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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$I trust I shall not be driven ignoniiniously from the slajje if I quote the ell'usiou of a i»atriotic i>oet in reference to Ji recent event which has now become historic, as exi»r(‘ssive of my attitude on this (piestion. “Oh, dewy was the moniin^ Upon the first of May, And Dewey was the (,'ommodore ^^'ithin Manill.-i Bay, And Dewy were the Keffent’s eyes. Those orbs of royal him*, ,\nd do we feel disconra}ted? I do not think we do.” Acting Chainiiaii McMrag—Tho ne.\t subjeet upon tlio projrnim is “Aumuil C’on- ferencos of Local Health Ottioers, by Di-. O. Probst, Secretary of the (Hilo Stale Board of Health. Ladies and trentleineii. I take pleasure in presenting to yon Doctor Probst:— ANNUAL CONFERENCES OF LOCAL IIEALTH OFFICERS. BY 0. 0. PROBST, M. D , SECRETARY STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, COLUMBUS, OHIO, AND SECRETARY OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION. ]\Iu. l*RESiL)E.\T, Ladies and Oe.ntlemen:—The orjianizsition of Local Health Olticers’ Associations belongs very hirgelj' to the last (piarter of this Quarter-Centennial of Sanitation that we art? celebrating today; and it promises to be an imiiortant f.ictor in sidvancing I lie cause of public sanitation. I have endeavored to learn the form of orgtinization tind modes of jiro- cedure of the sanitary associations, and of the assocititions of hettlth otlicers of the States and I’rovinces having such orgtinizatious, Jind from this and the experience of my own State, to formulate briefly the con- clusions retiched as to how annual conferences of health ollicei*s can be made most successful. By health officers is not meant the officer or person usually appointed by a board of health as its executive, but all persons appointed under the law as members of boards of health, or for ])ublic sanitary duty. Men of all occupjitions have found it advantageous to “get together”, and we have legal societies, humane societies, trades assemblit^s and various other tissociations, too numerous to mention. The reasons for association are obvious. The best jiossible way to easily gain accurate information of any subject one is engaged in studying is to discuss it with others who are also making a study of it. A generous rivalry for the best individmil work, tind tin esprit do corps when concentrated action is required, is also engendered by such tissociations. A celebrated American divine and author some years’ago made his first trip abroad. He is known at home as an indefatigtible worker. On his return he told a friend that he found the theologians of Germany were accomplishing more in six or seven hours’ work than he had been able to accomplish in ten or twelve. The reason, he said, was association.$