Florida Health History 1

I'm Bill Bigler here with Davis Janowski to share with you some of the highlights of Florida's public health heritage. The Florida Department of Health has a very rich and colorful history that began over a century ago in 1889. Actually the origins of public health practices in the state can be traced back several hundred years. We're going to take you on a photographic track through time that has lots of twists and turns and ups and downs. We can only hit some of the many highlights that has lots of twists and turns and ups and downs. We can only hit some of the many highlights in the time allotted. Still you should get a pretty good idea of how most of the major programs evolved through the years. Through it all we hope to show you how public health has influenced the quality of life Through it all we hope to show you how public health has influenced the quality of life we enjoy today. We're going to take you on a journey back in time nearly 500 years that is about the time the Spanish and other Europeans first brought several infectious diseases that all but decimated the Native Americans residing here in return these early explorers fellow several are homegrown Skeeter born diseases and other illnesses unfamiliar to them many perished most of the diseases and mosquitoes are other vectors that transmit them have been brought under control over the years but if you are still with us before we begin the journey we have two little groundwork and set the stage mention if you will the Miami Tampa Orlando even Jacksonville in pensacola don't exist the air you're sitting in today was probably unbroken Forster wetland in all directions would appear to be a paradise to modernize for the early European explorers and settlers who was anything but a paradise in the fifteen hundred's Spanish explorers 13 colonists paid a heavy price from infectious in our tomorrow means as they sought treasure outposts converts to Christianity in the new world but they generally suffered far less than those here before then a certain that the demise the native Aboriginal peoples began to for a large-scale European colonization it'd probably be gone rather anonymously by stranded ship wreck victims in explorers in 1559 seven ships with 1500 spaniards misty sows africans and Aztecs from Mexico aboard landed on the shores of modern-day pensacola within days though disaster-stricken home for her can't worse than a few kill directly by the storm for the Los a provision and tools needed to establish the colony muster the ships were wrecked and single frigate known to have survived the storms dispatched Mexico response meanwhile there were squabbles and leadership in much of the company began to suffer from fevers probably from mosquito-borne diseases and starvation within a year three hundred survivors were taken to cuba in Spain's and so began the state's centuries-long Evan flow in population which was a recurring theme for nearly the next three centuries six years later in 1565 the city of Saint Augustine's mark on its first come in and settlement was found on the East Coast some forty three years before the English settlement in Jamestown Virginia estimates the Native American population for a prior to European contact ranged anywhere from several dozen thousand too few hundred thousand by the only seventeen hundred's the native population in the state was all but extinct fire to contact the culture these people have reached a stable equilibria they're basically a culture of hunter-gatherers in subsistence farmers many tribes were also found in coastal areas living primarily on a diet of shellfish inventor Magin europeans far from home in a very different climate subsisting on a poor and limited diet and effect this would have on their general health such conditions are perfect for the emergency disease among normally a symptomatic carriers these Europeans now contagious could and did cause epidemics among native peoples that in turn dismayed entire villages and tribes this importation of old-world diseases for which the native peoples had no immunity and the horrid suffering and deaths which followed can only be imagined rarely did their sufferings make it into the historic record respective clinical clues taken from the stand writings this rivalry likely large hell breaks a small pox measles typhoid fever the Bionic play typhus moms and influenza during the 16th century smallpox measles influenza were probably the biggest killers with Martelli frequently reaching 20 to 70 percent upon his arrival at the fortress of saint augustine in June 15 97 for a governor Gonzalo Menendez the condo on a small friend hospital being constructed joining a wooden church this diary documents support for completion in the structure in the role played in saving many soldiers Indians in *** slaves would have died from a fever which strip the community later that summer during the 17th 18th and 19th centuries for a change tens several times Spanish British in French occupiers for Disease and each other as they struggle to occupy in defense strategic locations meanwhile with fewer the remaining Native American population continue to succumb to European diseases on and off the europeans therefore sought out tribes from nearby regions primarily creeks in Alabama and Georgia and encourage them to settle the basque unoccupied tracks for the wilderness the British 04 for two brief decades beginning in 1763 during that time there to call is a beast and West Florida with capitals in Saint Augustine pensacola respectively who economically and played in interesting role in relations between immigrants the Spanish the upstart American nation I'll promised five centuries the quickest and safest means a traveling for the was bywater vessels plying the river the dunes in Khost ranged in size from simple canoe to sailing ships and later steamers steamboat travel became quite sophisticated over time because the many swamps marshes and dense fast-growing underbrush main road construction extremely difficult I'll through intrigue in military action on United States wrenched Florida from Spain in 1890 took formal control 1921 making the new acquisition territory still for most at this time epidemics and yellow fever dinghy fever smallpox cholera couple with grades but was placed in means we'd stayed whether dangerous place