MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. JOHN M. GREGORY, LL. D., Champaign, President. JOHN MCLEAN, M. D., Pullman. NEWTON BATEMAN, LL. D., Galesburg. R. LUDLAM, M. D., Chicago. A. L. CLARK, M. D., Elgin, Treasurer. W. A. HASKELL, M. D., Alton. JOHN H. RAUCH, M. D., Chicago, Secretary. CONTENTS. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL FROM THE SECRETARY.... MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. SUMMARY REPORT OF THE BOARD. A BOGUS MEDICAL COLLEGE-THE MASSACHUSETTS BELLEVUE.. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS AT THE MEETINGS DURING THE YEAR 1881: PAGE. III IV VII XV OFFICIAL ORDERS, CIRCULARS, ETC., AND EXTRACTS FROM THE SECRETARY'S xxix XXX Xxxii How to Prevent the Spread of Small-Pox.. Circular Letter concerning same.. Transportation of Corpses... Sanitary Policing of Railway Stations... 3789 PAG E 10 11 12 14 19 24 28 Circular Letter concerning same-State Superintendent of Public Instruction.. Circular Letter concerning same.. Return of Vaccination Certificates-Form 52. REPORT OF THE COMMITttee on meDICAL EDUCATION. REQUIREMENTS OF THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.. 39 40 DIRECTORY OF MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. 44 RULINGS AND DECISIONS AND MODE OF Procedure UNDER THE MEDICAL PRACTICE ACT: TEXT OF THE MEDICAL PRACTICE ACT... TEXT OF THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH ACT. 99 CONCERNING PRACTITIONERS AND MODE OF PROCEDURE UNDER THE MEDICAL PRACTICE ACT.. 102 105 110 CONCERNING MIDWIVES... DECISIONS AFFECTING MEDICAL COLLEGES. 112 115 116 REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE CHICAGO CONFERENCE ON SMALL-POX.......... 119 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SANITARY COUNCIL OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY: SUMMARY REPORT OF THE BOARD. OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, SPRINGFIELD, ILL., November, 1882. To his Excellency, SHELBY M. CULLOM, Governor: SIR: Pressure of important duties connected with the suppression of the small-pox epidemic during the latter months of 1881 and the major portion of the present year, has prevented an earlier completion of the Fourth Annual Report of the STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. Such duties have embraced the preparation, printing and distribution of nearly one million copies of circulars, orders, certificates and returns, involved in the "stamping out" of small-pox in over one hundred and fifty different localities; in securing the vaccinal protection of upwards of half a million of public school children, and of over one and a half millions of adults; and in protecting the State from repeated importations of the contagion in a variety of ways. The detailed history of this work and of its results belongs, necessarily, to the report for the year 1882; but the BOARD cannot neglect the present opportunity of a formal recognition of the wisdom and timeliness of the act of the Thirty-second General Assembly in placing at your disposal, through the agency of the BOARD, the appropriation ($5,00)) known as the contingent fund, "to be used in the case of the outbreak of any epidemic or malignant disease." At the date of this writing, November, 1882, the State is entirely free from any such outbreak outside of Chicago, in which city there still occurs an occasional case of small-pox. THE functions of the STATE BOARD OF HEALTH OF ILLINOIS, as defined by the statutes, are of a two-fold character: I. By the act approved May 25, 1877, it is charged with "the general supervision of the interests of the health and life of the citizens of the State." II. By the act approved May 29, 1877, it is made the executive of the Medical Practice Act. In a broad sense, the latter is included in the former; since it is true that "the interests of the health and life of the citizens of the State" may be as seriously endangered by the practice of ignorant and incompetent physicians and surgeons as by any other evil. In its recognition of this fact, and of the necessity for some supervision over the practice of medicine and surgery, the General Assembly has devolved duties upon the BOARD which have demanded its best energies to discharge; and which, with the limited means and clerical force at its disposal, have hitherto precluded as much attention being given to some forms of purely sanitary work as is deemed desirable To a certain extent, however, this is compensated for by the admittedly higher average of qualifications in the medical profession of Illinois which now obtains, as a result of the operation of the Medical Practice Act. As is observed in the report of the Committee on Medical Education:* "By fostering a well-trained and thoroughly educated medical profession, the BOARD is also securing a most potential force in sanitary science and public hygiene, through which it may the more effectually exercise that supervision of the interests of the health and life of the citizens of the State with which it is charged by the constituting act.' With the aid of such a force, the future work of the BOARD may reasonably be expected to become less onerous and more effective in the prevention of disease and the protection of human life. DURING the year the BOARD has held four regular quarterly meetings, and one special meeting. At the meetings in January and June, examinations of non-graduate applicants for licenses to practice were held. The character of the examinations is fully shown in the schedule of questions in the various branches, given on pp. v-ix, and pp. xvi-xx, of the appended Report. The BOARD has now held twenty different sessions for examination, at which upward of 600 non-graduates, who were not exempt by reason of length of practice in the State, have been examined; and of this number 202, or about thirty per cent., have passed sufficiently satisfactory examinations to entitle them to certificates. Having thus afforded, during the past four years, ample opportunity for all non-qualified practitioners to comply with the law, examinations are now held only once annually, i. e., at the regular quarterly meeting in April of each year. STATE medical practice certificates have been issued to 510 physicians during the year, of which number 481 were based upon diplomas of reputable medical colleges, 18 upon length of practice in the State prior to the passage of the Medical Practice Act, and 11 upon the result of examination by the BOARD. This makes a total of 6,561 certificates isued to practitioners since the organization of the BOARD. Certificates have been issued to 66 midwives; 30 based upon diplomas or licenses (mainly foreign,) 22 on term of practice, and 14 after examination by the BOARD. In all there have been certificates issued to 674 midwives, since the passage of the act. Between thirteen and fourteen hundred letters have been written and mailed during the year on subjects connected with this branch of the BOARD's work. This, in addition to the necessary printed matter prepared and distributed. CHARGES of unprofessional and dishonorable conduct against physicians holding State certificates, have been formally investigated by *See Appendix to Report-Medical Colleges, p. 39. |