3. Medical direction of the Tuberculosis Sanitarium at Terra Alta and of the Hygienic Laboratory at Morgantown shall be entirely under the control of the Council, which shall employ such assistants and fix their pay as they may think best. 4. All meetings of the Council shall be called by the Commissioner upon orders of the president, or on the written request of any three members of the Council, and the president or any member shall have authority in cases deemed by him sufficiently urgent to take charge of any epidemic occurring in his locality, or to attend to other calls for help, but such aid shall only be temporary until the State Health Department can take charge of the situation, or in cases where the work can be done more cheaply and quickly. The Commissioner may designate each member as a local health officer to temporarily meet emergency conditions. The commissioner was directed to appoint each member of the Council as an emergency sanitary officer with authority to aid in the control of local outbreaks of disease in cases of emergency until action can be had by the state health commissioner. The following resolutions offered by Dr. Farnsworth were adopted: RESOLVED:-That as this is the last meeting of the Public Health Council for the year and the last time we shall meet under the leadership of President William W. Golden, we desire to express to him our high appreciation of his work as a man and a physician. In the years that we have been associated with him we have learned to love and trust him. We have found that he has measured up to every requirement of the elevated position he has held. We believe that he has done more than any cther cne man in the state to elevate the standard of medical education and promote the interest of public health, and he has ever been ready to do his duty to the profession and has stood "four-square to every wind that blows." Our best wishes go with him everywhere. RESOLVED:-That it is with regret that we realize that this is the last meeting of the Public Health Council in which Dr. J. E. Robins will be associated with us. Dr. Robins has been a member of the State Board of Health for many years, has served as its president and has been one of the prime movers in every step of advancement in the medical profession. The years that he has been with us have gone, and with them many happy associations, and his absence from future meetings will leave a shadow over us; but we may at least give him this tangible evidence of our confidence in him as a man, and our appreciation of him as a physician and a health official. RESOLVED:-That it is with regret that we learn that the present condition of the health of our colleague, Dr. W. J. Davidson, will not permit him to meet with us at this time; and since his term of service ends with this meeting, we take this method of expressing our admiration for him as a man and a state health official. In future meetings we shall miss the wisdom of his counsel, and the happy association of his sunny disposition. May the future hold for him the health and happiness he so richly deserves. The secretary was instructed to have the above resolutions engrossed, signed by the members of the Council and forwarded to the retiring members. The resolutions were also ordered spread upon the minutes. The following regulations in relation to food products were adopted: 1. No person, firm or corporation shall manufacture, sell or offer or expose for sale, or have in possession for sale, or deliver to another any drink or food or food product containing any preservative of any kind or nature; except natural preservatives, salt, smoke, potable distilled “Our Studies and Views of the West Virginia Winter Epidemic of Poliomyelitis," by Dr. J. P. Leake, past assistant surgeon U. S. Public Health Service. "Some Observations Concerning the Winter Epidemic of Poliomyelitis in West Virginia," by Dr. C. R. Weirich, director of division of preventable diseases. The papers were freely discussed and the meeting was voted a very profitable one. A recess was then taken. May 10, 1917. The Public Health Council met in executive session at 9:00 A. M., all the members being present except Dr. Davidson, Dr. W. T. Henshaw, the new member meeting with the Council for the first time. Dr. Farnsworth, chairman of the committee on laboratory, reported that the committee had employed Dr. Lederer as director of the laboratory, and chief bacteriologist and pathologist, at a salary of $2700 per year, his duties to begin Sept. 1st. The report was ordered received and filed and the appointment of Dr. Lederer was confirmed. The report of the committee on the tuberculosis sanitarium was presented by Dr. Pyle, chairman, and is as follows: To the Public Health Council. GENTLEMEN: We, the committee appointed to inspect the state sanitarium at Terra Alta, arrived at the institution on the morning of January 12th, and proceeded to inspect the building and surroundings. We found everything in good conditions and desire to commend Dr. Clovis, the superintendent, for the efficient manner in which he takes care of the institution in its present crowded condition. We recommend the erection of an administration building, and also and especially we recommend the immediate construction of a hospital of sufficient capacity to take care of emergency cases. The report was ordered recorded on the minutes and a copy to be sent to the Board of Control. Dr. Golden, chairman of the committee on legislation, presented his report under the title "The Evolution of Medical Legislation in West Virginia." It was received and ordered printed in the annual report of the Department. The Commissioner was directed to formulate a rule for the control of the bottled water industry as advised by chief engineer, Mr. Tolman. With a view to avoiding future possible misunderstandings, the following resolutions offered by Dr. Farnsworth were unanimously adopted: 1. The Commissioner of Health will be the chief executive of his own office. He may select and equip such offices as he may desire, and may employ such assistants as he may deem necessary as the law provides. 