headed enough to vote against and defeat the measure, with the medical profession doing practically nothing against the measure. The fact is, however, that the doctors are growing weary of opposing freak medical legislation, and of working for better health laws which are to conserve the welfare and health of the people, and reduce the income of the profession, against the systematic efforts of so many enthusiastic but misguided exponents of measures directly involving the whole people. There is no profession in the world which has such unselfish and altruistic motives in public matters as the medical profession. Pure water, pure food, isolation of contagious diseases, vaccination, public hospitals and a hundred other modern advantages to save the health and purses of the people, have come voluntarily from the persistent efforts of the medical profession. All of these things reducing sickness and the doctor's income, have come about through the work of an unselfish medical profession. Small-pox, no doctor need be told, was in the times before vaccination was instituted, the world's greatest scourge. Its devastating ravages decimated whole nations. Vaccination, through many generations, has minimized the character of the disease until the world no longer dreads this plague as it did, and it is now possible to abolish the very means which has made small-pox but a minor ailment. This, too, when under the aseptic methods of serum propogation and vaccination, the danger of vaccination has been reduced during the past few years to almost nil. What the outcome of the present propaganda against vaccination for small-pox is to be is difficult to prognosticate. It is to be hoped that the world shall not again have to return to its former condition in this matter in order to awaken the people to the menace of this movement to abolish one of the greatest benefits which it now enjoys. NEW ANTI-MEDICAL RESOLUTIONS The latest efforts of those misguided zealots who oppose and resist all efforts of the medical profession to improve and conserve public health, is to denounce state medicine as an un-American institution, costly and tyrannous. Meeting recently in the public library in this city they adopted resolutions against the following measures: Medical practice acts or amendments. Medical examination of men and women for marriage at state expense. Medical examination of any class of citizens. Districting a state and placing a doctor over each district. Appropriations to private and medical institutions, such as the Oregon Social Hygiene Society and State Medical School. Protest was also made against the extension of the tuberculin test to small dairies, as now proposed by the city health office, on the ground that many families prefer to obtain their milk from cows not inoculated against disease. Location of the proposed new county hospital adjacent to the proposed medical school buildings was opposed. A general attack was made on medical legislation of any and all kinds. OREGON STATE BOARD OF HEALTH The recent meeting of the Oregon State Board of Health at Salem proved a very interesting one from every standpoint, and the state at large and the medical profession can well be proud of the efficient manner in which its health is being safeguarded and protected. Dr. Roberg in particular has proved an exceptionally able and efficient health officer and in his quiet and modest way has accomplished more in the way of constructive progress and advancement of state health than many are aware of. At his suggestion the Oregon Social Hygiene Society, which has previously existed as a separate body at an enormous expense to the state, will be merged with and under the supervision of the Board of Health, where it logically belongs. He has revised the method of taking vital statistics in conformity with the Federal scheme so that reports from this state are now incorporated in the government reports. This is but a small part of his efforts, and he deserves and undoubtedly has the support of the entire profession in this work. A report by Dr. Seeley who attended the meeting states that whooping cough in particular and all communicable diseases in general were given consideration by the board. So prevalent are these diseases throughout the state that an effort will be made, he stated, to secure legislation making compulsory quarantining possible by the board. The secretary, State Health Officer David N. Roberg, of Portland, was instructed to prepare a table and instructions as to the enforcement and length of time for quarantine in the various maladies, for the use of county and city health officers. Dr. Roberg called to the attention of the board that Oregon and United States statistics for the past year show that among communicable diseases, whooping cough ranks third in mortality rate. Inasmuch as most people consider it a child's disease and not dangerous, declared Dr. Roberg, the control of the disease and its after effects were rendered extremely difficult and require drastic measures. Officers of the board were elected as follows, the personnel of the board not changing: Dr. A. C. Seely, Roseburg, president; Dr. M. B. Marcellus, Portland, vice-president. Dr. D. N. Roberg, Portland, was retained as secretary. A vote of thanks was given to Dr. W. B. Morse of Salem, the retiring president. The board will devote special effort during the coming year to improvement in rural school sanitation, infant hygiene and welfare, a vigorous enforcement of quarantine of communicable diseases, and the extension of epidemiological work throughout the state. The board also plans to revise its rules and regulations relating to the control of contagious diseases, making the control more stringent. Special effort will be made to secure sufficient appropriation to employ field deputies to assist the state health officer in extension work. The state health officer has combined the work of the state bacteriologist with his own office, eliminating the former office and expense. Health Officer Roberg spent much of his time during the past summer driving about the state in an automobile in extension work. He visited all of the 248 registration districts of the state. A legislative committee composed of Drs. Andrew C. Smith, E. A. Pierce and D. N. Roberg, of Portland, and W. B. Morse, of Salem, was appointed to work out proposed amendments favored by the board. The annual report submitted by Dr. Roberg shows that in addition to paying up a deficit of $600 from 1915, the board has finished