[발췌] Short History of New York City Board of Health

출처: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/about/boh.shtml

※ 발췌 (excerpt):

Yellow fever was plaguing New York City when the Board of Health held its first meeting in 1805. Led by Mayor De Witt Clinton, the board evacuated stricken neighborhoods and started collecting mortality statistics,  to "furnish data for reflection and calculation." Yellow Jack swept the city for last time in 1822, but cholera, typhus and tuberculosis persisted, fueled by crowding and a lack of sanitation.

Everything changed in 1866, when the New York State Legislature expanded the Board and insulated it from political influence by setting aside seats for physicians and scientists. Newly empowered, the Board decreed that "neither hogs nor goats [could] run at large in our city" and pressured landlords to maintain their buildings. Cholera death promptly fell by 90%.

The 11-member Board of Health remains a vital force today. Most members─appointed by the Mayor withe the consent of the City Council─serve 6 years terms. Each Board member is a recognized expert, and the group represents a broad range of health and medical disciplines. They serve without pay and like judges, cannot be dismissed without cause. As the overseers of New York City's Health Code, the Board has enacted countless measures to improve the wellbeing of New Yorkers over the years ....