2. It is assumed that the Commissioner will keep expenditures well within the available appropriation, and the Council will not interfere with the management of his office and staff unless its expenses so far exceed the available funds that other parts of the health work are in danger of being curtailed. 3. Medical direction of the Tuberculosis Sanitarium at Terra Alta and of the Hygienic Laboratory at Morgantown shall be entirely under the control of the Council, which shall employ such assistants and fix their pay as they may think best. 4. All meetings of the Council shall be called by the Commissioner upon orders of the president, or on the written request of any three members of the Council, and the president or any member shall have authority in cases deemed by him sufficiently urgent to take charge of any epidemic occurring in his locality, or to attend to other calls for help, but such aid shall only be temporary until the State Health Department can take charge of the situation, or in cases where the work can be done more cheaply and quickly. The Commissioner may designate each member as a local health officer to temporarily meet emergency conditions. The commissioner was directed to appoint each member of the Council as an emergency sanitary officer with authority to aid in the control of local outbreaks of disease in cases of emergency until action can be had by the state health commissioner. The following resolutions offered by Dr. Farnsworth were adopted: RESOLVED:-That as this is the last meeting of the Public Health Council for the year and the last time we shall meet under the leadership of President William W. Golden, we desire to express to him our high appreciation of his work as a man and a physician. In the years that we have been associated with him we have learned to love and trust him. We have found that he has measured up to every requirement of the elevated position he has held. We believe that he has done more than any other one man in the state to elevate the standard of medical education and promote the interest of public health, and he has ever been ready to do his duty to the profession and has stood "four-square to every wind that blows." Our best wishes go with him everywhere. RESOLVED:-That it is with regret that we realize that this is the last meeting of the Public Health Council in which Dr. J. E. Robins will be associated with us. Dr. Robins has been a member of the State Board of Health for many years, has served as its president and has been one of the prime movers in every step of advancement in the medical profession. The years that he has been with us have gone, and with them many happy associations, and his absence from future meetings will leave a shadow over us; but we may at least give him this tangible evidence of our confidence in him as a man, and our appreciation of him as a physician and a health official. RESOLVED:-That it is with regret that we learn that the present condition of the health of our colleague, Dr. W. J. Davidson, will not permit him to meet with us at this time; and since his term of service ends with this meeting, we take this method of expressing our admiration for him as a man and a state health official. In future meetings we shall miss the wisdom of his counsel, and the happy association of his sunny disposition. May the future hold for him the health and happiness he so richly deserves. The secretary was instructed to have the above resolutions engrossed, signed by the members of the Council and forwarded to the retiring members. The resolutions were also ordered spread upon the minutes. The following regulations in relation to food products were adopted: 1. No person, firm or corporation shall manufacture, sell or offer or expose for sale, or have in possession for sale, or deliver to another any drink or food or food product containing any preservative of any kind or nature; except natural preservatives, salt, smoke, potable distilled liquors, cider or distilled vinegar, saltpeter, and condiments, and except sodium benzoate which shall be permitted in quantities of not more than one-tenth of one per cent (0.1%), and except sulphur, which may be used only in food containing aldehydes and sugars to the extent of three hundred and fifty milligrames (350 mgms.), of which not more than seventy milligrames (70 mgms.) shall be in the free state, per kilograms of product. 2. No person, firm or ccrporation shall manufacture, sell or offer or expose for sale, or have in possession for sale, or deliver or offer to deliver to another, any drink or food product which is artificially colored by any mineral coloring material, or colored by any analine or coal tar dye except the following: RED SHADES: 56 Ponceau 3 R., also known as Cumidine Red or Cumidine Ponceau. 