The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-08

Cases to the Health Ofiicer-Requires
| Data to Establish, the Fact That 1t is n
| Filth Disease objects to Amy Personal
Interference yytth Patients,
An important and successful meeting
of the New Haven County Public
Health association was held yesterday
at the Hotel Garde. The meeting was
called at 11:45 o'clock by President
Carleton g. Hoadley, of this city with
thirty-three members of the association
present. DR.. l.. Jones, of Greenwich,
DIR. w. j. Tracy, of Norwalk, DR.. w.
H. Donaldson, of Fairfield, and DR.. j.
Myron Hull, of Madison, We're elected
members of the association.
| The committee OH legislation report
| ed on the bill introduced to build and
| conduct a hospital for consumptives
On the motion of President Brewer. of
the state board of health, the follow
ing resolution was adopted: Resolved
| Ihat the New Haven County Public
Health association favors the building
| ana maintaining of hospital for the
care OF 1nc1pient cases of tuberculosis.
On motion of DR.. Lindsey it was
also voted, Resolved That the New
raven County Public Health associa
ZION endorse the bill pending before
the legislature concerning the sale of
| diseased meat or the shipping of the
same either into or out Of the citv or
the sale Of bob veal" Other matters
pending before the legislature were
discussed, but no action taken
| DR.. c. A. Lindsey read an important
paper on SHOULD CONSUMPTION be Con
sluered an Infectious Disease and Re-
CURED to be Reported to the Health
Ofhcer?' He said in part; I'm the dis
charge OF the duty imposed upon me to
answer the foregoing question, | reply
unhesltatingly, yes! l will say further
that L feel fully confident that the time
is not distant when the law will in
clude this disease in the list of infec-
tlous maladies, which are now reouired
to be reported.
Inc opintonof the scientific world is
practically unit in asserting its claim
Oh consumption to membership in the
list OF communicable diseases. and the
means of protection from this disease
are well understood, exceedingly eimple
and easily applied. These facts being
admitted, are there any reasons whv
the subjects of this disease sbonld nor
De at once put under the surveillance
ana control of the health officer, as they
would be II they had scarlet fever and
smallpox
Certainly there are reasons. and
very cogent ones. chiefly founded on the
woe disparity between CONSUMPTION
and other infectious fevers. Those dis
eases, which are now reported are
an self-limited diseases, acute in
character and running their
courses In comparatively short
period. But consumption is chronic
aHection, sometimes running over
many years of the patients life and
yet no so exhausting and facilitating
as to prevent its victim from engaging
even actively in some business pursuit
Tor some part of the time You can
not quarantine such persons and forbid
their association with their fellow men.
Neither is this necessary, or their inter-
course with the public be at all re-
strieted If they will but observe con-
stantly and unremittingly certain SIM
pie and easy rules of personal CON
duct
why then should report to the
health authorities be required?
answer for several good and sufi-
cient reasons, but chiefly for an inter-
change Of information. 1t is OF the
highest Importance that record be
Kept in every town, but especially In
every compact population, of each con-
sumptive person, giving name and ad-
dress, sex age, color, occupation, fam
lily history and environment.
such information would afford the
means Of an intelligent study of the ac-
cessories to the development of con-
and determine among other
things how far 1t is iustihable to desig-
nate 1t filth disease
"On the other hand it would secure |
a ready communication between them
and the health authorities. and promote
the instruction of the victims of the dis
ease in the precautions so necessary to /
be observed for their own protection |
and the safety of their associates.
The law Of notification of cases
should be so drawn that there should
be no offensive personal interference
with the patient, no sanitary surveil-
lance over his conduct, and no action
whatever that would be in the least a
personal annoyance The initiatory law
for notification should apply exclusive
ly to physicians and those in charge of
such patients, and solely for the pur-
pose of a record.
"A great deal is to be done in a sani-
tary way bearing directly upon the
means of diminishing consumption. be-
fore any personal surveillance of con-
smptive patients can be thought of.
Hospitals for tuberculosis must be es-
for such as need them. Bac-
laboratories must be pro-
yided for the early diagnosis of cases.
The breeding beds of tuberculosis must
De sought out and destroyed, as they
exist in the overcrowded tenement
Houses of cities and manufacturing
owns. Sanitary legislation must be en-
lcted and made effective in the re-
lemption of the so-caled slums of
titles. Connecticut is not altogether I
rec from them and they are not dimin-
shing. ,
"There is a good and substantial
eason why we want record of every
ase of tuberculosis in Connecticut, in I