SANITARY COMMISSIONERS. In
the
supplement
to the
Gazette
October, 1868, it is stated that, "in the duties to be
discharged by
it must be remembered
solely
for the purpose
the
of India,
dated the 17th
determining
the nature of
Sanitary Commissioners, that these appointments were created of improying the sanitary condition of new
January 1, 1869.] tlle people." It magnitude and
was
further observed that,
"
considering
the
difficulty of the task to be undertaken, the supervision of the public health will, the Governor-General in
Council thinks,
ability
of the
take up all the time and tax all the energy and " Commissioners thnt, therefore, these
Sanitary
officers should is not
they
not
intimately were
be called
on
to
associated with the
appointed
undertake any work which
special objects
for which
should not have transferred to others, unless that duty is
; that
they performed by Unniistakeably one which moro properly belongs to them; and that their work should be so arranged as to prevent, as far as practicable, all possibility of collision between them and other
them any duty
now
officials." We cordially
concur
in the wisdom which dictated these
earnestly trust that the Sanitary Commissioners ^ill bear them in mind in the execution of their essentially
remarks,
and
important duties.
The task which is thus
presented
to
them is
truly gigantic. It is none other than the improvement of the sanatary condition of the people of India?roughly estimated at from 150,000,000 to 200,000,000. It comprises the general introduction amongst the people of the art of conserving and preserving health, or of securing the most perfect action of body and mind, during as long a period as is consistent with the laws of life?of rendering growth more perfect, decay less ^pid, life more vigorous, death more remote." (Parkes). It imperatively demands the waging of an incessant but judiciously conducted warfare against all habits, customs, and usages which equally oppose civilization and the healthy operation of physiological laws, and the substitution of cleanliness for filth, good for bad air, well arranged and nutritious for defective and comparatively innutritious dietaries, good houses for bad ones, a pure for an impure water supply, &c.; in short, of physiological and sanitary for pathological and insanitary conditions. It would, therefore, be difficult to estimate, even approximately, the importance of the duties attaching to the post of Sanitary Commissioner, the successful carrying out of ?which will contribute materially to the augmentation of the national wealth by effecting an improvement in the national health. "
We note from the resolution of the Governor-General in
Council
attempt on the part of some of the minor GovernSanitary Commissioners with other duties than those for which they were appointed. Thus the Punjab Government wished to combine in one officer the offices of Sanitary Commissioner and of the Inspector-General of an
ments to saddle the
dispensaries;
whilst that of the North-Western Provinces requested authority to give the Sanitary Commissioner the control of the civil medical
establishments,
into
Government,
an
Under-Secretary
up system
We
are
was
proposed
glad
to
and to convert him A similar
doubling-
for Oude.
to observe that these
propositions
have been
n,3gatived by the Government of India. "As no" other appointment which the Sanitary Commissioner could hold would so com-
pletely
occupy
Proper work
as
his time and divert his attention from his the medical
Governor-General advisable the
to add this to the
Sanitary
supervision
of a whole
province,
own
the
in Council does not consider that it will be
Sanitary Commissioner's
duties." If
be health officers with
plenary special department, acting directly under
Commissioners
Powers in their own
17
SANTTATCY COMMISSIONERS.
are
to
respective Governments, they must be restricted to the devising of measures for the hygienic and sanitary amelioration of the general population in their jurisdiction, or for the gradual development of the great principles of preventive or state medicine. In order to increase their efficiency, they should be supplied with all necessary information by the municipal corporations, and by other authorities capable of affording such information within their provinces. We have no doubt that all will only bo too glad to supply this information. But the first thing to be done, under existing circumstanccs, is that the Sanitary Commissioners should make themselves personally acquainted with the sanitary wants of villages, towns, and cities. To attain the desired knowledge of what is wanted to better the health of the people, the Sanitary Commissioners will have to be continually on the move. To hamper these officers with other duties entirely foreign to the objects contemplated in their appointment to the important and useful offices they hold, would simply result in the production of inefficicncy and the tlieir
postponement of the adoption of improving the sanitary condition "
We undertake to declare that in
the neccssary of the
country
no
measures
for
people." in the world
are
cantonments, garrisons, jails, hospitals, and dispensaries better eared for, in a sanitary point of view, than in India. Where defects exist, these have been
by
executive and
systematically brought
administrative medical officers.
