Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-02-12
Contagious Diseases.

Judge Miller, of Mercer county, de-
lines the powers of school directors and
boards ofhealth, in regard to contagious
diseases, in the following from the
Mercer Dispatch:
In boroughs the board of health has
the power to make and enforce al! need
full rules to prevent the introduction and
| spread of such infections and contap
lous diseases as smallpox, scarlet fever.
typhus fever, diphtheria, membraneous
Group and any and all other contagious
diseases. The powers and duties of the
board OF health are fully defined by the
act of May II, 1893, p. L. 1893, page A.
If is also made the duty of ali physi-
clans practing within the borough to
| report to the secretary of the board of
health the names and residences of all
persons coming under their care aff1ict-
| ed with such contagious disease. A
failure of the physician to make such
| report, and to obey the proper rules and
regulations, and the quarantine adopt
ed by the board of health, subjects the
physician to prosecution in the Quarter
Sessions court.
The act Of April IL, 1899, P. L., SO,
confers many powers of a board Of
health upon the school boards Of the
several townships. Under this act the
school boards have powers
l. 10 mako rules and regulations to
perVent the introduction and spread of
infections and contagious diseases as
enumerated in this article.
z. Physicians practing in the several
townships are required to report to the
secretary ofthe school board the names
and residence ofall persons coming un>
der their professional care afflicted with
smallpox, varioloid, scarlet fever, typhus
fever, relapsing fever, diphtheria, diph.
thereto Group, hIembfaneous Group or
any other contagious desease.
Physicians are required to obey all
reasonable rules adopted bv said school
board, relative TO quarantine.
4, The failure of a physician to make
the report required by law, to obey the
reasonable laws of the quarantine, will
subject such physician to prosecution in
the court of Quarter Sessions for an Of
fence at common law.
B. The school board has authority to
appoint sanitary agent to enforce the
rules adopted by the board, to see that
the quarantine is carried out, and when
the disease is abated to disinfect the
house and premises. The expense of
the services of the sanitary agent, as
we'll as the expense of disinfecting the
premises, is to be paid out of the school
fund.
6. When house is quarantined the
secretary of the school board should sec
to it that the family has an opportunity
of having a physician of their own
choosing, and that necessary supplies
are sent to the house; the expense of
the physician and the expense of such
supplies to be ordered and paid for by
the family. If on account of poverty,
the family is unable to pay for the SER
vices of the physician and the expense
of such supplies, then such family
should he regularly prt CT the county
and the commissioners of the poor will
defray such expense
Z. Any person going to or from the
house SO quarantined, except the physi-
clan, unless by permission of the sani-
tary agent, is name to prosecution IN
the Court of Quarter Sessions for such
otfense at common law.
School directors would do we'll to
peruse tuls article, ana when occasion
requires their action the board should
consult a good attorney, who would
draw IN the nnnne-arv r',loc