ABSTRACT
The powers associated with the public health system in the United States are broadly based on the concept of "police powers," a term coined in 1824 by Chief Justice John Marshall of the US Supreme Court. The application of police power in the guise of public health statutes and regulations must be a balance between protecting the public good and minimizing intrusion on personal liberty. Public health is first and foremost a matter of protecting the population. The public health may be protected via police powers in another manner. The issues of public health can have a significant impact on a population. In 1854, Doctor John Snow was confronted with a cholera epidemic in London. His epidemiological investigation of some water companies demonstrated that many sick individuals were getting drinking water from a specific pump located on Broad Street.