to notice
And
though
may in many of these institutions be still it may be fearlessly stated that the present necessary, yet officers responsible for their sanitary condition are acutely much
improvement
sensible of them, and perfectly competent to deal with them according to the light of the times. Wherever imperfection is found, its perpetuation is universally dependent upon want of
funds, and in
knowledge
on
trative staff. were
way attributable to destitution in
no
the
part
ordinary
No one would for
the ways and
to Norman
of the
means
Chevers,
a
provided
executivo and
sanitary adminis-
moment suppose that, with sufficient liberality
he would fail in
making
the
sanitary
condition of the great imperial institution under liis charge all that could be desired. if Frederick Mouat
were
Who would dare to assert that
put
in
of the need-
possession
ful amount of money, he would be many years before he secured a ?maximum of sanitation, and thereby a minimum of
mortality
in the
prisons
under his control ?
What is
appli-
cable to these two eminent sanitarians may be assumed as being equally applicable to the position and capacity of the local
executive officers studded throughout the length and breadth of the land. Where then, it may be asked, is the necessity or expe-
diency
of
making
the
sanitary superintendence
of any of tho
institutions already well-cared for a part of the duty of the Sanitary Commissioners? The inutility of such a measure has been
clearly recognized by the Governor-General in tho third paragraph of tho resolution under review. There is, however, one feature in this resolution which, wo fear, cannot but give pain to the medical department generally. To imply that this department is unequal to the task now devolving upon Sanitary Commissioners is, in truth, to deny to it the high historic renown which it has acquired for itself as an appanage of the Indian Army. Let the Deputy InspectorsGeneral, and the Inspector-General of the Mcdical Department also, be carefully chosen, not by seniority, but ly selection,
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
18
agreeably to tlio orders in force?so emphatically enunciated by Lord Dalhousie?from the whole body of surgeons-major and surgeons, and
we
venture
to
assert that the competency of
the medical administration will be second to none other in India.
plea for the restriction of the Sanitary Commissioners development, of the great principles of pbeventive or state medicine for the good of the people of India, is that this is the only way in which these officers can be expected to perform their onerous duties with efficiency, with credit to themselves, and benefit to the teeming mdlions of British India. Our plea for the preservation and elevation of the Indian medical department, with its full complement of administrative and executive officers, is that it is essentially necessary for tho control and management of civil, jail, and military Our
to
tho
hospitals
and
dispensarios
in times of peace and
war.
[Januaut 1,
1869.
the
supplement
to the
Gazette
October, 1868, it is stated that, "in the duties to be
discharged by
it must be remembered
solely
for the purpose
the
of India,
dated the 17th
determining
the nature of
Sanitary Commissioners, that these appointments were created of improying the sanitary condition of new
January 1, 1869.] tlle people." It magnitude and
was
further observed that,
"
considering
the
difficulty of the task to be undertaken, the supervision of the public health will, the Governor-General in
Council thinks,
ability
of the
take up all the time and tax all the energy and " Commissioners thnt, therefore, these
Sanitary
officers should is not
they
not
intimately were
be called
on
to
associated with the
appointed
undertake any work which
special objects
for which
should not have transferred to others, unless that duty is
; that
they performed by Unniistakeably one which moro properly belongs to them; and that their work should be so arranged as to prevent, as far as practicable, all possibility of collision between them and other
them any duty
now
officials." We cordially
concur
in the wisdom which dictated these
earnestly trust that the Sanitary Commissioners ^ill bear them in mind in the execution of their essentially
remarks,
and
important duties.
The task which is thus
presented
to
them is
truly gigantic. It is none other than the improvement of the sanatary condition of the people of India?roughly estimated at from 150,000,000 to 200,000,000. It comprises the general introduction amongst the people of the art of conserving and preserving health, or of securing the most perfect action of body and mind, during as long a period as is consistent with the laws of life?of rendering growth more perfect, decay less ^pid, life more vigorous, death more remote." (Parkes). It imperatively demands the waging of an incessant but judiciously conducted warfare against all habits, customs, and usages which equally oppose civilization and the healthy operation of physiological laws, and the substitution of cleanliness for filth, good for bad air, well arranged and nutritious for defective and comparatively innutritious dietaries, good houses for bad ones, a pure for an impure water supply, &c.; in short, of physiological and sanitary for pathological and insanitary conditions. It would, therefore, be difficult to estimate, even approximately, the importance of the duties attaching to the post of Sanitary Commissioner, the successful carrying out of ?which will contribute materially to the augmentation of the national wealth by effecting an improvement in the national health. "
We note from the resolution of the Governor-General in
Council
attempt on the part of some of the minor GovernSanitary Commissioners with other duties than those for which they were appointed. Thus the Punjab Government wished to combine in one officer the offices of Sanitary Commissioner and of the Inspector-General of an
ments to saddle the
dispensaries;
whilst that of the North-Western Provinces requested authority to give the Sanitary Commissioner the control of the civil medical
establishments,
into
Government,
an
Under-Secretary
up system
We
are
was
proposed
glad
to
and to convert him A similar
doubling-
for Oude.
