⚫municable diseases as are designated by the State department of health, by the exercise of proper and vigilant medical inspection and control of all persons and things infected with or exposed to such disease, and provide suitable places for the treatment and care of sick persons who cannot otherwise be provided for.

The board must report to the State department of health facts relating to such diseases, and every case of smallpox or varioloid. Reports of cases of tuberculosis shall not be divulged or made public so as to disclose the identity of the persons to whom they relate, except so far as necessary to carry out the requirements of the law.

The board must appoint a competent physician, not a member thereof, to be the health officer of the municipality.

3. Preservation of life and health. In this connection the law prescribes means of protecting persons against contracting communicable diseases, by quarantine, examination of persons and premises, regulating sanitary conditions, providing against occupation of premises until proper disinfection in certain cases, and by vaccination, etc.

Vaccination of school children. No child not vaccinated can be admitted or received into any public school. This provision has been held to be a reasonable and proper exercise of the police power of the State by the legislature, and therefore constitutional.

The trustees or school board may appoint a competent physician to attend to the matter of vaccination.

Tuberculosis is declared by law to be an infectious and communicable disease, dangerous to the public health. It is made the duty of every physician to report in writing, the name, age, sex, occupation, etc., of every person known by him to have such disease, to the proper health officer, within twenty-four hours after having such knowledge.

It is made the duty of every health board, when requested by any physician, or authorities of any

hospital or dispensary, to make or cause to be made a microscopical examination of the sputum of any person when forwarded to him for that purpose.

Upon the recovery of any person so reported, the physician must report such fact to the local health officer.

In case of the vacation of any apartment or premises by death or removal therefrom of a person having such disease, within twenty-four hours thereafter the local health officer must be notified, and such apartment or premises shall not again be occupied until duly disinfected, cleansed or renovated, and within that time, except for cleansing or disinfection, no infected article can be removed therefrom until so cleansed or disinfected. The local health officer must within twenty-four hours thereafter visit said apartment or premises and cause them to be disinfected, and may notify the agent or owner thereof to cleanse and renovate the same at his expense in accordance with instructions from the health authorities. In case such instructions are not carried out within forty-eight hours after such notice, the premises may be placarded with notice that they "have been occupied by a consumptive and may be infected."

It is the duty of an attending physician in the case of such disease, and if none, of the health officer, to take all precautions and give proper instructions to provide for the safety of all persons occupying the same apartment or premises with such diseased person.

Persons having tuberculosis are prohibited from disposing of their sputum, saliva or other bodily secretion or excretion in a manner to cause offense or danger to any other person occupying the same room, apartment or house, or to the public generally, and for violating this provision of the law will be deemed guilty of a nuisance. Any person failing or refusing, after notice, to comply with orders or regulations of a health officer respecting such conduct, will be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than ten dollars.

Provision is made for furnishing each consumptive knowledge as to the best methods of treating his or her disease and of the precautions necessary to avoid transmitting the disease to others.

4. Nurses. Any resident of the State, over twenty-one years of age, of good moral character, holding a diploma from a training school for nurses connected with a hospital or sanitarium giving a course of at least two years, and registered by the regents as maintaining proper standards, who shall have received from said regents a certificate of his or her qualifications to practice, will be styled and known as a "registered nurse."

Before beginning to practice as such a nurse he or she must cause such certificate to be recorded in the county clerk's office of the county of his or her residence together with an affidavit of his or her identity as the person named therein and as to residence in said county. In every thirty-sixth month from the month of January, 1906, the certificate must again be so recorded in said clerk's officer together with such affidavit of identity. The fee for recording the certificate each time is twenty-five cents.

The law provides for a board of examiners who may examine applicants for certificates, and to which must be paid a fee of five dollars for such examination and certificate.

No person, unless complying with the provisions above, can assume the title of registered nurse or practice as such. Any violation of such law will be a misdemeanor.

5. Adulterations. No person shall, within the State, manufacture, produce, compound, brew, distil, have, sell or offer for sale any adulterated food or drug. The term "food" includes every article of food and every beverage used by a human being, and all confectionery. The term "drug" includes all medicines for external and internal use.

The legislature prescribes a standard of quality, and articles must conform thereto without regard to the source of their production.

The State department of health is required to look after the enforcement of this law, and must make all necessary inquiries and investigations relating to the manufacture, sale, etc., of food and drugs.

6. Miscellaneous. The health law also regulates the practice of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, chiropody, embalming and undertaking, etc.

For other laws enacted in the interest of health and life, see education, labor, charities and poor laws.

CHAPTER XV

CHARITIES AND POOR LAW

1. Introduction

2. Place of relief

3. State Board of Charities

4. State Charities' Aid Association
5. Child welfare boards

1. Introduction. The law of the State provides for the support, care and maintenance of that class of citizens known as the "poor," commonly called "paupers,,," or "indigent persons," words used synonymously, meaning and including persons so completely destitute of property, and so unable to support themselves that they must be supported at public expense.

The law prescribes the locality which shall bear the burden of such support, whether the State, the county, the city, or the town, and the manner thereof. The poor entitled to support are classed as "town poor," "county poor," "city poor" and "State poor," according to the political division liable to bear the expense thereof.

The administration of the poor law is in the hands of the State and alien poor; the county superintendents of the poor; overseers of the poor of the towns, and public charities commissioners or overseers of the poor of the cities. Certain supervision of the poor and over the charitable institutions of the State is placed in the State board of charities and in the State Charities' Aid Association.

The poor may be maintained or relieved in their own homes under certain circumstances, and also in county alms houses and in State institutions.