Municipal sanitation in the United States / by Charles V. Chapin.

  • Charles V. Chapin
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Municipal sanitation in the United States / by Charles V. Chapin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    thr.se states in which the method of dealing with municipalities is chiefly by means of special legislation, and where there are no general pro- visions for municipal incorporation, but it may be found anywhere, ii was more common in the past than at present for two reasons; first. because the method of dealing with these matters by genera] Legislation is recognized more and more as the better way, and second, because in former years when public sanitation was somewhat novel, it was only exceptional circumstances which could lead a community to see the necessity for any sanitary organization at all. An epidemic, either actual or potential, has been in the past, and is even now. the most com- mon cause for special legislative action in the direction indicated. The presence of yellow fever in Boston in 17s'.'1 was the cause of the establishment of the hoard of health in the following year. The hoard of health in Philadelphia in 17l»4 was the result of smallpox in 1793.9 The health department in Providence was organized in 1856 as a result of the cholera epidemic in the preceding year, and the Chicago board of health was established in 1867 in consequence of the interest in sanitary affairs created by cholera in 1866.3 Yellow fever in Memphis not only resulted in the formation of a well organized health department, hut caused the revocation of the city charter and a reorganization of the city government. The reorganization of the Detroit health depart- ment in 1895 was due to an extensive outbreak of scarlet fever and diphtheria. //. General Sanitary Legislation for Sanitary Organization. Jn the early history of public sanitation in this couiitrx most of the Legislation would naturally he of a special and local character, called for by special events, and fitted for certain localities, usually the more populous centres. General laws for the establishment of local sanitary authority onl\ came with the development of popular interest in sani- tary affairs. The growth of public sentiment in this direction has been greatly favored by the establishment i -tate boards of health. These boards have done much to produce a demand for local saniiarv organiz- ation and to shape the laws to eflecl it. At the present time, much the larger pari of our population is under general saniiarv legislation ; and* this is true of even the largest cities, for the tendencj towards uniform methods of municipal incorporation is yearly wiping out old cha and special acts I making general laws of incorporation in their place. 1 Report of the Sanitary Commission of Massachusetts, 1850, p - Philadelphia, Reporl <»f the Board oi Health, 1895, p. •