The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-03
THE STITCH In TIME.
An Essay on the Wickedness of Not
Taking Preventive Measures.


Taking Preventive Measures.
10 the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journal:
IL is not often that officers reinforce their
orders by appealing to the moral aspect of
the case as the State Board of Health did
lately when ordering the schoolhouses of
the State to be scrubbed painted, white
washed and fumigated, and the outbuild-
ings to be thoroughly renovated prepara-
tory to the fall opening of the schools.
They claim authority for saying that dur
ing the last year there were not less than
two hundred unnecessary Deaths" and
from fifteen hundred to two thousand cases
of sickness clearly attributable to germs
propagated by the filthy condition of the
schoolhouses, chiefly from diphtheria, scar
let fever and measles, adding: mot to pre-
vent this awful condition, when prevention
is possible, would be wicked Then follows
a very able argument with those who are
likely to object on account of the expense
the conclusion being that in the end it will
pay to prevent as far as possible, the
spread of such diseases. was particularly
impressed with one common-sense remark,
to the effect that though this sanitary
measure could not be expected to stamp
out these diseases entirely, nevertheless it
is the States duty to do what it can to
mitigate what it cannot entirely prevent,
with the further sensible intimation that
the State may be compelled to exercise it's
police power in requiring private property
to be scrubbed, painted and fumigated if
the owners thereof continued to breed dis
ease by their own filthy habits. This is not
an ehtlrely new doctrine, but 1t is in strik-
ing contrast with the popular fallacy that
mans home is SO absolutely his castle
that even the state may not interfere with
his methods OF living therein. The supreme
authority of the State is wonderful when
there is occasion to call it out; for public
SAFETY is superior to private convenience
always.
But / wondered if even the eminent doc
tors would have ventured to illuminate such
a decree against diphtheria and scarlet
fever germ factories if any considerable
number of men made money in the business
of scattering these diseases and especially
II they divided their profits with the State
for permits to carry on the business under
certain prescribed restrictions. There are
more than twice two hundred unnecessary
deaths" in the State every year from
drunkenness, and more than twice two
thousand cases of the worst form Of dis
ease from the use of intoxicants, and yet
the Board of Health has no orders to issue
in lessening the number of these. Is it not
as wicked not to prevent delirium treInens.
wnen possible, as not to prevent diphtehria?
There is no comparison between the two
diseases. NeighborS may not help minister
to the dying victim of diphtheria, nor
mingle their tears with the stricken fam
lily, not even attend the funeral except I'M
der conditions prescribed by this Board of
Health, but when IL is over and the house
has been fumigated to destroy any
germ that might develop another case,
these neighborS may talk tenderly of the
departed one, the Sunday-School class may
pass resolutions of love and esteem for
their classmate, and for years the beautiful
life remains a pleasant memory, which
greatly mitigateS the sorrow of those who
had loved the departed. How about the VIC
tim of our legalized and protected dram
shop which so generously divides it's profits
wi ms IL
ally to the city exclusively, besides about
one-third of this amount to the State and
county, in which we share; nearly enough
to provide the additional buildings rendered
necessary by our truancy act. How about
these? 1t need not be matter of conJec-
ture to many of the readers of the Journal
too many have tasted the bitter cup to
affect ignorance of its bitterness. The vic
Tins of these microbes are found in nearly
every home and the skeleton is not always
concealed in a closet, though every possible
means to so conceal it is taken. Nor are
the victims found in the homes of Squalor
and poverty only; they are found in the
beautiful palaces as well, and surrounded
by every luxury that wealth can buy. When
at last death comes there may be a display
at the funeral, but there is hidden GRIEF
that pomp cannot assuage. Then comes that
dreadful aftermath. Father, mother, broth
ers, sisters, neighborS, all talk lovingly of
the victim of diphtheria for years, but the
name of the victim of delirium tremens is
never mentioned but with bated breath; his
virtues never spoken of, and the years drag
along heavily with broken hearts never
healed. To have a child, or the whole
family die of diphtheria, as sometimes
happens, is a blessing compared with the
living death OF "a drunken son or husband,
and the bitter memories which their END
perpetuateS.
And yet there is no quarantine against
this most prevalent disease. Is 1t not
wicked not to prevent this dlseaSe' as as tar
diphtheria can be; probably 1t may never
be stamped out entirely, but greatly les
sened vet when nearly 80 per cent. of a
resident district asks the Council to quar-
antine their district the ordinance is sheived
because this microbe controls votes as well
so? No. We are inching that way. For long
years we have been Quarantlning against
cholera in hogs and CHAMBERS in horses, not
that we love hogs or horses more than we
love our children, but because through
hogs and horses we make money, while our
children are not profitable financially. This
institution 1t had already effected many
reforms in a small way by quarantining
dared to tackle the wholesale breeder of
death-dealing germs, the filthy schoolhouse,
and now comes this ukase. That dispenser of
diphtheria and scarlet fever will hereafter
be under sanitary police regulations, and it's
influence minimized. May we not hope that
in the near future they will count delirium
discomforts whose microbes find their most
prolific nests in the saloon as diseases that
it will be wicked not to prevent by quar-
antine regulations, If nothing more agrees
sve? We would have made much further
progress in the direction OF quarantining
and ultimately stamping out this microbe
breeder if some of US had not conceived
the idea that there was nothing else on
earth to do than to crush it out at once and
forever; therefore refuse any aid in quar-
antining il. But we are seeing this
mistake and making amend as far and as
fast as possible, and iii few years we WILL
even in indianapolis, try the Moore law,
after seeing it's beneficial results in the
resident districts in other cities. All thanks
to that State Board of Health May they
live individually and officially to see that
cleaning up old schoolhouses and closets has
diminished the number of unnecessary
Deaths as we'll as the number of unneces-
sary cases that do not prove fatal; and they
will soon come to see that delirium tremens
and other products of the saloon are even
worse than diphtheria- and quite as easily
quarantned and that 1t is just as wicked
not to prevent these as that The world is
moving in that direction, though 1t seems
TO move slowly, but il is a big world and
has to go slow or break things l am sure
hat a Board of Health that can so ably
answer the financial objections to cleaning
up filthy schooihouSes, can easily reconcile
US to the loss of revenue from saloons when
they are reduced TO the minimum or en-
Urely suppressed. u. l.. SEE.
VudfanapOlis Nov