Chap. 317.—An ACT to amend section 5 of an act providing for the appointment
of a State board of health, and of local boards of health, defining the duties and
powers and compensation thereof, and of their members, officers, and agents, in
connection with the preservation of public health, and prescribing penalties
against witnesses failing to obey subpenas issued by said State board of health,
or any authorized member thereof, for refusing to testify or otherwise acting in
contempt of said board, or its duly authorized members, approved March 7,
1900, so as to empower the chairman of the board of supervisors, with the ap-
proval of two of the members of the local board of health, to make certain con-
tracts for the removal and quarantine of parties suspected of small-pox, or for
compulsory vaccination.

Approved March 25, 1902.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section five
of an act approved March seventh, nineteen hundred, entitled an act pro-
viding for the appointment of a State board of health and of local boards
of health, defining the duties and powers and compensation thereof, and
of their members, officers, and agents, in connection with the preservation
of public health, and prescribing penalties against witnesses failing to
obey subpcenas issued by said State board of health, or any authorized
member thereof, for refusing to testify, or otherwise acting in contempt
of said State board of health or its duly authorized members, be amended
and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§ 5. The judge of each county or corporation court shall, upon the
recommendation of the medical society of said county or corporation, if
there be one, biennially appoint three regularly licensed physicians of
the county or corporation, who shall, with the clerk of the county or cor-
poration court and the chairman of the board of supervisors, or the mayor
of the corporation, as the case may be, constitute a county or city board
of health: provided, however, that where the charter of any city or town
already provides for the creation of a board of health, the provisions of
this section of this act shall not apply. The chairman of the board of
supervisors shall act as the president of the county board of health, and
the mayor as the president of the board of health of such city or town.
Each such local board of health shall elect from its members a secretary,
330 ACTS OF ASSEMBLY.

who shall be a physician, and who shall serve for two years, or until his
successor is appointed, but who may be removed for cause by a majority
vote of the board. Such local boards of health shal] have charge of the
sanitary affairs of the respective cities, counties, or towns for which they
are appointed, and shall, subject to the provisions of this act, have con-
trol of the prevention and eradication of contagious and infectious dis-
eases, the removal and quarantine of suspects; may provide for com-
pulsory vaccination, the prevention, restriction, and care of small-pox
and other contagious or infectious diseases, and shall, with the consent of
the board of supervisors of the county or the council of the city or town,
as the case may be, fix the compensation for the officers or agents em-
ployed in discharging such duties, and shall see to the abatement of
nuisances and the collection, as may be required by the State board of
health, of vital statistics. They shall likewise have power to adopt and
enforce such reasonable rules and regulations as they may deem neces-
sary to attain these ends: provided, that if any case of small-pox be re-
ported as existing in any county prior to the regular mecting of the
board of supervisors, the chairman of the board of supervisors shall have
power, with the approval of two members of the local board of health, to
make all necessary contracts for the removal or quarantine of suspects,
upon such terms as may be deemed reasonable, until the next meeting
of the board of supervisors of said county.
2. This act shall be in force from its passage.