Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-02-18
Something of Interest.
Brockway Centre, Feb. 18th, 1886

Brockway Centre, Feb 18th, 1886
EDITOR EXPOsIToR:
have received a copy of the rules
of the Michigan state board of health
and thinking perhaps it may be well to
have them published, so that our people
may know what they are, as it may be
of use to them who have dead bodies to
ship upon our railroads, and desiring to
express my opinion, l have adopted
this plan to do SO.
Rules of the Michigan state board OF
health.
Rule 1. The transportation of the
bodies of persons dead of small pOx
Asiatic cholera, typhus fever and yellow
fever is absolutely forbidden.
Rule 2. All other dead bodies may be
transported, provided they are incased
| in an antiseptic, interment sack, her.
metically sealed in addition to being in
coffin and this being in tight wooden
box. Except those dead of diphtheria,
scarlet fever, typhoid fever, erysipelas,
| measles or other contagious or infec-
tious diseases, which must be wrapped
| in sheet thoroughly saturated with "A
strong solution of chloride of zinc in the
proportions of pound of chloride OF
zine to gallon of water; before being
| inclosed in the antiseptic sack. The
coffin must also be surrounded with
saw dust saturated with a solution OF
chloride of zinc the same strength as
stated above.
Rule 3. In case of contagious or in
fectious disease, the body shall not be
accompanied by persons. who, (or ar
ticles which, have been exposed to the
infections of the disease.
Rule 1. Every dead body must be
| accompanied by certificate of death
| from a physician or permit from a
board of health and certificate from
the shipping undertaken that the corpse
has been prepared by him for transport
tatiOn strictly i'll accordance with the
above rules.
Rule ). All disinterred bodies dead
from any disease or cause will be treat
ed as infectious and dangerous to the
public health.
JOHN AVERY, NJ. ID. PRES
HENRY BAKER, NJ. ID. SEC
Now in regard to the above | find
| they have been adopted by the General
| Baggage Agents Association in Iowa,
Illinois and Michigan and will be strict
| ly enforced on all railroads in these
states. and all dead bodies offered for
transportation without proper certifi-
Gates from physician and undertaken
board of health, ETC., will be rejected.
believe it my duty to protest against
this arbitrary step. 1t is right in every
way to protect the railroad employees
and the travelling public from all con.
| tagious and infectious cases. But fol-
the board of health to insist OH our us
ing some patent articles, not only re.
pulsive and bad in shape and form. but
| impractically in use, when other
means can be used safely without Civ
ing the friends additional grief and ex-
pense. No doubt the reason for the
board Of health insisting on this rubber
bag to encase every dead body to be
shipped, no matter whether contagious
or not, is because of the careless way SO
many bodies are prepared for shipment
it is very often the case that when ship
| ping bodies such sickening OdOr comes
from the case, that the baggage men
are sometimes compelled to leave the
car. To take steps as will prevent the
preparation of bodies by persons who
do not understand how, would be a
blessing. and will no doubt be so in the
near future. But to put the friends to
an expense which cannot be less than
800 to prepare body which Is not con-
| tageous or Odorous seems wrong. 10
prepare body to ship will first require
a rubber bag, and the necessary certifi-
Gates from the physician and the under.
taker and all the extra work, will add
at least, the amount given above.
| j. w. STRATTON