immigrate to especially with the family even so it was only during the territorial period force population really began to grow 1830 the territory's population still only 34,000 even after statehood in 1845 ours was for over 50 years when the smallest states by population among the many problems facing the new territorial government in 1821 for Disease Control sanitation and medical care due to a general lack of qualified physicians many untrained crack spread his message as military governor Andrew Jackson tackle these issues by issuing a proclamation which he called together a medical review Council for perspective positions and which also could in times of need quarantine Spanish and other vessels to prevent outbreaks ago the fever during and after the Revolutionary War the British in Spanish it sought to repopulate Florida with Native American immigrants from Alabama and Georgia these Indians were largely a freak extraction became known as some enormous 14 to join United States an American settlers began to arrive in claims to mineral lands these now established immigrants became hostile he's just be simply red longest most costly anymore in American history the second civil war last 1835 1842 chronicles detail the myriad diseases and sufferings the book the soldiers and someone was injured these range from malaria yellow fever in typhoid to wound infection acquired all trudging through coastal salt marshes many on both sides were killed captured symbols were initially sent to western territories clear the way for white settlers a band of two to three hundred someone else was never captured and remained in the Everglades settlers began to trickle in prior to the Second Seminole War and many became victims opinion raids and it was only after the war into the large numbers like immigrants from Georgia hello mam on the carolinas began to arrive between statehood in the Civil War Florida epitomize the inability self the state's economy was largely agrarian are based on naval stores such as pitched our rosin turpentine largely folding plantations were juxtaposed with poor whites subsistence farmers in a small merchant middle-class for to gain statehood in 1845 that time cotton was the major cash crop though there was a strong market for naval stores and timber force over raw materials not only to northern Mills to Europe as well if further incentive for industrial development was the first prostate railroad constructed between Fernandina in CT yellow fever was still a major deterrent immigration interest the the state only during the winter months even the powerful were not simpson its ravages no break in Port Saint Joe during summer BT 41 claim the governor's wife throughout the spratly period of statehood for as leaders started the state is going it alone due to its remote geographic location the difficulty of travel the same leaders also felt threatened by the abolitionist movement north given these attitude it should not be surprising to find the legislature voted in favor succession need to 61 whirling the potential for state yet another war rather than the focus to the Civil War for almost always managed to remain on the periphery a battle velocity was the single large land battle fought here the war was primarily an economic in manpower drain that crippled the state's economy menu for soldiers died a return home maimed and disable women were slaves barely kept the state afloat though very limited some attempts to provide relief for widows and children proved to be the state's earliest former welfare federal military hospitals and those are the Marine Hospital service will present a wartime view two such examples for those at saint augustine US historical chronicles are replete with the council question or government expenditures for pest prevention and disease control for the most unusual legends with that of the twelfth highness your wall built around the US Naval Hospital compound pensacola his legend goes mosquitoes not fly higher than 12 feet and that's the wall with a great means approving being then but was many more years however before Walter Reed made the connection between he does in the transmission and yellow fever after the war for his military and then Republican regimes favorite special interests and enacted policies and laws because political and social unrest overall Reconstruction period was viewed as native it fostered economic development stay with some civil rights for freed slaves and nurtured the development of city health departments local hospitals and medical societies still and most were all areas the poor were 90% better off than they were before the war during this period several independent entrepreneurs were creating short line railroads and tram lines this type of transit neighborhood dealers to move large quantity September turpentine can two major rivers in coastal ports for shipping to northern in international markets the will to do also use the railroads a way to travel overland whenever possible residents and tourists alike use this that was riverboats in coastal schooners that they had to travel any great distance to areas not served by trains steamboat travel was for half a century the most popular way to see for as early as 1873 some 50,000 tourists were visiting Silver Springs by steamboat huge throughout the South gym for legislation whitens leaves full taxes violence were used to prevent freed slaves from voting despite passage of the 15th amendment to the US Constitution in 1870 this for the disenfranchised defeat men and women removed many of the gains made following the Civil War even while local governments sought to preserve public health initiatives the state legislature refused to create the state health agency in 1873 because the required appropriation of two hundred dollars was deemed exorbitant Florida underwent a tremendous transformation in the 39 years between 1877 in 1916 the stay was in debt had very few railroads and yell a few hours causing panic in cities all over the state when the State Board held was established in 1889 it launched the near Disease Control and environmental sanitation that spurred the economic development of the state the sayd administration elected in 1876 started out deep in there intern spending by the State mall but ceased the more this meant the progress on Disease Control and Prevention