The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-07
CARE OF THE
HEALTH OF
OKLAHOMA
DR.. Condrick Issues State
ment TO People of Territory.
IT'S EVERY MANS Duty
To Check Disease or Aid the
Territorial Board.
IT'S EVERY MANS Duty

Enid, 0. T, Feb. Cdr. E. z. Cow
dricl, superintendent Of the public health
for Oklahoma, has issued the following
statement:
IN behalf of the health boards in the
different counties, as well as to follow
the dictates of my own inclination. I
want to thank the people of the terri
tory for the high-toned regard they have
shown for the welfare of the public
health boards in their fight against con-
tagious disease.
I'VE appreciate the fact of the incon-
venience it causes a persons business
to have one or more clerks or work.
men taken home and placed under quar-
antine for a couple of weeks. or a still
more serious depression to close the place
Of business itself. But this is as mere
nothing in comparison with quarantining
OF the town. which, in case of a severe
or prolonged epidemic would have to
be done II such asprocedure was consid-
cred necessary to the aid of the board
in stamping out the epidemic. In the
''f ~ N-e,-ts%s' S4-'--ilNes as q L~A-
ritory, are victims Of an unfortunate set
Of circumstances; being the most widely
and favorabiy advertised spot in the
United States just at the present time
everyone interested wants to know some
thing more about US. and after some
more or less correspondence the interest
ed party takes a land-looking trip to
Oklahoma, and here is where our trouble
begins. They come from all points of
the compass and the diseases that cause
Us so much trouble and work TO stamp
out are brought to US by these travellers
in most instances.
One case of cOntagion in q car full of
people stopping at almost every station)
Will inoeulate an entire county. Then
again. the people who are on the move
in wagons, enduring constant exposure
and the hardships attendant upon such
a mode of travel are rendered more or
less susceptible to the ravages of dis
ease. and upon this class we depend for a
lot of our trouble.
Each county has proficient health
board and upon it. TO a great extent.
depends the general health and welfare
Of the people in general
This board is made up as follows:
The county superintendent of schools, by
virtue of his Office. is president of the
board of health; the vice president and
secretary and superintendent are ap-
pointed by the territorial board Of health.
The superintendent and secretary must
be physicians. This board has entire
charge Of the health Of its respective
county. All physicians $50 says the Iaw)
f71T I
health all cases Of contagious Catching
diseases) and he win Immediately take
steps to prevent the spread of the dis
ease. and the law provides as the best
means of notifying the public to keey
away, the cardlng Of the house or the
placing Of a flag upon which is printed
the name of the contagious disease that
causes the confinement
This duty, I am sorry to say is not
always performed by the doctors, as they
are prevailed upon by their patients TO
keep still, so they Will not be obliged to
have card or flag placed on their house,
looking upon it as a kind of disgrace.
Nov, this is entirely wrong. We owe
more or less of a public debt, individu-
ally, and if we can pay even the interest
on it by obeying the unwritten law. of
keeping our neighbors from contracting
the disease that we were so unfortunate
as to catch, we are very fortunate.
In this connection. wish that the !
good people would see TO il that their
family doctor reports all the cases Of |
contagion he finds there, and # this is /
done we viii not have epidemics. Some |
Of our smallpox patients have ran of /
as soon as they learned that they had |
the disease; sometimes we were able to /
find them and sometimes we were unable !
to locate while III, as they were not re- I
ported; this does not help the health /
department in keeping epidemics down. 4
We have now a great many cases Of /
smallpox scattered over the territory and I
usually have some ali the year but they T.
are sporadic cases mot epldemic) and
are usually traced TO some person who /
contracted the disease away from home I
and old not spread the disease coming /
home.
We do not consider that smallpox is |
as dangerous 10 life as some other of the /
contagious diseases-diPhtheria and dpih- /
theric Group seem 10 be more fatal than 4
almost all the remaining diseases that I
We quarantine.
In conclusion. I VIII say that any IT. 1
reguiarities reported 70 the proper Of (
acer VIII be deemed a great assistance I
by the health board
I'VE would not need n health board II /
each person would take the same care 4
of the public health that he takes Of 4
his private business affairs