MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

DOUGLAS C. RAMSEY, M. D., President,

L. L. WHITESIDES, M. D., Vice-President,

J. N. HURTY, M. D., Secretary,

T. HENRY DAVIS, M. D.,

JOHN H. FORREST, M. D.,

Mt. Vernon.

Franklin.

Indianapolis.

Richmond.

Marion.

STATE BOARD OF HEALTH REPORT.

HON. CLAUDE MATTHEWS,

Governor of Indiana:

The State Board of Health herewith submits its Fifteenth Annual Report for the Board year ending September 30, 1896. No report was made for the statistical year ending September 30, 1895. This was due to the death of the then Secretary, on March 12, 1896. At the time of his demise the report for the last mentioned period was far from complete, and the present Secretary failed to find all of the data necessary for completion. It was, therefore, determined to include in the report for 1896, the matter composing the partially finished record for 1895. This makes up the appendix to the present volume.

This Board has both a statistical and fiscal year. The first ends September 30, and the second ends October 31. The financial exhibit is given first and covers the entire fiscal year without being set forth in yearly quarters. The account of the proceedings and acts of the Board are set forth in yearly quarters, in the order in which they actually occurred.

Under miscellaneous, there is given special reports on the sanitary condition of the counties of the State; special reports of the city crematories at Richmond, Ft. Wayne and Terre Haute; special reports on the public water supplies of all cities and towns having water works, and a full account of the water and vinegar analyses made, together with the microscopical diphtheria examinations.

The vital statistics are given in tabular form. The same arrangements used in former reports being retained. We are impelled by common honesty to say that the records of births and deaths as here given have scarcely any value. This is because the law under which the work is done is inadequate in almost every particular.

Until a proper statute is enacted this highly valuable and important State work will be done imperfectly.

A wise health law will save to the citizens of the State several millions of dollars which are now lost through unnecessary disease and death. Recognizing this fact and knowing the inefficiency of the existing law, this Board earnestly recommends the early enactment into a statute of a bill which has been carefully and studiously prepared, and which we believe will be the means of bringing more abundant health and wealth to the people. This bill will be presented to the coming Legislature, and we hope it will not meet with favor unless it plainly appears that it will be the means of saving vast sums of money now needlessly lost through disease and death which might be prevented.

The text of the proposed bill is given herewith.

A BILL for an act entitled an act to provide for the preservation of the public health; for the prevention and suppression of epidemic, contagious and infectious diseases in man and the domestic animals; for the disinfection or destruction of animals, personal property, houses or other structures, when contaminated with or by malignant contagious or infectious diseases, when incapable of disinfection; to provide for the abatement of disease producing or spreading nuisances; to prevent and abate the pollution of rivers, water courses, lakes and springs; to create a State Board of Health Commissioners, defining their powers and duties; providing for the jurisdiction of courts in certain cases, and defining the duties of the Attorney-General, Prosecuting and City Attorneys in relation thereto; for the equipment and maintenance of a State Laboratory of Hygiene; providing for the appointment of certain officers by the State Board of Health Commissioners by the Governor; providing for the appointment of county, city and town boards of health and health officers, defining their powers and duties; providing for the proper health control of the public food and drug supply, for the collection of vital and sanitary statistics; prescribing fines and penalties for the violation of this act, fixing an appropriation for the expenses of the State Board of Health Commissioners, repealing acts in conflict therewith, and declaring an emer

gency.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, That within twenty days after the taking effect of this act the Governor shall appoint four skilled, reputable practicing physicians, graduates of a reputable medical college, one skilled engineer, who shall be competent in mechanical, civil, hydraulic and sanitary engineering, one reputable practicing

lawyer, and a competent, experienced, reputable graduate in veterinary science, who shall constitute and be a board to be denominated the State Board of Health Commissioners, who shall perform the duties and have the powers hereinafter specified, and whose jurisdiction shall be co-extensive with the State. SEC. 2. The Governor shall commission the said Commissioners so appointed as aforesaid, and before entering upon the duties of their office, they shall each take and subscribe an oath of office that they will faithfully and honestly discharge the duties of said office, which oath shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

SEC. 3. The members of said Board shall hold their offices as follows: The two members first appointed shall serve and be commissioned for four years; the two members next appointed shall serve and be commissioned for three years; the two members next appointed shall serve and be commissioned to serve for two years, and the one last appointed shall serve and be commissioned for one year. Thereafter, the Governor shall annually appoint a successor or successors to such member or members whose term or terms of office shall have expired, and such member or members so appointed shall be commissioned and serve for four years. Any vacancy in said Board shall be filled by the Governor.

SEC. 4. The State Board of Health Commissioners shall meet once in each month in the city of Indianapolis, and as often as they may deem necessary, and at such other times and places as they may deem expedient during epidemics. A majority shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. They shall choose one of their number for president, who shall serve two years, unless his term of office as a member of the Board shall sooner expire. The members of said Board shall receive their traveling and other necessary expenses and a per diem of $5 00 each while employed on the business of the Board, and no other compensation shall be given to them. Each member shall make an itemized account of expenses before the same may be paid. The Board shall elect a State Health Officer, who shall be Secretary. The said Board shall collect and publish vital statistics, make sanitary investigations and inquiries respecting the cause of disease, the causes of mortality and the effect of localities, employments, conditions, ingesta, habits and circumstances on the health of the people.

POWERS.

SEC. 5. The State Board of Health Commissioners shall be a body politic, and by said name may sue and be sued in the courts of the State, and shall be invested with the police power of the State for the ordaining and enforcement of bylaws, rules and regulations for the preservation of the health of the inhabitants and domestic animals of the State of Indiana; for the prevention of contagious and infectious disease, for the prevention and correction of the pollution of rivers, water-courses, lakes and springs; for the prevention and abatement of nuisances; for the declaration of quarantine against infection and contagion, for the condemnation and destruction of animals infected with glanders, rinderpest, charbon, Texas fever, or other malignant contagious diseases; of personal property likewise infected and likely to spread contagious and fatal diseases; and for the condemnation and destruction of any buildings or lands in case the same are so infected with the germs of the disease of consumption (tuberculosis), diphtheria, leprosy, cancer, small-pox or any other similar infectious or contagious malignant disease that they can not be disinfected; and for the inspection and regulation of dairies, and the condemnation of diseased milch cows. The State Board of Health Commissioners shall have power to regulate cemeteries, burial grounds and interments, may prohibit undertakers, for the purposes of speculation, from using tombs as places of deposit for bodies committed to them for burial; may, if in their opinion the public health requires it, close any tomb, burial ground, cemetery or other place of burial within any city or incorporated town in this State for such length of time as they may deem necessary for the protection of the public health. And for this purpose may adopt by-laws, ordinances and rules, and may establish penalties for any breach of such by-laws, ordinances or rules, not exceeding one hundred dollars. The State Board of Health Commissioners shall have power to adopt health ordinances, by-laws, rules and regulations for the purposes aforesaid, and to provide in such ordinances and bylaws, and in all other ordinances and by-laws, that any person or corporation violating the provisions thereof, or any of them, shall forfeit any sum not less than one dollar nor more than