Duties Of Health Officers

The State Board of Health has issued a circular, setting forth the duties of health officers, which wl.' be productive of good if due attention ahall be paid to its suggestions by the township, village and city local boards. If no health offlcer is appointed in a township "within thirty days after the anuual township meeting," it will still be neceasary to appoint or re-appoint one after that time, as in the case of a vacancy; as will alsobe neeessary if the officer appointed does not "qualify," or file his oath of office. Before entering upon his duties the health offlcer should take and subscribe the official oath reuired by Sec. 1, Art. xviii., of the Contitution of this State, and flle the same n the office of the clerk of the city.vilage, or township of which he is the ealth officer. The health officer should attend to he following directions: (1) Epidemcs should be prevented. This can genrally be done, if local boards of health will but act efliciently in studying out nd applying methods which are now racticable. (2) Prompt notice of out)reaks of disease should be secured. Tor the most effective restriction of all ommunicable diseases one of thé flrst equisiteu is that your board shall romptly receive notice ofevery case f a communicable disease. The law makea provisión therefor. (3) Communicable diseases should be restrietd. When ñotice or inf ormation of the ccurrence of a case of a communicable isease reaches the local board, the joard should act promptly for the retriction of the disease. To neglect or ;ostpone such action is a great violaiion of public trust. The offlcer should romptly verify the reports of cases of carlet fever, diphtheria, small-pox, or ther dangerous disease, and investíate suspected cases which are not re)orted, so that hemay act intelligently; lecure the prompt and thorough isolaon of those sick with or exposed to uch a disease, and see that such isolaon is coutinued as long as there is ny danger of communicating the disease; see that no person suffers forlack f nurses, etc, because of isolation for ie public good; give public notice of nfected places, as required by S6ction .722, compiled laws of 1871; (notify eachers or superintendents of schools oncerning families in which are contaious diseases; regúlate funerals of )ersons dead from scarlet fever, diphïeria, small-pox, etc. ; disinf eet rooms, lothing, and premises, and all articles kely to be infected, before allowing ïeir use by other persons; give certiflates of recovery and of f reedom from iability to communicate the disease; teep his own board of health, and the tate Board oL Health, constantly inormed respecting every outbreak of a inease dangerous to the public health. (4) Nuisances should be abated. Vhile it is not, as many suppose, the ñrst and only duty of a health offlcer to smell out a cesspool or an oiïensive privy, he is the one to whom, from his official position and authority, the people properly look to discover and abate any such nuisance. (5) Sanitary Information should be disseminated among the people. The local board of health should be a ceDter of saniufcry and hygienic intelligence for its locality; its meetings hould not be infrequent, and should e so managed as to secure papers or iscussions on special subjects and on he applicatioa of the principies of santary science to the particular sources f danger in the immediate vicinity.