22G PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SClEiNCE. 



of preventing disease in the State, and that they, at any time they see lit. 

 may petition the Legislature for poHee power, so that they can enforce such 

 measures as they may deem necessary to the object above mentioned." 



"Resolved, That in cases of vacancies occurring in such Board of Com- 

 missioners, they shall be filled by the State Society." 



The Committee on State Board of Health, composed as above mentioned, 

 and who by the above resolutions were authorized to add to their number, 

 and so form the Indiana State Health Commission, met at the Grand Hotel, 

 Indianapolis, in October, 1878, and organized by electing Lemuel Moss, D.D., 

 of Bloomington, and J. L. Campbell, LL.D., of Cra^vfordsville, members. 

 E. T. Cox, State Geologist, was also, in accordance with the action of the 

 State Society, a member ex-officio. 



The Commission further organized as follows: Wilson Hobbs, M.D., 

 President; Thaddeus M. Stevens, M.D., Secretary; G. W. Burton, M.D., 

 Treasurer; J. L. Campbell, LL.D., Ci\nl Engineer; Lemuel Moss, D.D., 

 J. W. Hervey, M. D., Prof. E. T. Cox, e.x-officio member. 



Subsequently a bill was drawn up to confer police powers upon the Com- 

 mission, in accordance Avith the resolution above mentioned. 



During December, 1879, the Commission formed Local or District 

 Health Commissions, consisting of a chairman for each and a member from 

 each count}' society; the duties of such district commission to be to collect 

 sanitary and vital statistics in their localities, and report the same to the 

 Secretary of the State Health Commission. 



At the session of the Indiana State Medical Society, held May, 1880, the 

 f olloAAing resolution was adopted : 



"Resolved, That the Indiana State Medical Society direct each county 

 society in the State to require of each of its members to keep a record of birth 

 and sex of these bom, of death and causes of death as occurring in their 

 practice, and a note of any epidemic or endemic diseases in their precincts; 

 also such other facts as they may deem projx'r in connection with vital and 

 sanitary statistics, and report the same to the local commission as instituted 

 by the State Health Commission so that said local commission can report the 

 same to the State Health Commission for the purpose of making a condensed 

 report to the State Medical Society, and that each county society shall cause 

 to have issued blanks to each of its members, according to a form to be fur- 

 nished by the State Health Commission, and that the Secretary of this Society 

 notify each county society of this action, etc." 



Dr. Stevens, in commenting upon this resolution, said: 



"Thus is formed a complete chain from State to Local Health Com- 

 missions, and to each physician of the State l^elonging to organizations over 

 wliich the parent one, the State Medical Society, has control. 



"Only two links in tlie chain of a perfect working organization are lacking, 

 viz.: 



