Chap. 487.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 5 of an act entitled “an a
to amend section 5 of an act providing for the appointment of a State beard |
health and local boards of health, defining the duties and powers and compe
sation thereof, and of their members, officers, and agents, in connection i
the preservation of public health, and prescribing penalties against witness
failing to obey subpenas issued by said State board of health, or any authe
ized member thereof, for refusing to testify, or otherwise acting in contempt
said board or its duly authorized members, approved March 7, 1900, so as
empower the chairman of the board of supervisors, with the approval of t:
of the members of the local board of health, to make certain contracts for t
removal and quarantine of parties suspected of small-pox, or fur compulse
vaccination,” approved March 25, 1902.

Approved December 24, 1903.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That secti
five of an act entitled “an act to amend section five of an act providil
for the appointment of a State board of health, and of local boards
health, defining the duties and powers and compensation thereof, and
their members, officers, and agents, in connection with the preservati
of public health, and prescribing penalties against witnesses failing
obey subpoenas issued by said State board of health, or any authoriz
member thereof, for refusing to testify or otherwise acting in contem
of said board or its duly authorized members, approved March sevent
nineteen hundred, so as to empower the chairman of the board of supe
visors, with the approval of two of the members of the local board
health, to make certain contracts for the removal and quarantine of ps
ties suspected of small-pox, or for compulsory vaccination,’ approv
March twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and two, be amended and |
enacted so as to read as follows:

§ 5. The judge of the corporation court of each corporation and t
judge of the circuit court of each county shall, upon the recommendati
of the medical society of said county or corporation, if there be one. |
ennially appoint three regularly licensed physicians of the county or
poration, who shall, with the clerk of the corporation or circuit court,
the case may be, and the chairman of the board of supervisors or t
inayor of the corporation, as the case may be, constitute a county or ci
board of health: provided, however, that where the charter of any city
town already provides for the creation of a board of health the provisio
of this section of this act shall not apply. The chairman of the board
supervisors shall act as the president of the county board of health a1
the mayor as the president of the board of health of such city or tow
Each such local board of health shall elect from its members a secretar
who shall be a physician, and who shall serve for two years, or until }
successor is appointed, but who may be removed for cause by a majori
vote of the board. Such local boards of health shall have charge of ¢)
sanitary affairs of the respective cities, counties, or towns for which th
are appointed, and shall, subject to the provisions of this act, have conir
of the prevention and eradication of contagious and infectious diseasx
the removal and quarantine of suspects; may provide for compulsory va
cination, the prevention, restriction, and care of small-pox and other co!
tagious or infectious diseases, and shall, with the consent of the board :
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 employed in dis-
charging 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 sta-
tistics. They shall likewise have power to adopt and enforce such rea-
sonable rules and regulations as they may deem necessary to attain these
ends: provided, that if any case of small-pox be reported as existing in
any county prior to the regular meeting of the board of supervisors, the
chairman of the board of supervisors shall have power, with the approval
o{ two members’ of the local board of health, to make all necessary con-
tracts 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 on and after the first day of February,
nineteen hundred and four.