The State Board of Health.

Dr. Ashmun resigned this position in June, 1886, and Dr. Guy Case, of Cleveland, was appointed as his successor. Dr. Case tendered his resignation July 27, 1886, and Dr. C. O. Probst, of Columbus, was appointed Secretary on the same date. Dr. Probst has continuously filled the position since that time, and is the present Secretary.

The Board first directed its efforts to building up a complete health organization for the entire State. In 1886 the larger cities and a very few villages were the only municipalities that had availed themselves of the provisions of an act permitting them to establish a local board of health.

In furtherance of its work in this direction the Board began, in 1897, a systematic examination of the streams of Ohio. Each main stream, with its tributaries, has been carefully examined from source to outlet with a view to determining the source and character of its pollution. Monthly chemical and bacteriological examinations of the waters of these streams, taken at various places on each stream, have been made, and careful gagings and measurements to determine their rates of flow at different seasons of the year. This work is about completed.

An act of 1900 authorized the Board to establish a Laboratory "for the examination of public water supplies, the diagnosis of diphtheria, typhoid fever, hydrophobia, glanders, etc., and for the examination of food suspected to be the cause of disease."

The Laboratory has been placed at the disposal of all local boards of health, and much good has already resulted from its establishment.

The Board is frequently called upon to examine the sanitary condition of public institutions and school buildings, to investigate the causes of outbreaks of epidemic diseases, and to assist the local authorities in the abatement of nuisances injurious to health.

Beginning with a Secretary, the 'working force of the Board has been gradually increased until it now embraces a chief clerk, two stenographers, an engineer, a chemist and a bacteriologist.

The immense growth of public sentiment in the last ten years in favor of improved sanitary conditions and more stringent measures. for the prevention of disease has been due in no small part to the progressive character of the work of the State Board of Health; and we may confidently hope that this enlightened sentiment will gradually lead to a more generous support of health measures whereby the sum of human happiness and average duration of life may be materially increased.

The State Board of Health secured legislation from time to time, gradually extending the powers and duties of local boards of health, and making provision for their establishment throughout the State.

The State Board of Health.

In 1893 the townships, which up to that time had had practically no protection in health matters, were required to establish boards of health, so that provision is now made for a board of health in every city, village and township, a grand total of 2112 such boards.

The State Board has kept in close touch with the local boards, and is constantly helping them by aid and advice.

In 1888 a monthly journal was established as a medium of frequent communication between the state and local boards of health. A summary of the weekly reports of contagious diseases, made to the State Board, by the local boards, is published therein, with other original and reprinted matter of interest, or suitable for the guidance or instruction of health officers and members of boards of health.

In 1891 a call was issued for a meeting of the State Board of Health and representatives of local boards of health. About forty delegates were present at this meeting. Annual meetings have been held regularly since; the attendance at the meeting for 1901 was nearly or quite four hundred.

The State Board has endeavored to disseminate among the people. plain instructions for the prevention of the dangerous contagious diseases. Suitable pamphlets were prepared, and, hundreds of thousands of copies have been distributed. All local boards of health have been supplied with copies of these, and when a contagious disease appears in any community they are urged to distribute the appropriate circular to families having the disease, and to their neighbors.

In 1893 an act was passed providing that plans for all proposed water works or sewerage systems, or for changes or extensions thereof should be submitted to and approved by the State Board of Health. The Board has examined and passed upon two hundred and twenty such plans. It has been able in this way to protect many communities against the introduction of an impure water supply, and to prevent what in some instances would have been dangerous pollution of sources of existing public water supplies.

Τ

L. P. BETHEL

Secretary Board Dental Examiners.

HE dental law of Ohio is far from what it should be in comparison with the dental laws of other states.

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, and in fact most of the states require everyone to be examined by the dental board, graduates of reputable dental colleges as well as officer students,. but the Ohio law makes it compulsory for the Board to license, without examination, all who hold diplomas from reputable dental colleges.

Consequently Ohio has been for years the dumping ground for incom-. petents who, although they may have secured diplomas, have not been able to pass other state boards and so settle in Ohio where no examination was required of them.

And not only is the Board required to issue licenses, without examin-. ation, to graduates of the best dental colleges such as those belonging to the National Association of Dental Faculties, but of inferior colleges;. colleges not qualified for membership in the above organization. Any college, according to the Ohio law, is "reputable" if it conforms to the following requirements: Any college which possesses buildings, by lease or otherwise, and equipments valued at not less than $5,000, which has a three years' course, six months each year, and a curriculum including, anatomy, physiology, pathology, chemistry, microscopy, materia medica, metallurgy, operative, mechanical and surgical dentistry, is considered a

The State Board of Dental Examiners.

reputable dental college, and the Board is obliged to recognize diplomas from such schools whether these colleges are or are not members of the National Association of Dental Faculties or Examiners. The Board has already been obliged to recognize a number of schools not in the National Association but which have complied with the Ohio law.

The Board is powerless to keep out these incompetents, under the existing law, or to revoke a license for any cause whatsoever, after it has been issued.

The defining of operative priviliges of students of dentistry is not explicit enough and in consequence many a workman is practicing dentistry in Ohio without a license, by posing as a student of dentistry working for a preceptor, etc.

There is nothing in the law preventing any M. D. from practicing dentistry whether he knows anything about dentistry or not.

And so might be mentioned other weak points in the law and the needs of better dental legislation in Ohio.

The present Board has, however, in the face of these discouraging features worked assiduously for the betterment of dentistry in Ohio.

During its three years of service 748 licenses have been issued. Of these 713 applicants were college graduates. Only eight candidates, who claimed to have been in practice prior to 1889, have been licensed, and these only after a thorough investigation.

Out of the 72 candidates for license by examination, only 27 were found qualified and passed.

During the three years the Board has brought many suits against illegal practitioners and has been the means of making more than one hundred of these close their offices.

The Board has at all times worked for the good of the profession in the state and has done its utmost to put down quackery and limit the number of incompetents.

It is to be hoped that a much better and greatly needed legislation will soon be enacted and thus place Ohio among the large number of states requiring thorough preparation and competency of the student of dentistry before he will be allowed to practice within its borders.

The State Board of Dental Examiners.

Terms of office, three years. The purpose of this department is, to protect the public from unqualified dentists, and its duties are to examine candidates for license to practice dentistry in Ohio, and to carry out, so far as possible, the provisions of the law relating to the practice of dentistry in the state of Ohio. The Board was established in 1892, and up to the present time, February, 1901, 2,567 licenses have been issued to men found qualified to practice dentistry in Ohio.