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cholera, especially. It appears that the principal cause of fear was to he 
foui^ in the foreign diseases rather than in those that were endemic. 
Under date of Sept. 25, 1866, another health ordinance was passed, ‘‘To 
secure the better preservation of the health of the city. ’ ’ In Sec, 4, pro- 
vision is made for the appointment of a Health Inspector who was to 
be appointed at the first regular meeting of the council after the first 
Saturday in November, unless the council should otherwise direct. It 
was his duty to examine into the sanitary condition of the whole city. 
He was* vested with the requisite power to enforce all the health ordi- 
nances' of the city. “The office of health inspector was created in view 
of the fact that the Marshal’s time is largely taken up with his general 
duties, and in view of the further fact that it is not contemplated that a 
Board of Health will be organized unless in case of threatened or actual 
</pidemics.” On Sept. 19, of the same year, 1866, the Council passed 
‘ An ordinance to prevent the spread of infectious or contagious diseases, 
and to preserve the health of the city.” This ordinance deals with the 
destruction or disinfection of bedding and clothing of cholera or small- 
pox patients. 
In 1871 a Board of Health was appointed in Davenport by Mayor Bills 
because of an epidemic of smffil-pox. In referring to this board, Dr. A. 
W. Cantwell in Vol. 6 of the Iowa State Medical Society, says: “Our 
duty was, or rather seemed to be, only to eradicate contagious diseases ; 
small-pox and cholera being about the only ones the community seemed 
to fear at that time.” Small-pox abated and the board of health was 
dissolved to be organized again in 1873 in August, when the cholera ap- 
peared. In 1879, the board was reorganized and it held regular meetings. 
Much advance in general sanitary interests was made in that year. In 
1880, rules and regulations were framed. This was the first year the 
physicians were required to report cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria. 
It was difficult to obtain co-operation on the part of the physicians. A 
few changes were made in the rules in 1882. In this year in the attemipt 
to enforce the rules, it was necessary to appear in a trial before a police 
magistrate who, in his finding, declared the board to be an illegal body. 
An appeal was made to the State Legislature to pass an act empowering 
cities under special charter to establish boards of health. Such an act 
was passed by the 19th General Assembly. 
In Sec. 13 of the City Charter of the City of Keokuk in the relation of 
the powers of the City Council it is said: “They shall have power 
from time to time, to make and publish all such laws and ordinances as 
to them shall seem necessary to provide for the safety, preserve the 
health, promote the prosperity, etc.” The charter w^as approved Dec. 
