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What is sanitary work?
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CORRESPONDENCE.--APPOINTMENTS.
Thus the outcome of the action on behalf of the sanitary authority to prevent the meat being eaten is effectual in a roundabout way ; but~ sooner or later, a claim is made for the value of the carcass seized, and for the costs of opposing the application to the magistrate. As it is almost impossible to get witnesses in any case which will impress the local Bench as much as Mr. Ramsden, it seems as if, in the matter of the inspection of meat, the Birkenhead authority were within measurable distance of being forced to let the butchers have their own way. I have the depositions furnished by a shorthand writerj who was in Court, so far as regards the magistrate and the witness Ramsden, therefore the quoted parts are really verbatim what was said.--I am, Yours, etc.m Birkenhead. FRANCIS VACHER.
WHAT IS SANITARY WORK ? To the ~ditor of PUBLIC HEALTH. SIR,--The advantage of going to the root of matters is obvious. Thus, bacteriology, which goes to the root of disease, is likely to be more beneficial than clinical or therapeutic study. Sanitation in its basic meaning is another word for cleanliness. Quarantine, notification, infectious-diseases hospitals are other words for isolation. Is it not the duty of health officers to cultivate sanitation, to anticipate rather than fight disease ? The more money the public spend on "isolation" the more they are deluded into the view that they are doing sanitary duty~ and the more pure sanitation is likely to be neglected. We hear of sanitary reforms, but there is one by far more important than all others, which we do not hear of. It is this: 2"hat all sanitary bodies shall be distinct boards like School J3oards. I am strongly of opinion that sanitation has only one rival as a human benefactor, viz., education. Why, therefore~ should it not have the benefit of a district board like the latter ? At present sanitary work is relegated to a board of guardians, who have already done three hours' work, or to a local board who have got through the interesting part of their duty, and whose members have already begun to seek their hats and depart. If clauses 20o and 2Ol of the Public Health Act of 1875 contained the word '° shall" instead of ~*may," this end would be partly served. This is~ to my mind, the great sanitary reform of the legislative sort that is required, and without which all else is almost as nothing. Another useful reform, but far behind the first, would be the creation of districts of such dimensions that medical officers of health could be restricted from practice. The other things I have alluded to of the "isolation " type, although useful in their subordinate places, are not worthy t~f discussion alongside the great reform, ~' ind¢l~endent sanitary boards."--Your obedient servant, WILLIAM HARVEY, F.R.C.S.,
Medical OfficerjNewton Abbott Combined Authorities. St. Eweste, Newton Abbott~ September Izth. .. LETTER FROM THE TREASURER. Ta t/~e Editor Of PUBLIC HEALTH. SiR,~AIlow me to remind the Fellows, Members~ and Associates of the Incorporated Society that the Subscription (half-a.guinea, payable in advance} for the session commencing October I8th, 1892, is now due. It will save trouble and expense to the Society by gentlemen kindly forwarding me a cheque or postal order for the a m o u n t . Yours faithfully~ S . R . LOVETT, Hon. Treasurer. 13, Great Russell Street, W.C.
APPOINTMENTS. ~/~EDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH. BEVAN, W. L. P., M.D., C.M.Edin., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Alton Urban Sanitary District of the Alton Union. GIBSON, C. G., M.B., C.M.Edin., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Launeeston Urban Sanitary Dis. trict of the Launceston Union. JACKSON,J. J., L. R,C. P.Edin., L. R.C.S.Iret., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Wakefield Rural Sanitary District. MASON, D., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the St. Austell District of the St. Austell Union. MONAGHAN, T. J., L.R.C.P. and S.Edin., D.P.H.Edin., D.S.Sc. Vict. Univ., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Borough of Accrington. MORRISON, R. H., M,B., C.M.Edin., appointed Health Officer for Oakleigh Borough, Victoria. Australia. MORRIS, COLNE DWIGHT, L,R.C.P.Lond., M.R.C.S.. appointed Medical Officer of IIealth to the Staines Rural Sanitary District. NEECH, JAS. W., L.R.C.P. Edin., L.F.P.S. Glas., appointed Medical Officer of Health to the Atherton Local Board PITT, C. VV., M.R.C.S., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Rural Sanitary District of the Malmesbury~ Union. SAWYER, R. H,, M.R.C.S., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Shaftesbury Urban Sanitary District of the Shaftesbury Union. SINCLAIR, R. D., L.R.C.P.Edin., L.F.P.S.Glas., up. pointed Health Officer for Flinders and Kangerong Shires, Victoria, Australia. SI~ITH, T. H., L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S.Edin., re-appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Reddish Urban Sanitary