The Worcester spy., 1899-05-05
BOARD ON RECORD.
iuuu7 -
Sensational Lies Are
Vigorously
Denied.
HIT STRAIGHT OUT.
North Brookield Health
Officials State
Their Case.

Editor of The Worcester Spy;
During the past ten days there have
appeared in one of Worcester's morn
ing papers several sensational articles
relating to North Brookfied, the sani
tary condition of the town. and the de-
Nelopment of diphtheria among the in
habitants, which are so false, so ma
licious in spirit, so unjust to the board
of health, and which tend to injure the
reputation of the town in the estimation
of the outside public, that we feel it
our duty to denounce the articles as
false and malicious and to counteract
their influence as far as we can.
And we wish to say now that if any
one doubts our statements we will be
very glad, in case they will come here,
TO take them over the town, show them
all there is to be seen, let them investi-
gate our diphtheria cases and the
towns sanitary condition and then we
feel sure they will not blame US for
the Indignation we feel at the publica-
tion of such false and outrageous
statements as were printed in that pa
per. Even if the stories were true it
would be better not to publish them to
all the world.
Why anyone should wish to injure the
good name of his native town and da-
mage its reputation in the minds of
the outside public without reason or
/ any just cause is mere than we can
understand. The board of health is
willing at any time to give all the facts
an its possession both in relation to any
contagious disease that may exist in
our midst, or as to the general sanitary
condition of the town or of individual
cases Since September 27, 1898 to this
date there have been reported to us
thirty-five cases of diphtheria, eight of
which have proven fatal.
Nearly all of the cases have been
light or of medium degree of severity.
"A few have been of malignant form,
the laryngeal, and have died
We regard diphtheria as serious
disease, even in the mildest cases, but
the statements that have been pub
1ished that all of our cases have been
of the malignant form, are not true,
and are calculated to mislead the pub
lie. Several of those now quarantined
are convalescent, and will soon be en-
tirely well and set at liberty
DR.. Frank L. Morse, inspector for the
state board of health, read the articles
published in this Worcester paper and
came to town to investigate the mat
ter. DIR. T. j. Garrigan, chairman of
our board of health, took DR.. Morse
to see each patient sick with diphthe-
ria. and he found all but one case near
ly well. DR.. Morse also inspected the
streets, houses and other places where
there was any cause for complaint.
AS to the sanitary condition of the
town, Or. Morse said it would compare
favoraby with any town in the state
and he thought it an internal shame
that any one should write or publish
such outrageous and false statements
as those articles contained. These ar
ticles criticised the board of health, but
DR.. Morse commended the board for
the strict and careful way it had looked
after the cases of diphtheria, advised
us to keep right on doing as we had
done, and to see that the people clean
ed up and kept their places clean.
Many places cannot be kept in a good
sanitary condition until a sewer sys-
tenn is in operation, but the board of
health is doing and will do all in it's
power to abate nuisances and keep the
sanitary condition of the town in as
high a degree of efficiency as possible
DR.. Morse said we were more strict
in our quarantine regulations than
most of the cities and towns in the
state. In reference to the boards au-
thority over cases of contagious dis
eases, and the sanitary condition of the
town, DR.. Morse said our authority was
supreme.
Whenever a case of diphtheria is re-
ported TO the board of health, we m
vestigate the case. and # we are sat
isfied that the disease is there, we plac-
ard the house and quarantine the prem
ises at once. But sometimes We are in
doubt and the attending physician Is
in doubt as to whether it is really diph-
/ iberia. In such cases we take cul-
| 1ure and send it to the state board OF
I health to decide the matter and we al
ways await its decision before quardn-
timing the house.
/ But we intend to urge the isolation
! of the suspected case and request that
/ no one from outside be allowed inside
the tenement until we know tie decls-
ion of the state board of health.
And when the patient has got well, So
far as We can judge, we take cultures
and send them to the state board of
health to determine when the diphther-
etic bacilli have disappeared, and when
the result is negative we fumigate the
premises and remove the quarantine
restrictions.
We feel that this is the proper course
TO follow, and that it is just to the
patient, just TO the attending physician
and the only safe course for Us to pur-
sue in protecting the community
against the further spreading of the
disease.
If all the people in town will look af-
ter their own premises, keeping them
clean and sweet, there will be less sick
ness of a contagious nature, less cause
for senseless and false sensational re-
ports for sensational newspapers and
less time for criticisms of officials who
are busy looking after those who will
not keep their premises clean until
forced to it,
THOMAS ]. GARRIGAN. N D.
GEO. RI SPOONER, NJ. D.,
JOHN B. DEWING.
Board of Health
The above communication does not il
any manner refer to The Spy. The ref
Ill. . nT~.usrs -fr,ra Tfs1