to observe that these
propositions
have been
n,3gatived by the Government of India. "As no" other appointment which the Sanitary Commissioner could hold would so com-
pletely
occupy
Proper work
as
his time and divert his attention from his the medical
Governor-General advisable the
to add this to the
Sanitary
supervision
of a whole
province,
own
the
in Council does not consider that it will be
Sanitary Commissioner's
duties." If
be health officers with
plenary special department, acting directly under
Commissioners
Powers in their own
17
SANTTATCY COMMISSIONERS.
are
to
respective Governments, they must be restricted to the devising of measures for the hygienic and sanitary amelioration of the general population in their jurisdiction, or for the gradual development of the great principles of preventive or state medicine. In order to increase their efficiency, they should be supplied with all necessary information by the municipal corporations, and by other authorities capable of affording such information within their provinces. We have no doubt that all will only bo too glad to supply this information. But the first thing to be done, under existing circumstanccs, is that the Sanitary Commissioners should make themselves personally acquainted with the sanitary wants of villages, towns, and cities. To attain the desired knowledge of what is wanted to better the health of the people, the Sanitary Commissioners will have to be continually on the move. To hamper these officers with other duties entirely foreign to the objects contemplated in their appointment to the important and useful offices they hold, would simply result in the production of inefficicncy and the tlieir
postponement of the adoption of improving the sanitary condition "
We undertake to declare that in
the neccssary of the
country
no
measures
for
people." in the world
are
cantonments, garrisons, jails, hospitals, and dispensaries better eared for, in a sanitary point of view, than in India. Where defects exist, these have been
by
executive and
systematically brought
administrative medical officers.
to notice
And
though
may in many of these institutions be still it may be fearlessly stated that the present necessary, yet officers responsible for their sanitary condition are acutely much
improvement
sensible of them, and perfectly competent to deal with them according to the light of the times. Wherever imperfection is found, its perpetuation is universally dependent upon want of
funds, and in
knowledge
on
trative staff. were
way attributable to destitution in
no
the
part
ordinary
No one would for
the ways and
to Norman
of the
means
Chevers,
a
provided
executivo and
sanitary adminis-
moment suppose that, with sufficient liberality
he would fail in
making
the
sanitary
condition of the great imperial institution under liis charge all that could be desired. if Frederick Mouat
were
Who would dare to assert that
put
in
of the need-
possession
ful amount of money, he would be many years before he secured a ?maximum of sanitation, and thereby a minimum of
mortality
in the
prisons
under his control ?
What is
appli-
cable to these two eminent sanitarians may be assumed as being equally applicable to the position and capacity of the local
executive officers studded throughout the length and breadth of the land. Where then, it may be asked, is the necessity or expe-
diency
of
making
the
sanitary superintendence
of any of tho
institutions already well-cared for a part of the duty of the Sanitary Commissioners? The inutility of such a measure has been
clearly recognized by the Governor-General in tho third paragraph of tho resolution under review. There is, however, one feature in this resolution which, wo fear, cannot but give pain to the medical department generally. To imply that this department is unequal to the task now devolving upon Sanitary Commissioners is, in truth, to deny to it the high historic renown which it has acquired for itself as an appanage of the Indian Army. Let the Deputy InspectorsGeneral, and the Inspector-General of the Mcdical Department also, be carefully chosen, not by seniority, but ly selection,
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
18
agreeably to tlio orders in force?so emphatically enunciated by Lord Dalhousie?from the whole body of surgeons-major and surgeons, and
we
venture
to
assert that the competency of
the medical administration will be second to none other in India.
plea for the restriction of the Sanitary Commissioners development, of the great principles of pbeventive or state medicine for the good of the people of India, is that this is the only way in which these officers can be expected to perform their onerous duties with efficiency, with credit to themselves, and benefit to the teeming mdlions of British India. Our plea for the preservation and elevation of the Indian medical department, with its full complement of administrative and executive officers, is that it is essentially necessary for tho control and management of civil, jail, and military Our
to
tho
hospitals
and
dispensarios
in times of peace and
war.
[Januaut 1,
1869.
