Proceedings of the quarter-centennial celebration of the establishment of the Michigan State Board of Health : held at Detroit, Michigan, August 9, 1898.

Michigan. State Board of Health

Date:: 1898

Credit: Proceedings of the quarter-centennial celebration of the establishment of the Michigan State Board of Health : held at Detroit, Michigan, August 9, 1898. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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$in;; of Ji niilitiiry cxpoi iiMicc, lu* had not failed to note, when in the anny, that tin* nnnih(*r ot d(*ailiH which take placa^ in hatth* is coinj»arativeiv small (•onii)ai'ed with those which i(*snlt from disease, and that the chi(*f duty ot the anny snrj>-eon who has any just comprelu'nsion of his re- sponsihiliti(*s is, not the administration of di'iijis or the amputation of liinhs, hnt the insistence* on tin* ohsi*i vation by the soldier of (*vei*y pos- sil)l(* iH(‘cantion for tin* pr«*s(*ivation of ln*alth, iind Ity his sii|K*rior edlicers of such nn*asni(*s as will (*nabh* tin* s(ddier to carry out tln*se ]ir(*cantions. In (dln*r words tin* hyjri(*ne of tin* camp and the march \\(*re* of intinit(*ly {,M(*at(*r importance* than the treatment of disease and tin* caring of wounds, it did not take? him leni e>n retnrnin{^ te> civil life* te> aelapt his ne*wly-acf|nir(*d kinewled^e te> the endinary e-eenditions ot e*xiste*nc(*, and he* at eem-e* se*t eni toot a preepajjanda with the obje*ct e>f aionsiny: inte*i(*st in this (|in*stion ame)!)*; the* ])e*e)ple* of his State*, Mie*hi- }^an. In lanjiiiaj^n* almost preephetie* of his future* cai'e*e*r, he ele*e*lare*el that, “(!rande*r victoi-ie*s, e>f fire*ate*r imjien-tain-e to the* jeeojile remain to be aediie*ve*el tfian any whie*h have he*re*}etfe)re i*esnlteet from warlike* nn*the)els. Tee the* j»e*ae*e*fnl ln*re), wine shall e-all tdrth ami see marshal tae ts ami ^e*ne*ralize* the* se-atte*reel fe)ie-e*s eef kne)wle*elf;e as tee le*ael tee a victeery eeve*r any eem* eef the* ]eieemine*nt e-anse*s eef ele*ath whie-h neew an- nually eh'streey eenr e-itijce*ns by hnnelre*els eer by tlnensamls, humanity may \\e*ll ae-e-eeiel a hij;he*r jeraise* than tee the* meest sne-e*e*ssfnl eef wai-like {?en- e*rals.” Owinj*; tee his ]ee*rsiste*nt ami e*ne*r}ie*tie- e*lfeei-ts, the* iin*rtia whie-h peesse‘sse*el the* le*;?:islatni-e* eef that State*, in e-eemnnen with all eethe*rs, in re*^ard tee mov(*nients eef a. se-ie-ntitie* e-hai-ae-te*!* leeeekinj; tee the jre‘ne*ral ^ieeeeel eef the* iee*eeph*, was j^radnally ove*rcoine. .\s I elictate* tln*se* weerels I am i-e*minele*el that it is the* e*xae*t annive*rsary of the* elay een whie-h the* tirst me*e*tinj' eef the* Slate* Reearel eef He*alth eef Mie-hi};an, the* re*snlt eef the’se* e*arne*st and e-eense-ie*nlieens labeers, was ln*hl. Ir was neel. heewe*ve*r, nntil live*ye*ars late*r that the* ve*te*ran I\e‘dzie*, wheese* name* is he*lel in re*ve*i-e*ne-e* by all sanitarians in the* riute*el State's, in his l*re*siele*ntial *\ehli*e*ss be*feere* the* Reearel. statcel the* ]ei-eepeesitieen that eem* me*ans, anel a meest impeertant moans, eef elisse-minatiiif; kinewle*el<;(* i*c- s]ee*e.-linj; elise*ase*s anel nsofnl infeermatieen een the* snbjoe-t eef hy^ie*ne* ameenj; the* pe*ee]ele* as re*e]nire*el by law, weenhl be* tee assomblo the* jeeeeple* in ditfor- e*nt leae-ts of the* State*, and to talk to thorn face^ tee fae-e*, inste*ael eef ele*- pe*ndin{?: on printe*d elocnme*nts alone* feer the* conv(*yane-e* of infeermation. This sn<TKOstieen was imme*eliate>ly ae-te*el npeen, and the* first State Sanitary (‘eenve*ntieen eef ;Mie-hijran was he*ld in this city in tho month eef Aieril, 1S7!>. NVe* ai-e* teelel that “all whee we*re* in attonelane-e* at this Ceenvontieen wore well ]eloase*el, and re*^arele*el the* weerk elone* as e*e|nal to tho anticipations eef its most e*nthnsiastie* friends.'' That the*se meotin;?:s have fjone on incre*asin<?: in inte*re*st and nse*fnlne*ss we may fairly ceenclnele from the fae-t that np to the ]ere*sont time* feerty-five* have bee*n held; the next to the last haviiifr alsee take*n plae-o in this city at the* e-lose* of last year. Ceen- sielerably meere* thaei two e-onvontions a year have therefoi-e been held sine-o the inanjrnration of the movement. The* Ronnsylvania Reearel, ceemin}*: into existence* twelve years later than yoni- eewn, natnrally attem]ete>d to jjfain, frojn the ex]eerience of that and oth(“i- eelde*r beeai-els, hints as to the* best methods of cai-iwiiift on its ini]eortant work. Tt was deeply impre*sse*el with what seemed to be almost a spe*e-ialty of the Mie-hijran Reeai-d, the fre'epieeit eee-e-asieens een whie-h, like* ]Mos(*s of eelel, it called the ]ee*o]ele together to heai- the words of the$