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IRVING A. WATSON, M. D., Secretary. Concord.

REPORT.

Herewith is presented the twelfth annual report of the State Board of Health of New Hampshire.

The sanitary progress in this state since the organization of the board twelve years ago, is probably greater than that made during the entire preceding generation. The results are to be seen in every town in the state-a better knowledge among the people of the means necessary to protect and prolong life, the introduction of sewer systems, public water-supplies from uncontaminated sources, cleaner environments, better ventilated buildings, public and private, more rational management of communicable diseases. In fact this progress is exhibited not alone in the corporate action of towns and cities, but is strongly and emphatically shown by the individual family in demanding a certain standard of cleanliness in their immediate vicinity, which only a few years since was not thought of as essential to health.

As a board we have always maintained, and do still maintain, that sanitary education is necessary to sanitary progress, and have, therefore, made it one of the most prominent objects of our work to furnish information in matters pertaining to public health, thereby making it easy to enforce sanitary rules and regulations. If a community understands fully the necessity for a given regulation, its enforcement is not difficult.

This board takes to itself no special credit for the great work that has been and is being done, beyond that of having attempted to perform faithfully the duties imposed upon it by the people of New Hampshire; but it cannot refrain from entertaining at least some satisfaction that such

marked results for the good of the people have been accomplished in so relatively brief a period.

The press of the state, the medical profession, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and other organizations, are aiding the efforts of this board, and doing an incalculable amount of good in educating the people in hygiene and sanitation.

THE PREVENTION AND RESTRICTION OF EPIDEMIC

DISEASES.

The legislature of 1893 enacted a law placing the quarantine authority of the state in the hands of the State Board of Health, and at the same time created an epidemic fund of ten thousand dollars which, added to a sum previously provided by the Public Statutes, makes a total of fifteen thousand dollars available for the purpose of controlling epidemic diseases. No part of this sum can be used for other purposes.

The quarantine authority thus conferred upon the board appears to be able to meet any emergency that may arise. The law and the rules and regulations established under it may be found on page 19 of this report.

ELECTION OF HEALTH OFFICERS.

The present method of choosing health officers in this state is deplorable, and not at all in keeping with the progress that has been made in sanitation within the past few years. The prevention and restriction of disease has become a science as exact and as definite as the scientific practice of medicine. In fact it is now recognized as a distinct branch of medicine, and in most of our medical colleges has a special chair for the instruction of medical students. The marvellous advancement in bacteriology has revealed the exact cause of many of the diseases that affect both man and animals, and clearly shows how some of these diseases may be controlled. Therefore, the functions of a health

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