State Laws and Regulations Pertaining to Public Health

LOUISIANA.

Municipal Boards of Health-Organization. Municipal Health Officers and (Act 203, July 8, 1920.)

Municipal Sanitary Officers-Appointment.

SECTION 1. That section 5 of act No. 192 of 1898, as amended by act No. 150 of 1902 and act No. 184 of 1904 of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, be amended and reenacted so as to read as follows:

SEC. 5. That the council or legislative bodies of each and every incorporated municipal government in the State shall establish and organize a town or city board of health in the manner following: The said council or legislative body shall, on the expiration of the term of office for which existing town or city boards of health have been elected, or where no such boards have been elected immediately after the promulgation of this act, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable, elect or appoint persons in said municipality to be members of the municipal board of health. Such persons shall not be members of the said council or occupy any other office in said municipality, and three of the persons so appointed or elected shall, if practicable, be duly registered and licensed physicians. Said persons when so appointed or elected shall constitute the city or town board of health and shall serve for four years from the date of their qualification.

The council or legislative bodies shall provide ample means for the maintenance and operations of said boards. Said town or city boards of health shall meet on the first Tuesday after the commissioning of their members, and shall elect a chairman, who shall be a duly registered and licensed physician, who shall be the health officer of the town or municipality, who shall serve in said capacity, exercise the powers, and perform the duties usual and incident to such officers in similar organizations.

The said boards of health shall each have power to appoint a sanitary officer, whose duty shall be to enforce the requirements of said boards in all matters of sanitation, and also to act as secretary. The salary of the chairman, as well as that of the sanitary officer, shall be fixed by the council or legisltive body. Said persons when so appointed or elected shall constitute the town or city boards of health for their respective municipalities, and shall serve for four years as hereinbefore provided: Provided, The members of the city board of health of the city of New Orleans shall serve for the terms established by act No. 192 of 1898: And provided further, That the provisions of this act shall not apply to the city of Shreveport.

Milk Regulation Board-How Constituted-Regulations Concerning Milk, etc. May be Made by. (Act 66, July 6, 1920.)

SECTION 1. That the president of the State board of health, the commissioner of agriculture, the director of the State experiment station, a dealer engaged in the buying and selling of milk, and the secretary of the Louisiana Dairymen's Cooperative Association shall constitute a milk-regulation board. Said board shall keep a record of its proceedings and may appoint officers and prescribe their duties.

SEC. 2. That said board, after public hearing, notice of which shall be given by publication in a newspaper published in each parish at least two weeks before such hearings, may make, amend, repeal, or suspend rules and regulations concerning the inspection of milk or dairies, the production, care, handling, marketing or sale of milk, cream, or skim milk within the State, to protect the

public from the use of milk, cream or skim milk which is insanitary or detrimental to the public health. Such rules and regulations shall take effect 20 days after such publication.

SEC. 3. That nothing in this act shall apply to the setting, making, or fixing of prices on milk, cream, or skim milk to be sold within the State.

SEC. 4. That any person or persons who shall fail to comply with or violate any of the provisions of this act or the rules and regulations made by this board shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in a sum not less than $25 nor more than $100 or imprisoned for a period of not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days.

Habit-Forming Drugs-Possession, Sale, and Dispensing. (Act 165, July 8,

1920.)

SECTION 1. That section 7 of act 2521 of the general assembly of the State of Louisiana for the year 1918 be amended and reenacted so as to read as follows:

SEC. 7. (a) A person may manufacture, sell, dispense, or possess preparations and remedies not otherwise prohibited by law, which do not contain more than lawful quantity of opium or its derivatives; all liniments, ointments, and other preparations containing any of such drugs which are prepared and suitable for external use only: Provided, That such remedies and preparations are manufactured, sold, dispensed, or possessed as medicines and not for the purpose of evading the intention and purposes of this article.

(b) A veterinarian may possess cocaine or opium or its derivatives in such quantities as he may require for the purpose of administering or dispensing and may administer or dispense the same in the course of his professional practice. He may prescribe any of such drugs but not for use by human being. Each prescription issued by him shall be signed by him and contain in legible English the name and address of the owner of the animal for which and the date when the prescription is issued.

