The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-15

prevalence ana spread Oh SCdIlSl 4SfSA
in this city was largely due to viola
lions of health regulations by Christian
Scientists, and his statement that pros
ecutions should be commenced ~ the
authorities, aroused much comment,
particularly on the part of the medicai
fraternity For the purpose of ascer-
tanning to what extent DR.. Maclean'
belief was shared by other members o.
the profession, many leading physicians
were interviewed yesterday. The con-
census of opinion seemed to ne tldl
there had been much negligence IN the
treatment, or non-treatment OF scarlet
fever in the city, but TO what extent II
was responsible for the prevalence OF
the disease was difficult 10 determine
The opinions of the physicians VIII De
found to be of great interest.
Health Commissioners Views.
Health Commissioner Keogh dis
agrees with DIR. Maclean's statement.
DR. Keogh affirms that he knows posi-
lively that believers in the science cure,
with one or two exceptions, nave very
promptly reported contagion for quar-
antining, whether in their own famllles
or not
In Reference to Prosecutions.
The health commissioner said last
evening: There is no occasion for any
thing like that With one or two eX-
ceptions. the health department mas
had no trouble to place Chr1stlah
Science families having scarlet fever
under quarantine regulations. 1ney
usually report the cases themselves,
and if they don't their neighoors IN
form the department. Christian Seen
fists know that they are required 20
obey the law relating to prevention Oh
contagious and infectious diseases.
There is no dispute upon the point, out
we can't fight their religion by COM
pelling them to cali doctor whenever
scarlet fever or any other malay
comes into their homes. -,
DR.. Keogh added that there are sun
about sixteen scarlet fever cases in the
city, quarantine flags going up about
as fast as they come down In the
health commissioners opinion, the
cause of the fever was in the dust
storms of last spring, when the disease
laden air from infected localities be-
yond the city limits was scattered
through every part of town
DR.. Fisher Emphatic.
DR.. r. w. Fisher of the city health
board was very emphatic in the eX-
preston of his opinion upon Chrlsuan
Scientists and scarlet fever
MOST certainly whenever it can be
learned that they have violated the law
concernsng scarlet fever they should
be prosecuted. The full penalty OF the
law should be imposed. Scarlet feVer
must be treated by a physician, and
spread. l have heard of no cases cured
by faith or prayer. They require medl-
cine and skillful treatment.
.srThe disease is probably spread more
nv those persons who send of their
healthy children when another has oeen
taken down with the fever. cases are
known where at the first sign the re
rnairfng children were bundled off TO
relatives. That is a violation of the
law"
DR.. Wright On Scientists.
DIR. E. S. Wright of the state medical
hoard was hardly less emphatic. he
Aid not know OF any instances wherein
Scientists have interfered with scarlet
fever cases, but he denounced any such
interference. 81.
TT seems to me-" said he. that
where Scientists have persuaded people /
with sick children not to report the
cases they are guilty as accessories
and should be punished. l don't know
of such cases. except in a general way.
.sJ do not suppose that any one VIII
charge musicians with haVi1 : personal
motives in taking this stand, 1or II
seems very evident that everything
nOGEihle EnOulu De OOlAt ~ NAiNNfN 80 "a
a eontagion. There is law on the Suo-
iect and ii should be enforced.
Il am heartily in accord with me
statements of DR.. Maclean in The Her
aid this morning.
Should Be Reported.
Dr r. B. Beatty, secretary of the
state board of health, said: Why |
don't they report some of these cases |
IN the proper authorities? l will pros /
ecute the first one that is brought 10 !
SThe thing is not only passively and |
negatively injurious, under any and ali |
circumstances. but when it reaches !
such an extent that the lives of chill !
dren are imperiled through wiiful eX- /
,ooei,re 10 CONTAGIOUS diseases, ii be- ]
connes a criminal matter, and should !
be prosecuted as such.
..rThs practice of calling in so-called :
scientists is becoming VIGOROUSLY !
prevalent. and deaths resulting from /
their attendance and lack of attention !
ore making themselves known. In New |
Work the state board of health has |
made systematic crusade against |
them. while in Brooklyn the city cor
oner has taken the matter up In these |
citie; the departments of health have |
baen assisted by the county and city |
legal authorities, and in this way much
NAV be accomplished
Dr Beatty says that the state board |
stands ready to assist the local author
ities in prosecuting any cases that are
i,,.ous-ht TO its notice. where the quaran-
tine laws have been violated by the |
Scientists
DR.. Dalby's Views.
Dr William T. Daily. who formerly |
served the city in the capacity of health /
commissioner, says that although none |
Of the recent cases have come directly |
,,nder his notice, that the spread of |
scarlet fever, as well as other malig-
mani and contagious diseases. has very
frequently been directly attributable 10
the gross neglect of Christian Scien-
lists. The doctor cited a number of
cases where efforts had been made to
have legal proceedings instituted dur
ing the three years that he acted as
inspector
.sThe apathy of the legal authorities
etood in the way then. as I suppose it
does now said the doctor, land yet
there have been more cases of scarlet
fever reported already this year than
during the three previous ones
DR.. Bower Cites a Case.
DIR. Albert s. Bower was very de-
cided in his statement. Il firmly be-
I;eve." he said, that Christian Sci |
entists and their religion have consid- |
cradle to do with the prevalence Of con-
"a gious diseases l am led to this be-
lief from the fact that I have had TO
deal with case of this nature. A lit