The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-11-20
j. n. HURTY, NJ. ID. Secretary.
HEALTH CIRCULAR NO. ).

HEALTH CIRCULAR NO. D.
Special rules governing physicians
and Health Off ,ers when visiting
persons sick of contagious and in
fectious diseases, and directing the
proper conduct of quarantine.
Passed October 6, 1896.
EXPLANATION.
1t will lie 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
ling of a flag or red card constituted
all that was done, the flag being
relied upon as fetish. In such
instances the physician takes nc
Iprecaution 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-
tioners shall visit patients wher
they know them to be sick with
ldiphtheria, 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 adj
vanced against them if they were
really necessary. An instance m ay
be given which will fully illustrate
the need of these rules.
In a village smitten with diph-
liberia 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
washing or sterilizing since the be-
ginning of the disease. The moth
er of the child grasped the spoon by
the infected handle and offered il to
the visitor. A soiled handkerchief
lay upon the bed. This was hand
ed by one of the ladies to the other
who proceeded to wipe the mouth
and the nose of the child, and then
tossed it upon the bed. With hands
and clothing reeking with poison
these good women infected every
thing they touched. Flies were
abundant and busily at work aiding
in the transmission of the disease.
The attending physician preferred
to have the child upon his knees
when he took its temperature, and
the drops of saliva which passec
onto his coat sleeve were wiped Off
with his handkerchief, and he went
forth to pay another visit. The
health officer perceived a smile up
on the face Of his companion when
before entering the sick room he re-
removed coat, cuffs and hat, pro-
duced clean, glossy linen duster
and skull cap from glazed hand
bag, and donning the garments an
nounced himself as ready to see the
patient. Another smile was pro-
voked when upon leaving the sick
room bowl of water was called
for, the hands and face washed with
the aid of d cake of carbolic soap
taken from the bag, and a disin-
fectant freely used.
The above facts impelled the pass
ing of the following rules, and it is
hoped they will be obeyed to the