(c) A dentist may possess cocaine or opium or its derivatives in such quantities as he may require for the purpose of administering the same in the course of his professional practice. He may administer the same to persons under his immediate treatment and in the course of legitimate practice of his profession prescribe or dispense cocaine or opium to relieve pain or suffering on the part of a patient or to effect a cure.

(d) An apothecary may, upon a prescription written upon an unofficial prescription blank, signed by and containing the office address of a physician or a dentist and the name, age, and address of the person for whom and the date when issued, dispense cocaine or opium or its derivatives provided such prescription does not contain more than 5 grains of cocaine or more than 30 grains of opium or more than 6 grains of codeine or more than 4 grains of morphine or more than 2 grains of heroin; also upon a like prescription if it contain any such drugs in excess of said respective quantities if it be stated upon the prescription that it is to be used in the treatment of a surgical case or a disease other than drug addiction. Each such original prescription, serially numbered, shall be kept by him in a separate file for a period of two years and such prescription shall not be refilled: Provided, however, That if any such prescription does not contain more than lawful quantity of any such drug it need not be separately filed: And provided further, That if any such prescription call for an exempt preparation or remedy prepared in accordance with "U. S. P.," "N. F.," or other recognized or established formula usually carried in stock by a dealer and sold without a prescription it need not be separately filed and may, upon request,

1 Supplement 38 to Public Health Reports, p. 115.

be refilled. He may also, upon the prescription in writing, signed by a physician or a dentist and containing his office address and the name, age, and address of the person for whom and the date when issued, within four days of such date, otherwise dispense cocaine or opium or its derivatives within or in excess of the quantities hereinbefore mentioned if such prescription be written upon a serially numbered official prescription blank delivered to him in duplicate provided he keep one of said duplicates in a separate file for a period of two years and within 24 hours mail the other duplicate to the State board of health. Such prescription shall not be refilled.

He may also, upon the prescription in writing dated and signed by a veterinarian and containing his office address and the name and address of the owner of the animal for which the drug is prescribed, dispense cocaine or opium or its derivatives, provided he keep such prescription on file for a period of two years. Such prescription shall not be refilled except by physicians when prescribing in emergencies for drug addicts. Said prescription not to be repeated for the same addict.

(e) A physician or a dentist may, in the course of the legitimate practice in good faith of his profession, and for the purpose of relieving or preventing pain or suffering on the part of a patient, or to effect a cure, administer, prescribe, or dispense cocaine or opium or its derivatives as follows: At his discretion with no intent on the part of the physician or dentist to evade the intent and purpose of this act.

If he otherwise administer or dispense any of such drugs he shall record in writing upon a serially numbered official physician's or dentist's dispensing blank in duplicate, to be procured from the State board of health, in legible English or Latin the name and quantity of the drug and the form in which administered or dispensed, the name, age, and address of the person from whom and the date when administered or dispensed and shall sign the name. He shall keep the original of such dispensing blank on file for at least two years, and shall, within 24 hours, mail the copy to the State board of health.

The provisions of this section relating to the conditions under which unofficial and official prescriptions and dispensing blanks may be used are, to the department, directory only and may be rule or regulation of the State board of health, from time to time, be changed or modified to meet existing conditions.

Certain State Property Set Aside for Care and Maintenance of Lepers-Sale to United States Government Authorized. (Act 77, July 6, 1920.)

SECTION 1. That all property, real, personal, and mixed, belonging to the State of Louisiana in the parish of Iberville and set aside for the care and maintenance of persons afflicted with leprosy, shall be transferred by proper instrument to the United States Government upon the payment to the State of Louisiana of the sum of $35,000.

SEC. 2. That the governor is hereby authorized and empowered to make the transfer of the said property to the United States Government, and to do any and every other act necessary to carry out said sale.

SEC. 3. That exclusive jurisdiction in and over the land herein described when purchased by the United States under the terms of this act shall be, and the same is hereby, ceded to the United States for all purposes whatsoever.

