448 [Assembly 



Police. J^ot one of all the officers in that important branch of the 

 City Government, is now occupied by a medically educated man. 



Allusii n has been already made to a plan of Health Police sug- 

 gested nearly two years ago. There are three prominent principles 

 upon which an organization for this purpose should be based. 



In the first place, the incumbents should be men whose education, 

 habits of investigation, and powers of judgment, would enable them 

 to determine what constitutes a nuisance, and how far any particular 

 matter is calculated to derange the healthy state of the atmosphere, — 

 in short, they should possess a good knowledge of the doctrine of 

 miasmata of all kinds, and their influence upon health. 



2d, They should be men whose daily occupations, and, if possible, 

 their personal interests, would aid them in the discovery and sup- 

 pression or removal, of the causes of disease: whose general intelli- 

 gence, and regard for the welfare of the city, and especially of its 

 poorer inhabitants, would induce and urge them to give a regular 

 and thorough examination of all suspected and doubtful places. 



3d. They should possess the qualifications for reporting, when 

 requested, to the superior authorities, the sanitary condition of the 

 various sections of the city; — for recommending such measures as 

 prudence and enlightened judgment may dictate, and the practical 

 skill requisite for the application of preventive measures, such as 

 vaccination and the like. 



All these principles and aims would be answered by the adoption 

 of the following plan of organization. I propose first, to abolish 

 the office of Health Warden, (of whom there are usually eighteen;) 

 to divide the city into twelve districts, to each of which to appoint 

 a respectable physician, to be entitled Health Inspector. These twelve, 

 with the City Inspector and his office assistants, to constitute the 

 " Health Police of the City of New York," the City Inspector, (also 

 a respectable physician,) to be its head. 



I need not enlarge here upon the benefits derivable from a reduc- 

 tion of the number of officers. 



To obtain the advantages of the 2d principle, that is, to engage 

 the personal and private interest of the proposed Health Inspector, 

 (wherein he would have the best surety for the faithful performance 

 of his duties,) I propose to make the boundaries of the health dis- 



