The Minneapolis journal., 1904-07-16
UP
A GOOD WORK
PLAN TO PREVENT SPREAD OF
CONSUMPTION.
Tuberculosis and Pneumonia May Be
Classified as Contagious Diseases
Here-Minneapohs Was One of the
First Cities to Provide Safeguards
/. Of Health-What Others Are Doing.

DR.. p. M. Hall, the commissioner Of
4health, has given some attention to
fthe movement among public health
0officials to have tuberculosis and
@pneumonia classed as contagious dis
leases, which must be reported to the
ihealth department by the attending
physician or others having knowledge
fof the existence of such diseases.
tuberculosis has long been one Of
lthe "notifiabIe" diseases under the
flocal regulation and to impress the
lfact more forcibly on the minds of
sthe physicians a special circular treat,
ting Of tuberculosis was circulated
samong them. Minneapolis was one Of
Athe first cities in the country to take
Eofficial steps to prevent the spread Of
gthe disease.
Us DR.. Hall Is not inclined to view
Spneumonia as an infectious or con-
Rtagious disease. That it has in rare
leases been communicated from, one
Sperson to another. is admitted, but he
abelieves the danger is so slight that
sthe health officials are not warranted
Sin interfering. 49,
S In many Of the large cities in the
least 1t was only recently that orders
ceases of chickenpox. This has been
arequired In Minneapolis for six or
ssseven years. AS many cases Of sup
posed chickenpox turned out to be
smallpox the practice of reporting the
former is considered by health officials
as being a wise precaution.
Minneapolis Pioneer.
Minneapolis has been pioneer In
insututing many safeguards for the
public health, but there are some lines
along which there is still work to be
done Aside from disinfecting and
cleansing street cars and places Of
- ~ nYNi-
demic there has been little done per-
manently to improve conditions IN
such places.
Boards of health Of New York,
Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, ST. Louis,
Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland and
several other cities have taken up the
matter Of securing the proper ventila-
ton of street cars, churches, halls
and places where people congregate
in large numbers. Ventilation and
sanitation are so closely allied that
these Investigations following the gem
eral and highly successful crusade
against indiscriminate expectoration,
which was conducted under the same
auspices, have attracted much atten-
ton from the United States medical
officers and health specialists as we'll
as from the general public.
In dealing with various epidemics
and stamping out the major con-
! IdSlOuS QlSeaSeS SUCH DIS ySllOW Level,
bubonic plague, ETC., the officers of
the marine hospital service found that
continued residence in vilely venti-
lated holes such as existed in the un-
derground passages in chinatown"
San Francisco, lowered the vitality Of
the inhabitants and rendered them an
easy prey to the disease.
NsS Light and Air Needed.
y The widespread movement against
consumption has forcibly drawn pub
lie attention to the fact that the ex-
sclusion of light and air, or their ad-
omission in insufficient quantities, is
kprimarily responsible for the growth
kof the disease, and the success attend
Ting the open-air treatment Is undoubt-
Eedly responsible for the investigations
NOW being made by the city boards Of
Shealth for the purpose Of securing the
sproper ventilation of public places, not
only with a view Of protecting healthy
persons from breathing a germ-laden
fatmosphere, but to obviate the neces-
sity of their inhaling vitiated air from
which the life-giving qualities have
been exhausted, with the attendant
evil results.
Surgeon General Wyman Of the
united States marine hospital service
Is presiding officer Of the organiza-
tion of state and territorial health Of
ficers, which meets annually under
act Of congress, and in view Of the
general interest in this subject and its
importance it is possible he may ap-
point special committee on ventila-
. fiOn from these officials.