Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1904-01-27

The following is the report of DR..
W. E. Ramsay, Health Inspector, re-
lnting to the quarantine of houses
where there is contagious diseases:
january 25, 1904.
To the Board of Health, of the City
Of Ferth Amboy,
Gentlemen -
Upon your request, herein submit
my reasons for taking the stand do,
with reference to the Public Schools,
and the placarding of houses.
can best explain my attitude with
reference to tho notification of the
Public Schools by postal cards, by the
following experience:
Some time ago 1 was in the habit of
mailing, regularly, to the Board of
Education copy of the cardsreceived
by me. 1 found that invariably the
card reached the school day later.
This cald was then read to the pupils
of the school, and found that almost
every child had the name and address
of everv case of contagious disease in
the city.
On one occasion I was hurriedly
called from my office by man who
expressed great Indignation at mass
meeting of children that was being
h Id in front of the door of u patient
Suffering with diphtheria. / immed
lately went to the house and found
TINT the repo:t was tue; that no less
than twenty or thirty children were
congreEated around the door, and
when l came up one child after an
other, In spirit o. childlike curios-
ity, pointed their finger at the door
and said, doctor, there is diphtheria
in there. :" And the "brave" boy,
that Is known in all CLASSES. who said
that he had diphtheria, and he was
not scared, was running up and down
on the stoop to tie door. | dou't
think there was as much danger in
this, as there was an unnecessary
annoyance to the people Of the house,
to say nothing of the sick.
I found, later, that parents COM
planned to me of the fact that their
children were carrying these lists of
contagious diseases around. which
were accomplishing for them no good,
and were only developing in that
child, morbid scare, which could
result In neither good to the child or
to the public.
I believe that the greatest good can
come to the public health and to the
public schools, by the method which
have recently adopted with Prof
Shull, and which was discussed by
tho Joint committees of the Board of
Education and the Board of Health,
and which is in keeping with the
mode adopted in the majority of well
regulated communities, where it is
customary to have Sanitary Officer
connected with public education,
whose duty it is to keep record of
the address of each child in the school,
also a record of each child in each
house, so that when case of contag-
ious disease is reported to him, it is
his duty to notify the children of this
family to remain away from school
and so advise the parents.
This measure we have endeavored to
put in force here, and Prof. Shull has
very kindly consented to take the
active part of such registration. I'M
mediately upon receipt of postal
card, telephone to Prof. Shull and
he Immediately ascertains the pres
ence. if any, of any child from such
quarters. By this method the school
is Immediately notified, the time OF
one day is saved and unnecessary
alarm avoided.
With reference to my position in
quarantining and placarding, there is