Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-18
BUT ONE CASE OF DIPHTHERIA.
And Only Three Of Scarlet Fever at
The Time Of Closing Health
Office Last Night.
DR.. WILCOX MAKES STRONG TALK
Something for the Council Members
Who Meet Tonight to Think About
-FalsehoOds Refuted,

In answer to questions from rep
rescntative Of the Deseret News today
Or. Wilcox, health commissioner OF this
city had some strong and straight
statements to make; and he made them
without hesitation or equlvocatlon.
They were principally based upon the
charge that the fight that has been
inagurated against his department OF
the city government is political Con-
corning that he said
Il don't know and don care wheth-
err that is true or not. But there are
some things [ do want the public TO
know. Regarding the specific COM
plants, l viii meet them in just as
specific detail tonight. / shall state
precisely what the facts are. Right now
! will say that there are some things
that desire to direct attention to-and
| don't do so I'm the spirit OF Boosting
at all, but simply TO show what | have
done. First OF all--such a vigorous
crusade has been w8ged that the city
Is In a better condition now than II has
been for many years There are some
things that will bear this out For
instance, 60 days ago there were more
than fifty cases OF smallpox In Salt
Lake. Reports last night show that
there are now less than a dozen. There
is but one case OF diptheria, and but
three scarlet fever Considering the
size OF this city the showing is little
less than remarkable. II that isn't
keeping contagious diseases down TO
minimum, | don't know what is. Dur
ing this time there has been a tree
nendous amount OF cleaning up and
some 20 sewer connections have been
MADE. Besides ] have endeavored TO
the utmost 10 see that quarantine regu-
lations have been enforced to the letter
so far as possible.
Now then, with reference TO the
charge Of failure TO respond to a call
from the police department to which
another physician did respond, | desire
10 say this The man In question en-
gagged In a street fight. He got cut In
the ntck, The fault was not the citys
He was a brcklayer making four and
five dollars day. He was not a chart
~ charge. The city should not be
called upon to provide for men like that
or to pay their doctors bills He was
amply able TO do that himself. Had ne
been a charity patient, without means.
without friends. 1t would have been en-
tirely different
Let me ask" continued the doctor,
'is II right whenever man gets into
row and gets hurt and has money,
or its equivalent, 10 call on the city
to pay for his keep and attention
Certainly not. There are enough char
lty case to look after. | do not inter-
pref my duties as meaning that IL IN
necessary for me to do that kind Of
work, and ! don't believe the city re-
quires IT, If a man meets with an nc.
cdent through no fault Of his own aud
has not the means to provide proper
treatment that is a wholly different
case Then the city has direct obliga-
tons. If the case is not OF this class
then the citys obligations are very re-
mote and it has no more TO do with
him than II has with the man who falls
from a private building.
About the charge that a member OF
the health department took s26 from
patient who was sent TO the isolation
hospital there is not one word OF truth
in that. No member ever took a cent
It is an absolute falsehood Then as
to the non-interest that is reported in
the case Of the man who fell from a
telephone pole / heard absolutely
nothing of Il until hours after"
The committee on public health will
meet this evening to hear Dr. Wilcox's
statement OF the charges, and II is
hardly likely that much can be made
OF them even in the darkest light they
can be put.