Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 140, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1904 — Want New Health Law. [ARTICLE]

Want New Health Law.

Many changes in the state’s health laws were recommended by oounty health officers who met at ths State House last Friday. About three fourths of the counties of the state were represented. The new state health law, the passage of whioh will be urged before the coming legislature by oounty health officers, provides for the establishment of a laboratory of hygiene to be under the direction of the state board of health, a state farm for consumptives and regulations concerning the reporting of.vital statistics and the duties of county health officers. In the matter of reporting vital statistics the proposed law provides that phjsioisns who fail to report births, deaths or oases of contagious diseases shall be fined in the sum of not less than $lO nor more than SIOO Tbiee failures to make reports shall constitute sufficient grounds for the revoking of their lioenses. The law makes it compulsory on the part of oounty health officers to get permission from the State Board of Health before ordering sohools closed on aooount of the prevalence of contagious diseases in their communities It was the sense of the meeting that at least 500 acres of land should be bought by the state and converted into a farm for consumptives.