The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-02
THE HOTEL CASE.
State Inspector Morse Adds
His Opinion in Support
of Local Board.

North Brookfield, May IAN article
in a Worcester paper this morning, de-
rogatory to the board of health and the
Central House, has aroused the ire of
DR.. Thomas ]. Garrigan, chairman of
the board. Edward Herlihy, proprietor
of the Central House, and Mrs. Emily
Cooke, owner of the property.
1t likewise called out remarks from
State Inspector Morse, which were not
very complimentary to the article and
what it contained. DIR. Garrigan be-
lieves that the board has not only been
uniustly censured, but that it has been
positively maligned. Whether or not
malice was intended. DR.. Garrigan says
that the same paper has printed unfair
statements before since diphtheria be-
came prevalent in town.
AS chairman of the board of health
he believes the matter should be put
before the public in - right light, and
accordingly requested this afternoon
that The Spy print the facts of the case.
In the article that appeared this morn
ing, the danger of allowing people to
go in and out of the Central House
while one of the boarders was i'll with
diphtheria, was set forth with empha-
sis The statement also appeared that
the people living in the adjoining
houses were alarmed lest they become
infected with the disease, as there IS
not sufficient drainage in the vicinity,
which happens to be the very centre OF
the town.
DR.. Morse has charge of looking after
contagious diseases for the state board
of health. As a tribute to what he
thought the article was worth and the
danger there is for Central House lodg-
ers. he told DR.. Garrigan that there
was no need of having a "Diphtheria
Here!' placard on the Central House
door. all that is necessary being that
a placard be placed on the door of the
sick mans room. and that he be kept
isolated. DIR. Morse was taken by DIR.
Garrigan to visit every person in town
known to be afflicted with diphtheria,
and he gave it as his opinion that every
one of the patients is convalescent ex-
cept the child of Charles Morrison, who
was taken i'll Friday night, and that of
Michael Burke. who first showed the
disease a few days ago.
DIR. Morse stated that the town will
compare favorably with any other
town and regretted that people in the
rest of the country should be given a
different opinion even though North
Brookfield people know the facts them
selves.
DR.. Garrigan said this afternoon,
There is hardly any truth in the ar
ticle The Central House and the ten
ements beside it are properly drained
as they are connected with the sewers.
1t was false in almost every particular
and could not help giving wrong i'm
preston to any one who read it. What
Dr. Dionne's opinion is on the board
me. l know that the statutes give the
board of health control in a contagious
disease, over the house, the patient, the
attending physician and the inmates of
the house. 1t is true that we have not
enforced this right to an extreme, be-
cause we did not think it necessary.
Now in the case of the Central
House, it is stated that people go in
and out there. OF course they do and
there is no right to stop them. We had
the house Dlacarded and cautioned the
proprietor to keep the patient isolated
from the rest of the house.
This has been done but this paper
article insinuates that we did not do
our duty and that we are neglecting
the public health. Well, DIR. Morse
said this afternoon that we will be
doing our full duty If We take the pla-
card from the front Of the house and
place it on the door Of the sick cham
ber"
In fact, DIR. Garrigan was so angry
at what he considered the injustice of
the attack that he this morning called
up by telephone the office of the paper
to tell what he thought about it.
This evening Proprietor Herlihy of
the Central House branded the arti-
Gle as false, and asked The Spy to say
so. Mrs. Cooke of Lawrence, owner Of
the building, was in North BrOokfield
today on business and felt grieved that
her property should be spoken Of as
ments untrue.