SEC. 4. That the proceeds of said sale, together with any and all unexpected balance to the credit of the board of control of the leper's home at the time of the sale or that would have accrued by appropriation to the said board out of the revenues of the year 1920 and 1921 shall be placed to the credit of the gen

'This paragraph reads the same as in the session laws.

eral fund of the State to be used in meeting other appropriations made out of said general fund in the event said sale is consummated.

Sewer Connections.

(Act 188, July 8, 1920.)

SECTION 1. That the title of act No. 1493 of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana of 1918, approved July 10, 1918, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

“An act granting right to municipalities having a public system of sewerage to provide for enforcing connection therewith by owners of improved premises within 300 feet of line of sewerage; to provide for connection of said connections, including line of service pipe and stool, reservoir, etc., and installation thereon, together with connections with water mains for flushing purposes, by having same done under contract with lowest bidder or by said municipalities with its own force and its own equipment and under its own supervision, and permitting owners to pay for the same in five annual installments, or have the option of paying cash. Giving municipal authorities the power to levy costs thereof under special assessments carrying with it a lien and privilege upon property improved; providing for the issuance by the municipality of its own certificates of indebtedness based upon the special assessments against various property holders, providing for the collection of the assessments with the penalties and for the method of judicial enforcement of the payment of the assessment."

SEC. 2. That section 2 of said act No. 149 of 1918 be amended and reenacted so as to read as follows: That whenever the mayor and board of aldermen or other governing body of any municipality having a public sewerage system deem it necessary for the public health that owners of one or more premises shall connect their premises with public sewer 10 days' notice in writing shall be given to the said owners by registered letter, directed to their last-known address, delay beginning to run from [the time?] said notice notifying them to connect up with the public sewer is deposited in the post office, and if the work of making connection with sewer is not begun at the end of the 10 days the mayor shall notify the city engineer to prepare plans and specifications for making the connection with the public sewer, including water-service pipe for flushing purposes; the said plans and specifications shall be uniform, allowing the owner upon written notice to the mayor before adoption of the adoption of the ordinance ordering advertisement hereinafter provided for to have installed a more expensive equipment, which the owner must fully and accurately describe, the extra cost of which shall be charged to the particular owner ordering it. The said plans and specifications shall be filed in the city clerk or engineer's office, and the mayor and board of aldermen shall adopt an ordinance ordering or describing in general terms the contemplated sewerage connections, giving location of premises and name of owners. The municipal authorities may proceed to execute the work with its own force and its own equipment and under its own supervision or may let the contract to the lowest responsible bidder, who shall furnish satisfactory security, but shall have the right to reject any and all bids. The clerk shall advertise for bids in some newspaper published in said municipality by insertion therein at least twice, the first insertion to be not less than 10 days prior to date fixed for reception of bids and shall contain a general description of the contemplated sewerage connection and shall refer to the plans and specifications on file and shall designate the hour, date, and place for the reception of bids.

3 Supplement 38 to Public Health Reports, p. 135.

Reads the same as in the session laws.

MAINE.

Communicable Diseases-Reports of Cases—Quarantine-Restrictions on Well Persons in Home Under Quarantine-Handling and Sale of Milk, Other Foods, etc.-Library Books-School Attendance-Duty of Attending Physician-Disinfection-Funerals-Control Measures for Specific Diseases. (Reg. Dept. of H., Jan. 28, 1920.)

RULE 1. Definitions.-Unless specifically provided herein, the following words and terms used in these rules and regulations are defined for the purposes thereof as follows:

(1) The word "town" means and includes city, town, or organized plantation. (2) The term "local board of health" means and includes the local board of health and the executive officer of the board, whether he be the health officer or the secretary when there is no health officer.

(3) The term "local health officer " means the executive health officer appointed by the municipal officers, as provided in chapter 172, laws of 1919.

(4) The term 'householder means and includes the parents, guardians, caretakers, or other persons who have charge of children or minors, or of the household or of a number or group of persons who dwell together or have their lodging or board together, and to the keeper, superintendent, manager, or other person who has charge of an almshouse, workhouse, house of correction, jail, prison, hospital, or boarding school, camp, or other institution; it also means and includes the master or other commanding officer of a ship or steamboat. RULE 2. Notifiable diseases.-The following diseases are declared to be notifiable diseases: