LAW OF MICHIGAN 
ESTABLISHING A 
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, 
PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A 
SUPERINTENDENT OF VITAL STATISTICS, 
AND ASSIGNING CERTAIN DUTIES TO 
LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH. ACT ESTABLISHING 
— THE — 
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. 
An act to establish a State Board of Health, to provide for the appointment of a Superin- 
tendent of Vital Statistics, and to assign certain duties to Local Boards of Health. 
ACT No. 81, LAWS OF 1873. 
Section 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact, That a 
board is hereby established which shall be known under the name 
and style of the “State Board of Health.” It shall consist of 
seven members, as follows: Six members who shall be appointed 
by the Governor, 'with the consent of the Senate, and a secretary, 
as provided in section four oi this act. The six members first 
appointed shall be so designated by the Governor that the term of 
office of two shall expire every two years, on the last day of Janu- 
ary. Thereafter, the Governor, with the consent of the Senate, 
shall biennially appoint two members to hold their offices for six 
years, ending January thirty-first. Any vacancy in said board 
may be filled, until the next regular session of the Legislature, by 
the Governor. 
Sec. 2. The State Board of Health shall have the general super- 
vision of the interests of the health and life of the citizens of this 
State. They shall especially study the vital statistics of this State, 
and endeavor to make intelligent and profitable use of the collected 
records of deaths and of sickness among the people; they shall 
make sanitary investigations and inquiries respecting the causes of 
disease, and especially of epidemics; the causes of mortality, and 
the effects of localities, employments, conditions, ingesta, habits, 
and circumstances on the health of the people. They shall, when 
required, or when they deem it best, advise officers of the govern- 
ment, or other State boards, in regard to the location, drainage, 
water supply, disposal of excreta, beating and ventilation of any 
public institution or building. They shall from time to time 
recommend standard works oil the subject of hygiene for the use 
of the schools of the State. 
Sec. 3. The board shall meet quarterly at Lansing, and at such 
other places and times as they may deem expedient. A majority 
shall be a quorum for the transaction of business. They shall 
choose one of their number to be their president, and may adopt 
rules and by-laws subject to the provisions of this act. They shall 
have authority to send their secretary, or a committee of-the board, 
to any part of the State, when deemed necessary to investigate the 
cause of any special or unusual disease or mortality. 
State Board of 
Health estab- 
lished. 
Members of, and 
how appointed. 
Term of office. 
Vacancy; how 
filled. 
Duties of. 
Meeting of board. 
Quorum. 
Election of pres- 
ident. adoption 
of rules, etc. LAW ESTABLISHING THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. 
3 
Sec. 4. At their first meeting, or as soon as a competent and 
suitable person can be secured, the board shall elect a secretary, 
who shall, by virtue of such election, become a member of the 
board, and its executive officer. The board may elect one of their 
own number secretary, in which case the Governor shall appoint 
another member to complete the full number of the board. 
Sec. 5. The secretary shall hold his office so long as he shall 
faithfully discharge the duties thereof, but may be removed for 
just cause at a regular meeting of the board, a majority of the 
members voting therefor. He shall keep his office at Lansing, and 
shall perform the duties prescribed by this act, or required by the 
board. He shall keep a record of the transactions of the board ; 
shall have the custody of all books, papers, documents, and other 
property belonging to the board, which may be deposited in his 
office; shall, so far as practicable, communicate with other State 
boards of health, and with the local boards of health within this 
State; shall keep and file all reports received from such boards,and 
nil correspondence of the office appertaining to the business of the 
board. He shall, so far as possible, aid in obtaining contributions 
to the library and museum of the board. He shall prepare blank 
forms of returns, and such instructions as may be necessary, and 
forward them to the clerks of the several boards of health through- 
out the State. He shall collect information concerning vital sta- 
tistics, knowledge respecting diseases, and all useful information on 
the subject of hygiene, and through an annual report, and other- 
wise, as the board may direct, shall disseminate such information 
among the people. 
Sec. 6. The secretary shall receive an annual salary which shall 
be fixed by the State Board of .Health. The board shall quarterly 
certify the am mnt due him, and on presentation of said certificate 
-the Auditor General shall draw his warrant on the State Treasurer 
for the amount. The members of the board shall receive no per 
diem compensation for their services, but their traveling and other 
necessary expenses while employed on the business of the board 
shall be allowed and paid. 
Sec. 7. The sum of four thousand dollars per annum, or so 
much thereof as may be deemed necessary by the State Board of 
Health, is hereby appropriated to pay the salary of the secre- 
tary, meet the contingent expenses of the office of the secretary, 
and the expenses of the board, which shall not exceed the sum 
hereby appropriated. Said expenses shall be certified and paid in 
the same manner as the salhry of the secretary. 
Sec. 8. It shall be the duty of the health physician, and also of 
the clerk of the local board of health in each township, city, and 
■village in this State, at least once in each year, to report to the 
State Board of Health their proceedings, and such other facts 
required, on blanks and in accordance with instructions received 
from said State They shall also make special reports 
whenever required to do so by the State Board of Health. 
Sec. 9. In order to afford to this board better advantages for ob- 
taining knowledge important to be incorporated with that collected 
Election of sec- 
retary. 
Term of office of 
secretary, and 
his duties. 
Salary of secre- 
tary. 
Expenses of 
board. 
Appropriation. 
Health physi- 
cians and clerks 
ol local boards of 
health to report 
to State Board. 
Duty of State 
officers, physi- 4 
LAW ESTABLISHING THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. 
cian8, etc., to 
furnish informa- 
tion. 
through special investigations and from other sources, it shall be 
the duty of all officers of the State, the physicians of all mining or 
other incorporated companies, and the president or agent of any 
company chartered, organized, or transacting business under the 
laws of this State, so far as is practicable, to furnish to the State 
Board of Health any information bearing upon public health which 
may be requested by said board for the purpose of enabling it bet- 
ter to perform its duties of collecting and distributing useful 
knowledge on this subject. 
Sec. 10. The secretary of the State Board of Health shall be the 
Superintendent of Vital Statistics. Under the general direction 
of the Secretary of State, he shall collect these statistics, and pre- 
pare and publish the report required by law relating to births, 
marriages, and deaths. 
Sec. 11. The Secretary of State shall provide a suitable room 
for the meetings of the board at Lansing, and office-room for its. 
secretary. 
Approved April 12, 1873. 
Secretary to be 
Superintendent 
of Vital Statis- 
tics. 
Room for use of 
hoard.