the year of 1916 with about $300 remaining of its appropriation. Dr. Roberg considers the past year the most notable in the history of the board in amount and character of constructive work accomplished, and gave a resume of the activities of and achievements of the period. He cited the regulations for the prevention and control of infantile paralysis drafted at a conference in Washington, D. C., August 17, which are patterned after similar regulations com piled following a conference of Northwestern states in July, which was initiated by Oregon physicians. The prevention of an epidemic of the malady in the West is attributed largely to the care taken in watching persons coming from infected sections, a record being kept by means of a card index operated in conjunction with the railroads. Dr. Roberg called attention to the working of the child welfare legislation enacted in 1915, which compels the reporting of sore eyes in children and investigations of their causes. The work of the traveling nurse in getting data on causes and conditions concerning tuberculosis was mentioned as being invaluable. The ordinances for the control of dogs to prevent spread of rabies, the conservation of purity of streams and various other work was cited. OREGON SOCIAL HYGIENE SOCIETY The Oregon Social Hygiene Society deserves a great deal of credit for the zeal and energy it has displayed in its efforts to advance the cause of social hygiene, although it is a debatable question whether the practical results accomplished are at all in proportion to the efforts expended and the expense incurred. This society legally is under the supervision of the State Board of Health, but it has really existed as a separate body under practically no supervision or control of the board. In presenting their budget for the coming year they only ask for the modest sum of $40,000! This is a tremendous amount of money to spend for this sort of work in view of the fact that the entire appropriation for the State Board of Health for the last year was only $30,000. The recommendation that this department be merged with the Board of Health is a sensible one from every viewpoint. The supervision and control of venereal diseases is just as logically a function of the health board as any other transmissible disease. For an increase of $14,588 over last year's appropriation the board will be able to take over the work of this department and save the state approximately $26,000. This suggestion should meet the approval of every physician and taxpayer. Below is a copy of the budget prepared by the State Board of Health, explaining in detail its reason for this change: In presenting this budget, the Oregon State Board of Health cannot efficiently and faithfully perform its duties in protecting the health of the people without an increase of $14,588 over the last appropriation. In chapter 296, Session Laws of 1915, the State Board of Health is appropriated $30,000 for the ensuing biennial. This statute also provided an appropriation of $15,000 for the Oregon Social Hygiene Society. Although this statute specified that the appropriation for the Oregon Social Hygiene Society be expended under State Board of Health supervision and direction, this organization operates independently of the Board of Health. It is obvious that as long as the Oregon Social Hygiene Society and the Oregon State Board of Health operate independently there is a reduplication of paid officials, maintenance and activities which results in an unduly high expenditure of state funds. In the proposed budget of requested expenditures above, the State Board of Health appropriation includes the following: A stenographer (needed for the operation of the vital statistics law passed at the last legislature, chapter 268); a deputy health officer and epidemiologist (needed in the field and in the office to act as alternate for the state health officer, as there is constant need for representation of the State Board of Health in both places); reinstatement of school nurse (in 1913-14 a nurse was employed to work throughout the state inspecting school children and and school sanitation; due to lack of funds this was discontinued in June, 1914); a field representative (needed to cover the entire state on inspections, for educational purposes and to extend the State Board of Health's activities throughout the state amongst the people). In utilizing these added officials extending the much-needed health work throughout the state, an increase of $14,588 will be needed. The Oregon State Board of Health emphasizes the fact that the control of venereal diseases should not be operated independently by a costly and separate organization, such as the Oregon Social Hygiene Society. In the requested appropriation of $44,588, the Oregon State Board of Health can, in addition to the performance of standard health work, also execute the control of venereal diseases. It is noteworthy in considering expenditures that the Oregon Social Hygiene Society maintain a separate o....ce and an executive secretary, three field representatives, and office advisor, stenographers and office boy, all on salary. All these expenditures are in the prosecution of only social hygiene work or the control of venereal diseases. The appropriation added to the Oregon State Board of Health, together with its present force of employees, can more efficiently and economically perform the control of venereal diseases than when delegated to a separate department which of necessity reduplicates office, maintenance, paid officials, and help. Referring to the appended list of the relative value of health administrative activities, scientifically compounded by the Russell Sage Foundation of New York, it reveals the fact that venereal disease suppression represents 6.6 per cent of the total of health operative measures. A Table of Relative Values of Health Administrative Activities Control of Communicable Diseases (a) Tuberculosis 12.1 (b) Venereal Diseases (Soc. Hygiene). 6.6 (c) All others, which include small-pox, whooping cough, A careful analysis of this list vividly shows that the maintenance of the separate organization (the Oregon Social Hygiene Society, which is appropriated $15,000 biennially) is immensely out of proportion to the Oregon State Board of Health appropriation of $30,000 biennially, which department has complete charge of all health matters, which also includes the control of venereal diseases. To summarize then in closing, an appropriation of $44,588 for the State |