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4. He shall superintend each enumeration of the inhabitants of the State, and the preparation of the abstracts of the same, authorized by the constitution and laws.

5. He shall arrange the official written and printed reports and documents, obtained from Local Boards of Health and other public associations, and from private individuals; and cause them to be bound and indexed for convenient reference. And he is authorized to exchange the printed documents of the Board for other sanitary works, printed in this and in foreign countries.

6. He shall perform such other duties appertaining to his office, as may be required by the Board.

7. He shall prepare and lay before the Board, annually, in a printed form, a report containing an abstract of the information obtained.

8. He shall diffuse, as far as practicable, throughout the Commonwealth, information relating to the sanitary condition of the State and its inhabitants; to the end that the laws of health and life may be better understood, the causes of disease ascertained and removed, the length of human life extended, the vital force and productive power increased, and the greatest amount of physical improvement and happiness attained and enjoyed.

Sect. 7. The said Secretary is authorized and may, with the approval of the Board, employ such assistance as shall be necessary to enable him to discharge the duties of his office.

Sect. 8. The mayor and aldermen of each city, and the selectmen of each town, shall appoint three, five, or seven persons, resident citizens thereof, who shall constitute and be denominated the Board of Health of the Town, or the Local Board of Health. The mayor of the city, the chairman of the selectmen of the town, and the registrar of births, marriages and deaths, or the town clerk where no such registrar exists, shall be, ex officiis, members of said Board. And the persons so appointed shall take an oath faithfully to perform the duties of their office; and they shall hold their said offices for three years, if the said Board is fixed at and consists of three members, as aforesaid; or for five years, if it is fixed at and consists of five members; or for seven years, if it is fixed at and consists of seven members: provided, that the person first named in said Board shall go out of office at the end of one year, the person next named shall go out of office at the end of two years, and so of the remaining members, one retiring each year and in the order in which they are named, until the whole Board be changed. And the mayor and aldermen, or the selectmen as aforesaid, shall fill all vacancies in said Board, which may occur from death, resignation or otherwise. Any member who resigns, or whose term of office has expired, may, if duly qualified, be reappointed.

Sect. 9. The said Local Boards shall carry into execution, within their respective jurisdictions, the sanitary laws of the State, and the orders of the General Board of Health; and may, if need be, in the discharge of their duty, examine persons under oath, which oath they are authorized to administer. They shall endeavor, as far as practicable, to prevent disease and save life, by removing the causes of disease and mortality; and promote health and prolong life, by adopting and carrying into execution useful sanitary measures, rules and regulations.

Sect. 10. The said Local Boards shall meet in January, April, July, and October, in each year, and at such other times as they may deem necessary or expedient.

Sect. 11. The Board of Health of any town of more than ten thousand inhabitants, may expend forty dollars annually, and of any town of less than ten thousand inhabitants, twenty dollars, annually, in the purchase of books or works relating to public health, and to the causes and prevention of disease; which books and works, together with such other books, works, and documents as may be obtained in exchange or by donation, shall be kept in the office of the Secretary of the Board, and be the property of the town; provided, that in estimating the number of inhabitants for the purposes of this act, the last census, national or state, shall be the basis of computation.

Sect. 12. The said Board shall, from time to time, appoint one of their number to be Secretary; and also shall, if need be, appoint another competent member to be Medical Health Officer; and another to be Surveyor. And they shall appoint such other officers, not of the Board, and employ such other persons, as may be necessary to carry into execution the sanitary laws of the State, and the sanitary ordinances and regulations of the town. They shall fix the compensation of each person so appointed and employed, subject to the approval of the mayor and aldermen of the city, or the selectmen of the town: provided, that said compensation shall not exceed the amount usually paid for similar services in the town. And every such officer and person so appointed and employed shall hold his office during the pleasure of the Board.