AN ACT [ jfKKo]^ 
To establish a State Board of Health 
for the better protection of life and 
health, and to prevent the spread of 
contagious and mfectious diseases in 
this Commonwealth. 
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- 
sentatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General 
Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the 
same, That the Governor, by and with the advice and con- 
sent of the Senate, shall appoint six persons, a majority of 
whom shall be physicians of good standing, graduates of 
regularly chartered and legally constituted medical colleges, 
and of not less than ten years’ experience in the practice of 
their profession, and one of whom shall be a civil engineer, 
who, together with the secretary, the mode of whose ap- 
pointment is hereinafter provided for, shall constitute and 
be designated as the State Board of Health and Vital Statis- 
tics of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Of the six 
persons first appointed, two shall serve for two years, two 
for four years, and two for six years, from the first day of 
July next following their confirmation ; and the Governor 
shall thereafter biennially appoint, by and with the advice 
and consent of the Senate, two persons of the same profes- 
sions as those whose terms of office have just expired, to be 
members of said board, to hold their offices for six years 
from the first day of July next following their confirmation, 
and until their successors are appointed, excepting the sec- 2 
retary, who shall continue in office as hereinafter provided; 
but any member may be reappointed. Any vacancy occur- 
ring in said board during a recess of the Legislature, shall 
be filled by the Governor until the next regular session of 
the same. 
Section 2. As soon as possible after the appointment of 
the first six persons as aforesaid, they shall meet in the office 
of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and shall proceed 
under the direction of the latter officer, to determine by lot 
which of them shall serve for the respective terms of two, 
four and six years. Before entering upon the duties of the 
office they shall take the oath prescribed for State officers 
by the Constitution of the State, and shall file the same in 
the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth; who, upon 
receiving the said oath of office, shall issue to each a certi- 
ficate of appointment for his respective term of office, de- 
termined as aforesaid; upon receiving whicli they shall 
possess and exercise the powers and perform the duties of 
said board, as defined in this Act. Immediately after having 
taken the oath of office they shall organize by electing one 
of their number to be president, and by appointing a proper 
person, who shall be a physician of good standing, of not 
less than ten years’ professional experience, and a graduate 
of a legally constituted medical college, to be secretary of 
said board, who shall hold his appointment until removed by 
the appointment of his successor, or otherwise. The board 
may elect one of its own members secretary, in which case 
the vacancy thus created shall be filled by the Governor, in 
the same manner as a vacancy caused in any other way. 
The president shall be elected annually. No member of the 
board, except the secretary, shall, as such, receive any salary, 
but the actual travelling and other expenses of any member 
while engaged on the actual duties of the board, shall be 
allowed and paid on presentation of an itemized account 
with vouchers annexed. 3 
Section 3. The secretary shall be the executive officer of 
the board, and shall have all the powers and privileges of a 
member of said board except in regard to voting upon 
matters relating to his own office and duties as secretary. 
He shall receive an annual salary of two thousand dollars, 
which shall be paid him in the same manner that salaries of 
other State officers are paid; and such necessary expenses 
as the Auditor General shall audit, on presentation of an 
itemized account, with vouchers annexed, and the certificate 
of the board, shall be allowed him. 
Section 4. The said board shall meet at least once every 
six months, and may also hold special meetings as frequently 
as the proper and efficient discharge of its duties shall re- 
quire, in the Capitol building at Harrisburg (unless other- 
wise ordered), and the rules or by-laws of the board shall 
provide for the giving of proper and timely notice of all 
such meetings to every member of the board. The Secretary 
of Internal Affairs shall provide and furnish such apartments 
and stationery as said board may require in the discharge 
of its duties. A majority of the members of the board 
shall at any regular, called, or adjourned meeting, organize 
and constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. 
Section 5. The State Board of Health and Vital Statistics 
shall have the general supervision of the interests of the 
health and lives of the citizens of the Commonwealth, and 
shall especially study its vital statistics. It shall make 
sanitary investigations and inquiries respecting the causes 
of disease, and especially of epidemic diseases, including 
those of domestic animals, the sources, mortality, and the 
effects of localities, employments, conditions, habits, food, 
beverages, and medicines on the health of the people. 
It shall disseminate information upon these and similar 
subjects among the people. It shall, when required by the 
Governor or the Legislature, and at such other times as it 
deems it important, institute sanitary inspections of public 4 
institutions or places throughout the State. It shall codify 
and suggest amendments to the Sanitary Laws of the Com- 
monwealth. 
Section 6. It shall be the duty of the State Board of 
Health and Vital Statistics, to have the general supervision 
of the State system of registration of births, marriages, and 
deaths, of prevalent diseases, and of practitioners of medicine 
and surgery; to prepare the necessary methods, forms, and 
blanks, for obtaining and preserving such records, and to in- 
sure the faithful registration of the same in the several coun- 
ties and in the Central Bureau of Vital Statistics at the capital 
of the State. The said board shall recommend such forms and 
amendments of laws as shall be deemed to be necessary for 
the thorough organization and efficiency of the registration of 
vital statistics throughout the State. The Secretary of the 
State Board of Health and Vital Statistics shall be the 
superintendent of registration of vital statistics as supervised 
by said board ; the clerical duties and safe keeping of the 
bureau of vital statistics thus created, shall be provided for 
by the Secretary of Internal Affairs, who shall also provide 
and furnish such apartments and stationery, as said board 
shall require in the discharge of such duties. 
Section 7. It slmll be the duty of all health officers and 
boards of health in the State, to communicate to said State 
Board of Health, copies of all their reports and publications, 
and also such sanitary information as may be requested by 
said board. And said board is authorized to require reports 
and information (at such times, and of such facts, and gener- 
ally of such nature and extent as its by-laws or rules may 
provide), from all public dispensaries, hospitals, asylums, in- 
firmaries, prisons, and schools, and from the managers, 
principals, and officers thereof, and from all other public 
institutions, their officers, and managers, and from the pro- 
prietors, managers, lessees, and occupants of all places of 
public resort in the State; but such reports shall only be 
required concerning matters, or particulars, in respect of 5 
which, it may in its opinion need information for the proper 
discharge of its duties. 
Section 8. Said board may, from time to time, engage 
suitable persons to render sanitary service, or to make, or 
supervise practical and scientific investigations and exami- 
nations requiring expert skill, and to prepare plans and re- 
ports relative thereto. But no more than two thousand 
dollars shall be expended in any one year for such special 
sanitary service. 
Section 9. It shall be the duty of said board, on or before 
the first Monday of December, in each year, to make a 
report in writing, to the Governor of this State, upon the 
sanitary condition and prospects of the State; and such 
report shall set forth the action of the said board and of its 
officers and agents, and the names thereof for the past year, 
and may contain other useful information pertinent to the 
objects for which it was created, and shall suggest any 
further legislative action, or precaution, deemed proper 
for the better protection of life and health ; and the annual 
report of said board shall also contain a detailed statement 
of the State Treasurer of all money paid out by, or on ac- 
count of said board, and a detailed statement of' the manner 
of its expenditure during the year last past, but its total 
expenditure shall not exceed the sum of five thousand dollars 
in any one year. 
Section 10. The sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) 
is hereby appropriated from the treasury for the purposes of 
this act, and the expenditures properly incurred by the 
authority of said board, and verified by affidavit, subject, 
however, to the limitations hereinbefore imposed, and shall 
be paid by the Treasurer upon the warrant of the Auditor 
General. 
Section 11. This act shall take effect immediately, and 
all acts, or parts of acts, inconsistent herewith, shall be, and 
are hereby repealed.