The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-05-16
ENFORCE THE LAW
The State Board Of Health Get.
ting War Paint On

DR.. G. E. Daniels, as president
of the county board of health, has
received notice as given below
from the state board of health
with request to have same pub
lished. The accompanying com
ment of the Canton Leader of
May directs attention to the
necessity of strict compliance
with the orders of the health
boards:
Many cases of smallpox are reported
in the Black Hills, and towns and
communities are under quarantine in
other parts of the state against the
spread of smallpox or whatever it
may be called, but much of this trou-
BILE could have been prevented had
rigid enforcement of the law prevailed.
Absolute carelessness and criminal
neglect has been largely responsible
for the spread of this disease, not only
in this state but in all other states.
Carelessness made the city of Des
Moines a veritable pest house, and
carelessness has filed Sioux City and
Deadwood with this foul disease, and
iron hand, the pest will remain as a
fostering blotch until every commun-
ity in this and adjoining states is
filled with it. Stamp it out by en-
forcing the law. Fine and punish
every man who neglects his duty and
it will not be long before the state is
free. Here is the official notice of the
state board. Read it carefully:
Office of the State Board of Health,
April %, 1902,-To the Board of
Health of Each County in the State
of South Dakota.
Gentlemen: From reports received
at this Office during the present month,
it appears that smallpox is prevalent
in many counties in this state; that
the county, city and township boards
are hindered in the discharge of their
several duties by not having cases
reported to them by physicians in at
tendance upon such cases and by
parents and guardians in charge of
premises where these diseases are
prevalent. In this condition of affairs,
[ desire to call your especial atten-
tion to that part of section 16 of chap
ter SO, of the session laws of 1895,
which reads as follows:
"Any practiclng ply or other
person who shall fail to report to the
superintendent of the county board of
health the existence of any contagious
or infectious disease, shall be deemed
guilty of misdemeanor, and upon
conviction thereof shall be punished
by a fine of not more than one hum
dred dollars, or by Imprisonment in
the county jail for not more than six
months, or by both such fine and inn
prisonment, in the discretion Of the
court
1t is evident that the spread of the
disease is not going to be stopped un-
til every possible means within our
power is used, and with this end in
view, l urge upon the members and
especially the superintendents of all
boards to resort to the provisions of
this section.
One superintendent of county
board reports that a single conviction
with fine of $40 attached, has re-
suited in having all or nearly all of
the cases in his county reported and
if you get all cases reported and use
every means within your power, you
will be able to stop the spread of the
disease within your county. Let US
have prompt and united action on the
part of every health officer and the
cooperation of every good citizen to
the end that contagious and infectious
disease may be stamped out in every
county of this state. Yours truly and
fraternally. A. H. ROGERS, M. d.
Pres. and Supt. State Board of Health.