The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-11-13
HEALTH CIRCULAR NO. 5.

HEALTH CIRCULAR NO. D.
Special rules governing physicians
and Health Officers when visiting
persons sick of contagious and in
fectious diseases, and directing the
proper conduct of quarantine.
Passed October 6, 1896.
EXPLANATION.
1t will be admitted that not few
practitioners of medicine are care
less, and that there are some who
do not understand or do not appre-
ciate the care they should exercise
in their own person when visiting
patients sick with contagious and
infectious diseases.
Quarantine, too, seems not to be
thoroughly understood; for in
stances are not rare when the post
ing of flag or red card constituted
all that was done, the flag being
relied upon as fetish. In such
instances the physician takes nc
precaution against injecting him.
self, neighbors call and return to
their homes at will, and the mem.
bers of the stricken household are
not restrained. Under such cir
|cumstances, contagious diseases will
surely spread in all directions.
The laity frequently ask, "How dc
doctors keep from spreading dis
ease?" They do spread disease in
some instances, and to prevent the
carrying of contagion by physi-
clans and Others is the object OF
these rules. Example will materi.
ally aid in instructing the people,
and so these rules carefully set forth
the conditions under which practi.
TONERS shall visit patients when
they know them to be sick with
Idiphtheria, scarlet fever and other
contagious and infectious diseases
The conditions imposed are not
difficult to fulfill and are not bur.
densome, and even if they were, no
objection could be reasonably ad-
vanced against them if they were
really necessary. An instance may
be given which will fully illustrate
the need Of these rules.
In village smitten with diph-
liberia a health officer visited, with
a local physician, one Of the cases.
A card was upon the door and it
was discovered that that constituted
the quarantine. Two women and a
young girl were attending the sick
child. One of the women was a
neighbor who had kindly offered
her aid, and she held the child
in her arms, its head upon her
shoulder.
From here this good woman was
soon to return to her home to pre-
pare the evening meal for her fami-
ly. For depressing the tongue the
same spoon had been used without
or sterilizing since the be-
ginning Of the disease. The moth
or of the child grasped the spoon by
he infected handle and offered it to-
he visitor. A soiled handkerchief.
ay upon the bed. This was hand
I'd by one of the ladies to the other,
who proceeded to wipe the mouth
and the nose of the child, and then
.ossed it upon the bed. With hands
and clothing reeking with poison
Ihese good women infected every
hing they touched. Flies we've
and busily at work aiding
in the transmission of the disease.
rhe attending physician preferred
% have the child upon his knees
when he took its temperature, and
he drops of saliva which passed
,nto his coat sleeve were wiped off
With his handkerchief, and he went
'orth to pay another visit. The
health officer perceived a smile up
,n the face of his companion when
before entering the sick room he re-
removed coat, cuffs and hat, pro-
luced clean, glossy linen duster
md skull cap from a glazed hand
rag, and donning the garments an
bounced himself as ready to see the
patient. Another smile was pro-,
,oked when upon leaving the sick
-oom bowl of water was called
'or, the hands and face washed with
he aid Of a cake of carbolic soap
.aken from the bag, and disin-
iectant freely used.
The above facts impelled the pass
ing Of the following rules, and it is
hoped they will be obeyed to the