District. WOOD, JNO. CUNDELL, L.R.C.P., D.P.H.Edin., up. pointed Medical Officer of Health for Sunderland. CHOLERA FROM INFECTED CLOTHES. ~ T h e special c o r r e s p o n d e n t of t h e T i m e s (Sept. i 7 t h ) gives t h e following. I n the town of Askhabad the choler,a was already nearly e x t i n g u i s h e d w h e n it suddenly blazed up again with extraordinary violence. O n A u g u s t 3rd t h e r e were only i r patients left in hospital, a n d they were c o n v a l e s c e n t ; a few soldiers also r e m a i n e d in t h e s a m e state in barracks. O n t h a t night 12 m o r e soldiers were t a k e n violently ill, a n d within a few h o u r s a fresh o u t b r e a k a p p e a r e d a m o n g t h e townspeople. O n the following d a y 400 were d o w n with c h o l e r a . E n e r g e t i c m e a s u r e s were t a k e n a n d t h e course of t h e disease was stayed, or stayed itself in t h r e e days, but d u r i n g that t i m e 8o0 p e r . sons t o o k it, a n d a b o u t half o f t h e m died. It a p p e a r e d that t h e soldiers who were first t a k e n ill h a d g o n e d o w n to a s t r e a m with their soiled linen a n d h a d w a s h e d it there, d r i n k i n g also from t h e s a m e water. T h e o c c u r r e n c e is very instructive f r o m several points of view ; b u t it certainly shows that the poison can be c o n v e y e d by clothes, a n d as such t h i n g s can, apart from travellers, b e absolutely e x c l u d e d without any trouble whatever, it is wiser to e x c l u d e t h e m . WANTED.--Congress Numt~ers of Public Health for August Io, I r, In. Also Ordinary Numbers of Public f~realt]~ for October and December, 189o, and January, February, March, and April, x89I. Full price paid (66.) by tlae publisher, E. W. Aliens Ave Maria Lane, E.C.
CORRESPONDENCE.--APPOINTMENTS.
Thus the outcome of the action on behalf of the sanitary authority to prevent the meat being eaten is effectual in a roundabout way ; but~ sooner or later, a claim is made for the value of the carcass seized, and for the costs of opposing the application to the magistrate. As it is almost impossible to get witnesses in any case which will impress the local Bench as much as Mr. Ramsden, it seems as if, in the matter of the inspection of meat, the Birkenhead authority were within measurable distance of being forced to let the butchers have their own way. I have the depositions furnished by a shorthand writerj who was in Court, so far as regards the magistrate and the witness Ramsden, therefore the quoted parts are really verbatim what was said.--I am, Yours, etc.m Birkenhead. FRANCIS VACHER.
WHAT IS SANITARY WORK ? To the ~ditor of PUBLIC HEALTH. SIR,--The advantage of going to the root of matters is obvious. Thus, bacteriology, which goes to the root of disease, is likely to be more beneficial than clinical or therapeutic study. Sanitation in its basic meaning is another word for cleanliness. Quarantine, notification, infectious-diseases hospitals are other words for isolation. Is it not the duty of health officers to cultivate sanitation, to anticipate rather than fight disease ? The more money the public spend on "isolation" the more they are deluded into the view that they are doing sanitary duty~ and the more pure sanitation is likely to be neglected. We hear of sanitary reforms, but there is one by far more important than all others, which we do not hear of. It is this: 2"hat all sanitary bodies shall be distinct boards like School J3oards. I am strongly of opinion that sanitation has only one rival as a human benefactor, viz., education. Why, therefore~ should it not have the benefit of a district board like the latter ? At present sanitary work is relegated to a board of guardians, who have already done three hours' work, or to a local board who have got through the interesting part of their duty, and whose members have already begun to seek their hats and depart. If clauses 20o and 2Ol of the Public Health Act of 1875 contained the word '° shall" instead of ~*may," this end would be partly served. This is~ to my mind, the great sanitary reform of the legislative sort that is required, and without which all else is almost as nothing. Another useful reform, but far behind the first, would be the creation of districts of such dimensions that medical officers of health could be restricted from practice. The other things I have alluded to of the "isolation " type, although useful in their subordinate places, are not worthy t~f discussion alongside the great reform, ~' ind¢l~endent sanitary boards."--Your obedient servant, WILLIAM HARVEY, F.R.C.S.,
Medical OfficerjNewton Abbott Combined Authorities. St. Eweste, Newton Abbott~ September Izth. .. LETTER FROM THE TREASURER. Ta t/~e Editor Of PUBLIC HEALTH. SiR,~AIlow me to remind the Fellows, Members~ and Associates of the Incorporated Society that the Subscription (half-a.guinea, payable in advance} for the session commencing October I8th, 1892, is now due. It will save trouble and expense to the Society by gentlemen kindly forwarding me a cheque or postal order for the a m o u n t . Yours faithfully~ S . R . LOVETT, Hon. Treasurer. 13, Great Russell Street, W.C.
