264 
Wisconsin state Agbicultural society. 
for the most perfect operation of the powers of state medicine, we 
should still see grave defects in many persons; shortcomings in 
others; in many, organic degeneracies; in many, criminal depravi¬ 
ties.” And he gives, as the closing thought <»f an able address: 
“How, out of the existing seed, to raise races of men to divine 
perfection is the final problem of public medicine.” 
Accepting these exalted views of state medicine, and of the du¬ 
ties of a State Board of Health, the undersigned have entered upon 
the duties imposed upon them by the commission of his excellency, 
the governor, with a feeling of individual responsibility in view of 
the greatness of the work before them; with an earnest desire so to 
meet the varied duties and difficulties which will confront them as 
that their work will commend itself to the intelligent judgment of 
the people; and with the hope that they may so inaugurate this 
new and important department of public service, as to demonstrate 
its capacity for a usefulness which shall not be limited to the pres¬ 
ent time, but which will increase with the passage of years, and 
prove to be a blessing to the people of the state, lasting through 
all time. 
In presenting this first annual report, the board beg leave to say 
that they regard the work thus far done as largely of a preparatory 
nature. The time which has elapsed since its organization is much 
too limited for it to hope for the exhibition of any great results, 
yet they believe that some good preliminary work has been done, 
and that there has been awakened in the minds of many of the 
people a thoughtful interest in sanitary matters, which cannot fail 
to be productive of future good. It has been the object of the 
board to enlist the interest and co-operation of thinking men, both 
within and without the medical profession. It has been its belief 
that thus they could best create and develop a public sentiment in 
favor of hygienic principles and practices. It is painfully evident 
that this must of necessity be a comparatively slow work — that a 
large majority of our fellow citizens are both ignorant and careless 
as regards many of the fundamental principles of hygiene, and that 
they live in daily and direct disobedience of many of the simplest 
laws of their physical being. 
For the purpose of systematizing the labors of the board, and of 
bringing before the people such useful knowledge as is contem¬ 
plated by the law, each member of the board has been charged. 
