The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-20
IT is TRIVIAL.
Diphtheria Allowed to Spread
Because Sanitary Officers
Do Not Receive Money For
Streetcar Fare.
The Health Board Should Take
Proper Action.

Because the Topeka City Railway
company has withdrawn it's free pass
books from the city sanitary officers,
Potwin and Oakland and all other out
lying districts not strictly a part of
the city, are without quarantine reg
ulations and their inhabitants at the
mercy of any contagious disease which
may start among them.
This is a peculiar and rather startling
condition, but it is practically the con-
dition which exists here at the present
time. The free pass books which were
formerly issued sanitary officers by the
city railway company have been with
drawn and officers fatty refuse to eth
er establish quarantine or fumigate
premises outside of the city proper IN
less their car fare is paid either by the
attending physician or the family.
We are not compelled to go outside
the limits of the city proper to do this
work. said Sanitary Sergeant Fowler
this morning, and we don't propose to
do it unless our transportation to the
outlying districts is paid for. We can't
afford to pay car fare to PotWin or Oak
land or somewhere else to fix quaran-
more were not going to do it. If we do
the work our car fare will have to be
paid
In other words the situation is ex-
Sergeant Fowler and his corps of four
deputies would refrain from making an
effort toward preventing contagiOn and
Il consequent epidemic of some dread
disease in the districts adjacent to To-
peka, whose inhabitants daily mix with
the residents of Topeka proper as ex-
tensively as people who live in the
heart of the city.
Several days ago a case of diphtheria
developed in a family by the name of
Sheffield in Oakland, and DR.. H. K.
TefFf IIa.l
soon as DR.. Tefft saw the case he pro-
nOunced it diphtheria and on his return
to the city notified Sergeant Fowler
that there was case of diphtheria at
a certain number in Oakland and asked
that a quarantine be established. Mr..
Fowler replied that if his car fare to
Oakland was paid, that he would quar-
ant1ne the case, but not otherwise,
mentioning the fact that the railway
company had withdrawn it's pass books.
But you are supposed to quarantine
any location adjacent to the city, said
DR.. Tefft over the telephone which he
had used in notifying Sergeant Fowler.
There is a bad case of diphtheria in
this family, and want 1t Quarantined
to prevent the disease spreading
You are mistaken about our duties
called Sergeant Fowler in reply. I'VE
are not compelled to quarantine or
funligate outside of the city proper, and
we can't afford to pay our car fare our
selves If you'll pay my car fare I'll
60 down and put up card, but other
wise 1 won't" and with this Mr.. Fowler
rang off.
the case by the sanitary department
for several days. and then DIR. Tefft
again called up Sergeant Fowler.
There has been another case of diph-
iberia in the Sheffield family in Oak
land" said he, but both are now well |
and I want you to go down and fumi- |
gate the premises. The family will pay !
your car fare there and back"
n n IA
he would be reimbursed for his expendi- |
ture in arriving at his destination and /
the materials and appliances for fumi- /
cation, Mr.. Fowler went to the Sheffield /
home in Oakland. At the door he was |
met by Mrs. Sheffield
I don't know whether you can fUmi- i
gate here or not" said she. My young |
est son is sick this morning, and I I
think he has diphtheria. I wish you
would come upstairs and look at him. /
Mr.. Fowler set his metal kettle and /
materials aon the floor and |
went upstairs. One glance at the little I
boys throat and his experience in con-
tagiOus diseases, told him that it was
a well developed case of diphtheria. He +
went down stairs. and, instead of funi-
eating the residence, placed a red card
on the front of the house. While he
was tacking up the card, Mrs. Sheffield /
handed him 10 cents for his street car
and he came back to town
and notified DR.. Tefft that there was
another case of diphtheria in the Shelf
field family.
This happened two days ago, and the
little boy is still seriously ill. On the
that Sergeant Fowler went to
the Sheffield home the older boy was at
school, but in accordance with instruc-
tions from the sanitary officer he was
sent for by his mother. He had been
at school the day before, and coming
from a home in which diphtheria had
reigned for a number of days. he placed
half the homes in Oakland in danger of
Infection.
Sergeant Fowler stout1y maintains
that the sanitary force will do nothing
towards quarantining or fumigating /
outside of the city proper unless their
transportation on the street cars is
paid for. The health board should see
hat the sanitary officers street car ex-
penses are paid.