APPOINTMENTS. ~/~EDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH. BEVAN, W. L. P., M.D., C.M.Edin., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Alton Urban Sanitary District of the Alton Union. GIBSON, C. G., M.B., C.M.Edin., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Launeeston Urban Sanitary Dis. trict of the Launceston Union. JACKSON,J. J., L. R,C. P.Edin., L. R.C.S.Iret., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Wakefield Rural Sanitary District. MASON, D., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the St. Austell District of the St. Austell Union. MONAGHAN, T. J., L.R.C.P. and S.Edin., D.P.H.Edin., D.S.Sc. Vict. Univ., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Borough of Accrington. MORRISON, R. H., M,B., C.M.Edin., appointed Health Officer for Oakleigh Borough, Victoria. Australia. MORRIS, COLNE DWIGHT, L,R.C.P.Lond., M.R.C.S.. appointed Medical Officer of IIealth to the Staines Rural Sanitary District. NEECH, JAS. W., L.R.C.P. Edin., L.F.P.S. Glas., appointed Medical Officer of Health to the Atherton Local Board PITT, C. VV., M.R.C.S., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Rural Sanitary District of the Malmesbury~ Union. SAWYER, R. H,, M.R.C.S., appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Shaftesbury Urban Sanitary District of the Shaftesbury Union. SINCLAIR, R. D., L.R.C.P.Edin., L.F.P.S.Glas., up. pointed Health Officer for Flinders and Kangerong Shires, Victoria, Australia. SI~ITH, T. H., L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S.Edin., re-appointed Medical Officer of Health for the Reddish Urban Sanitary District. WOOD, JNO. CUNDELL, L.R.C.P., D.P.H.Edin., up. pointed Medical Officer of Health for Sunderland. CHOLERA FROM INFECTED CLOTHES. ~ T h e special c o r r e s p o n d e n t of t h e T i m e s (Sept. i 7 t h ) gives t h e following. I n the town of Askhabad the choler,a was already nearly e x t i n g u i s h e d w h e n it suddenly blazed up again with extraordinary violence. O n A u g u s t 3rd t h e r e were only i r patients left in hospital, a n d they were c o n v a l e s c e n t ; a few soldiers also r e m a i n e d in t h e s a m e state in barracks. O n t h a t night 12 m o r e soldiers were t a k e n violently ill, a n d within a few h o u r s a fresh o u t b r e a k a p p e a r e d a m o n g t h e townspeople. O n the following d a y 400 were d o w n with c h o l e r a . E n e r g e t i c m e a s u r e s were t a k e n a n d t h e course of t h e disease was stayed, or stayed itself in t h r e e days, but d u r i n g that t i m e 8o0 p e r . sons t o o k it, a n d a b o u t half o f t h e m died. It a p p e a r e d that t h e soldiers who were first t a k e n ill h a d g o n e d o w n to a s t r e a m with their soiled linen a n d h a d w a s h e d it there, d r i n k i n g also from t h e s a m e water. T h e o c c u r r e n c e is very instructive f r o m several points of view ; b u t it certainly shows that the poison can be c o n v e y e d by clothes, a n d as such t h i n g s can, apart from travellers, b e absolutely e x c l u d e d without any trouble whatever, it is wiser to e x c l u d e t h e m . WANTED.--Congress Numt~ers of Public Health for August Io, I r, In. Also Ordinary Numbers of Public f~realt]~ for October and December, 189o, and January, February, March, and April, x89I. Full price paid (66.) by tlae publisher, E. W. Aliens Ave Maria Lane, E.C.