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00036
BILOXI D”" ’SNDS SELF OK CRITICISM
OF BURYING DEAD TOO HASTILY September 19* 1878
Daily Picayune - Friday, September 20, 18?8 - p 2 c 5
THE BILOXI BOARD OF HFALTH A SLANDER REFUTED To the Editor of the Picayune:—
Your paper being looked upon by the citizens of Biloxi as one in which they, through their Board of Health, can reply to the slander —unintentionally we trust—directed at the Board of Health of this place by the editor of the City Iter., under the he*d of "Stfange Conduct," and in the issue of September 16, 1878.
The gentleman in question states as facts that a vigilant burial committee was organized in this town and, in their eagerness to rid the town of the dead, buried some persons before the va rmth,e£ life had_le£Jt tt^body, and committe^Pothef"nets clTlculateB to outrage the feelings of our visitors.
Now, T'r. r.d<tor, were we to let this pass unnoticed, some one might believe the gentleman knew whereof he spoke, and to that person we deny the statement in toto.
The Board of Health was created by the Eoard of 1'ayor and Aldermen, and among other unpleasant duties was this most necessary one, that the health of the citizens demanded boxing, burials and the use of disinfectants as soon as possible where one died of infectious or contagious disease. They desire to protect the living, and are content to hear the oiteous complaints of the charitable croakers, who assist not the distressed, tut moan over the dead.
We have little or no sickness, except some light fevers, which, in nearly nil instances yield readily to proper treatment. But the fearful calamity to towns in our State demanded prompt attention to the health of this place.
Asking to be excused for trespassing on your time and paper, but the action of our community is so different from the small, narrow-minded report, that we were forced to say something.
Respectfully,
BOARD OF HEALTH Town of Biloxi, T'iss.
(KJS note:	Vany	ricsissiopi	towns	were in great suffering —
Holly Springs. Grenada, Greenville, Vicksburg, Jatekson, etc with difficulty encountered in finding people to bury the dead.)