was time I'm periodic epidemic so you'll get were still being introduced from human one massive epidemic in 1877 ever need a second all but one hundred at sixteen hundred residents and hundreds in the victims died low a rapidly expanding transportation system that links railroads to existing waterways in new roads get the economy going I'm upscale tours as well as settlers were continually flowing into staying population reached 270,000 by the 1880 census most in the confined to northern counties between pensacola when Jackson right now cotton was on the decline other crops and commodities began to take up the economic slack including tobacco sugar cane corn vegetables and fruits as well as vision was var are the citrus cattle and mining industries are also beginning to flourish I'll as immigrants moved into this Nate seeking jobs they brought with them a ride even text diseases and conditions the most notable being small box the regular doses Tess's Syria gonorrhea an open-sided you driven tram read between some job in panacea carrying visitors to the coast on the journey they travel through the same remote forces once we're lumberjacks tumor all our mines have liked him like by mosquitoes carry several ideas dinghy fever and malaria are each year his word yellow fever outbreaks border region northern cities the move tourism in immigration declined rapidly when if you establish the health department's were unable to deal with yellow fever outbreaks US government began to impose quarantines in addition persistent efforts by Doctor John P wall in Florida Medical Association succeeded in adding a provision for a State Board of Health the state constitution was revised in 1885 in the first half of the 19th century there were about him for hospitals in the state including those run by the military in the US Marine Hospital service his letter facilities were meant to care for US sailors on merchant *** afflicted with various diseases but in some areas like key west the main hospital also served medical knees at the city's indigents on a primary-care basis when young fear struck a city residents & Poor's tended to flee the area by whatever transportation was available unfortunately amo stops they were not allowed to disembark from the train or steamers for fear of spreading the disease roadblocks were also set up to keep those in carriages on horseback or on foot from leaving affected cities it was dangerous work for positions to try and cross these lines if they had had contact with yellow fever victims in the summer of 1888 a devastating epidemic your peers strip the city Jets killing hundreds and causing in general paired local health department hospitals and physicians were overwhelmed with cases in patients with 14 in makeshift hospitals assistance was provided by other cities states and federal government and health care agencies such as Red Cross since it causes the disease is unknown at that time is thought the smoke-filled fewer jobs there were cars containing US Mail this thing for other states and cities being fumigated this offer following the Jacksonville epidemic governor-elect flaming in the Florida Medical Association persuaded the legislature to create and fun statewide health that was provided for in 1885 constitution ironically Louis prominent Jacksonville attorney and brother the governor died while fighting to control the epidemic package a whitewater a young US Marine Hospital service position from Key West was instrumental in controlling the epidemic in Jacksonville was appointed state health officer his first priority was to establish take control quarantine stations at all port cities by 1902 facilities replaced at Fernandina Miami Tampa Bay pensacola Key West mayport go to Russia Charlotte Harbor cedar keys in carrabelle at that time commercial overland travel in the state was pretty much limited to a network a stage coaches railroad throughout the north and central areas in the state as a result it was relatively easy to transport the disease from port cities experiencing outbreaks have yellow fever to inland communities persons that could document having to write about with yellow fever were issued an immunity card signed by the State Health Officer this pass enable them to travel freely anywhere without unnecessary delay packed reporter was a resident Key West in community work in Jacksonville he went by steamer to Miami and then on the Jacksonville he travel to other cities usually by train for many the smaller community still had to be reached by coach coastal schooner a riverboat but the early nineteen hundred's far as population was growing more rapidly than ever with this growth also came development of the economy governmental infrastructure educational systems and community organizations improved standard of living included among other things reduce the letter C in malnutrition increase access to basic health care clean water sanitary disposal of sewage in solid waste operates a small pox continued to reappear throughout the piano and selected communities on cause was thought to be non skilled workers who traveled into and how to Georgia seeking seasonal work in addition to small pox on your fever malaria thank you fever cholera measles and tuberculosis were all identified is causing considerable morbidity throughout the state at that time and city health department became overwhelmed with ongoing outbreaks State Board of Health MOH intervene on one occasion when Key West City by others refuse to enforce parking to control an outbreak of smallpox doctor Porter call on the US Navy to blockade the port in this incident the USS Maine actually fires shot across the bow over for you're trying to run the blockade citrus crops were devastated by freezes in the late 1890s resulting in the loss of millions of dollars growers were either force how to business remove their operations for herself tourism continue to flourish say boorda felt tired its first court nurses in order to tackle the control tuberculosis 1913 as they may home visits in rural areas it soon became apparent that many Floridians were suffering from a multitude of health problems was notable where there was a bookworm Allegra and other nutritional problems and poor children as they would have also initiated treatment for indigent people children which included surgery to repair bone deformities