that the following applicants were successful:

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and the following osteopaths: Anna Olive Ailes, Mabel McDonald and Donna

G. Russell.

On motion of Dr. Henshaw it was resolved:

That when any health officers fails to investigate any infectious disease or insanitary condition reported to him, or fails to report promptly the results of his investigation to the State Health Department, immediate steps shall be taken by the State Health Department to secure the removal of such Health Officer

from his office.

Adjourned.

CLARKSBURG, W. Va., November 22, 1917.

The Public Health Council met on the 21st of November for the examination of applicants for licensure, all the members being present except Dr. Clark. Sixteen regular physicians appeared for the examination, one osteopath and one chiropodist.

On November 22nd the Council met in executive session.

Dr. Pyle, from the committee on laboratory, presented the following report which was read and ordered recorded in the minutes:

Report of Laboratory Committee

TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COUNCIL:

November 15, 1917.

We, the undersigned committee appointed as the Standing Laboratory Committee beg leave to report as follows:

We visited the State Hygienic Laboratory at Morgantown on August 31st and September 1st, 1917. We spent some time in inspecting and investigating its workings, and found the laboratory in very good shape. Dr. Lederer is taking hold like an old hand, and shows every evidence of being the valuable man we anticipated.

Our chemist, Mr. Cook, is doing all in his power to do the work satisfactorily, and is working early and late to complete all work on time.

Our investigations prove:

1 That the laboratory is doing more work than at any previous time in its history. 2. That the work is as good and reliable as it is possible to do with the present room, equipment and force.

3. That it is at present impossible for the laboratory to undertake work of a medico-legal type, or try to do work distinctly of a toxocological nature, as our equipment and force of help are inadequate.

4 That the present requirement of the Public Service Commission of having all water companies, etc., send samples for examination each month is too rigid, and that in our opinion, if a water sample is examined for several consecutive months, and found to be safe, it should be pronounced safe and only periodic examinations required thereafter unless some suspicious circumstances occur. 5 That the location at Morgantown is not a favorable one for the receiving of samples of water, etc., as it takes too long for express to reach it, and many samples become worthless as a test before reaching the laboratory. The committee recommends that some steps be taken to remove the laboratory to Clarksburg or some other favorable location. This we recommend because of the above named reasons and because of the apparent dissatisfaction at the University.

To make the work effective, and to insure prompt reports on all analyses, we authorized Dr. Lederer to have necessary water and gas as well as electricity connections made, and to purchase some tables needed in the pathological laboratory. We also allowed him two student helpers for a part of each day, these to be used in the cleaning and rough work necessary to facilitate reports. Our committee feels that we should not spend money for equipment which can not be moved; but believe that the necessary help and material to do the work properly should be furnished.

We make the following as an estimate of the yearly outlay:

Dr. Lederer, salary.

Mr. Cook, salary..

Two half-time helpers..

One half-time stenographer..

Current expenses..

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$2,700

1,500

900

360

600

$6,060

J. L. PYLE

F. F. FARNSWORTH
H. E. GAYNOR

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