State board of health. 
271 
31, 1870, Wisconsin was the tenth state which had committed her¬ 
self to this wise and humane service. Since that date the territory 
of Colorado has oro'anized a board, consistinor of ten of her ablest 
men. We may safely predict that the day is not far distant when 
every state in the Union, in obedience to that advanced public sen¬ 
timent which will regard public sanitation as the grandest and 
best gift a government can confer upon its citizens, will have a 
similar organization, working under laws so uniform as to secure 
great harmony and efficiency of action throughout the whole 
country. 
I mention these facts to remind you that, although the field of 
labor into which we now enter is comparatively new, yet it is not 
entirely uncultivated. The labors and investigations of these vari¬ 
ous boards have brought out facts and suggestions that will be of 
the utmost importance to us in our work. The work in all the 
states, is essentially the same. If wisely performed, it will be far 
reachino* in its results. 
o 
The second section of the law creating this board indicates some¬ 
what clearly, in general, the work we are to perform. x\n es¬ 
sential part of this work specifically, and as it grows out of special 
investigations of specific subjects, is to educate the people of the 
state into a better knowledge of the nature and causes of disease., 
and a better knowledge and observance of hygienic laics. These 
laws are to be taught and in all practical ways enforced. The ne¬ 
cessity of this work will be apparent when we reflect that a great 
majority of the physicians of the state —a class of persons who, by 
virtue of their office, are the conservators of the public health — 
have as yet given but little thought to the subject of preventive 
medicine, but accustom themselves to look upon the office and 
function of the physician as merely to recognize and cure disease. 
Comparatively little instruction is given in the science of hygiene 
in our common schools or the higher institutions of learning in the 
state. There is need that it should form an essential part of the 
required study so soon as the pupil is of age to profit by such study; 
for a majority of such pupils, by necessity, leave school early, and 
are members of families to whom a knowledge of practical hygiene 
is very essential. 
As “ the sanitary care of its citizens is the first duty of the state,” 
there should be established in our university, our colleges and nor- 