107 Amranth, also known as Fast Red D. 517 Erythrosin. ORANGE SHADE: 85 Orange 1, also known as Naphthol Orange. YELLOW SHADES: 4 Naphthol Yellow S., also known as Martius' Yellow S. and Acid Yellow S. 94 Tartrazine. GREEN SHADE: 435 Light Green S. F. Yellowish, also called Acid Green. BLUE SHADE: 692 Indigo Carmine, also known as Indigo Di-sulpho Acid. (The numbers refer to the number of the dye in question as listed in A. G. Green's edition of Schultz-Julius Systematic Survey of the organic coloring matters, 1904.) 3. Every food or drink which is artificially colored or preserved must distinctly and conspicuously be labeled with the word "imitation" or the words "imitation color" or "artificially colored" or "artificially preserved with (or by) -." stating the name of the preservative and its composition, as the case may be. 4. No person, firm cr corporation shall manufacture, sell or offer for sale, or have in possession for sale, or deliver or offer to deliver to another any oleomargarine which has been colored by any vegetable, mineral. analine or other coloring substance. 5. The use of saccharin, or benzoyl sulphimid. in any food or confectionary or drink, is prohibited except in medicines and in food specifically intended for the use if diabetic patients. The resolutions recently adopted by the conference of state health boards in relation to possible duties which our State Health Department may be called upon to perform as a result of the war, were read to the Council by the commissioner, and his action in promising the aid of the State Health department was approved. As to the reporting of communicable diseases and births and deaths, it was resolved that 'physicians residing in towns and cities having a health officer shall report to him all cases occurring within the town and to the county health officer all cases occurring outside the corporate limits. In towns having no health officers, all reports shall be made to the county health officer. WM. W. GOLDEN, President. President Golden presented a report giving the progress of medical legislation in the state. On motion the commissioner was instructed to print this in the annual report of the department. THE EVOLUTION OF MEDICAL LEGISLATION IN WEST VIRGINIA. By William W. Golden, M. D., F. A. C. S., President Public Health Council. Preliminary Remarks. In an address entitled "Our Public Health Law-A Brief History of Its Genesis and Its Important Provisions," I took occasion to point out to you that in a broad sense medical legislation is a part of public health legislation. Medical men fully understand this. They understand that laws regulating the practice of medicine are as much in the interest of public health as are those which are enacted in the interest of safe water or proper disposal of sewage. Incompetent medical practitioners, no matter what their conventional or legal designation may be, are a menace to the community in more than one way. Improper diagnosis and treatment are injurious to public health for the obvious reason that they endanger the life and health of individuals constituting the public. But in addition, incompetence in the profession of the healing art means failure to detect fóci or sources of communicable diseases with consequent disaster to the community in life, health and business. In the lay mind, however, medical laws are not distinctly associated with public health. The people generally look upon medical legislation as a matter mainly, if not altogether, in the interest of the members of the medical profession, viewing it at times even in the light of class legislation. It is quite important that the people's mind should be freed from such a misconception. As leaders in matters of public health, it behooves us to do what we can to enlighten the public on this subject. Since I became officially identified with the public health affairs of this State I have cmitted no opportunity to make this matter clear to the public. Some of you perhaps may recollect an address which I delivered some time ago in this city on an occasion similar to this with title, "Typhoid Fever and Illegal Practioners versus the State of West Virginia." This title I selected not merely because it covered the two subjects which I discussed in that address, but also for the special purpose of associating the two conditions as of equal public health importance. On many other occasions I have pressed the same view to the front. Educational efforts of this kind, I have no doubt, have in the past contributed much towards the progress that medical legislation has made in this State, and it must be continued until the laws regulating the practice of medicine in West Virginia will be equal to those of any of our progressive neighboring States, which at present they are not. West Virginia has an advantage over many States in the fact that the administration of the laws governing medical licensure is in the hands of the Public Health Council. This in itself stamps these laws as distinctly in the interest of public health. There was a time when I shared the view of some who believe that medical licensure should be taken from the Public Health Council (or Board of Health) and placed in a special body of medical examiners, as is the case in some States. I adopted that view when I first became a member of the State Board of Health, because I noticed that at the official meetings the time was almost entirely given up to the matters of licensure. It occurred to me then that if there were a special medical examining board the members of the Board of Health |