Show AN IMPERATIVE NEED The Necessity for the Establishment of aBoard a-Board of Health To the Editor of THE HERALD An examination of the rather meagre statistics bearing upon the subject reveals the fact that during the past year from ZIt per cent to 50 per eat of the deaths and sickness in this city were due to preventable causes I is estimated that not less than 23000 is annually taken from this city by advertising doctor and quacks a large proportion of this sum coming from those who are least able to nasal it In addition to this is the loss of life and limb prolonged or permanent illhealth directly or indirectly traceable to the employment employ-ment of unqualified physicians by those who have no means of discriminating between the properly educated and the ignorantpractitloners In no spirit faultfinding are the above facts brought to the attention of the public but to show the necessity of immediate action in the establishment of a board of health in this city The utility of these boards Is not a matter of experiment periment their efficiency has been practically demonstrated in every state in the Union and in ever important city Those to whom has been entrusted the publics welfare are realizing that their responsibility i protecting public from the ravages of preventable disease is not less grave than that of the Individual in leaving noting undone to effect their cure As a parent sits idly by the bedside of his tgf Ydi child dying of a curable disease refusing to em ploy the aid and counsel of those skilled in the treatment of disease would be deemed guilty of criminal negligence so ought the municipal authorities to be considered who by careless ness In taking proper precautions subject their citizens to the dangers of preventable diseases I has been truly said that the time is not far distant when mothers sorrowing over children slain by scarlet fever and diphtheria husbands mourning for wives murdered by ignorant midwives mid-wives and quacks wives weeping lor husbands stricken down with typhoid fever smallpox cholera yellow fever iO point to the legisla tor anl say Thou ar the t Had you ended en-ded proper laws and empowered sanitarians to execute them death had not invaded our homes notnvadedourhomes There Is another reason why this city should not be satisfied with any but the most approved system of sanitation In this day of almighty dollar rule a pecuniary consideration has its weight I we apply the very Ingenious method of calculation used by Dr Far one of the highest authorities of England it will be shown that this city loses annually many thousands of dollars by preventable sickness and death To this loss should be added the wealth that might be brought to this city by people who ta loUt to I make their home In a city where the sanitary condition Is such as it Is her at present In view of these facts we would respectful suggest that ou city authorities b petitioned to appoint committee of two or four who In I conjunction with the quarantine physician shall prepare and submit t the counsel for approva a plan for the establishment establshment of aboard of health In this city This plan to be based upon a cora pariso of those i successful operation i other cities of liko size X I |