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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    consist of a single health officer who -performs all the duties of his department. This is the rule in the vast number of smaller com- munities throughout the county; but as we pass to larger aggregations of people we find that the work of sanitary administration increases until in the large cities it necessitates quite an army of officials. In the city of Xew York since consolidation, a unique division of the health department has been made, necessitated by the great size and peculiar geography of the city. There are two bureaus in the depart- ment, one to be presided over by the registrar of records, and which is virtually a bureau of vital statistics, and the other presided over by a sanitary superintendent, and which bureau is to perform all other sanitary functions than those relating to registration. For cadi of the five boroughs the board of health is to establish borough offices, for each of which is appointed an assistant sanitary superintendent and assistant registrar of records. These local officers transact the business and keep the records for their respective buroughs, but all act under the direction of the central board of health which has its office in .Manhat- tan. The sanitary superintendent and his live assistants arc the executive officers of the board of health. Officers and employees other than the health officer are almosl always appointed by the board of health if there is a board of health. When there is a single head to the department he sometimes has the entire appointing power, as in Buffalo,1 or more often exercises this power con- jointly. In St. Louis the appointments of the health commissioner are to be confirmed by the board of health, and in Chicago and Denver by the mayor. Bonds. Bonds are not infrequently required of the officers of the health department. In St. bonis the health commissioner has to fur- nish bonds in the sum of $10,000. In Chicago the amount is $5,000. Subordinate officers also sometimes have to give bonds. In Cincinnati the amount required of the registrar of vita] statistics, of the inspector of meat, of the milk inspector, ami the sanitar) superintendent, is $2,000. [n smaller cities health officers' ami inspectors'bonds in the sum of $500 or $1,000 are sometimes required. The time devoted b\ the health officer and other sanitary officials to the duties of their department varies very much. In country districts and in villages and small cities, the health officer is usually engaged mosl of his time in active practice, if he is a physician. Excepl in e rgencies, he is able to satisfactorily perform his duties without materiall} encroaching on the time devoted to his privati In New V/ork, Chapter L05 oi L891, Sees.