Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-24
SMALLPOX INCIDENT
IS 1HR[SH[D OUT
Both Sides Heard in Adjourned
Meeting Of Board of Health
Monday Night
JAY REFuTEs MAYORS CHARGES

From His Standpoint, With Affida-
Wits Attached-Dr. Jay Replies, and
Furnishes Statements from Patients
Matter Will Likely be Dropped.
What is believed and hoped will
prove the final chapter of the 1ngledue-
Jay controversy arising from the al
legged failure to report a case of small
pox, was enacted in the council cham
Der Monday night before a packed gall
ery. Mayor Ingledue presented the
situation from his standpoint in re-
port to the board of health. Attached
to the reports Were affidavits of City
Physician Chesire and NJ. Clark, quar-
antine officer. DIR. Jay refuted the
charges in an anWser to the mayor s
statements from patients. showing that
the situation was not as bad as had
been reported to the mayor.
The mayor and councilman did not
grow SO personal in their sallies last
night, altho personalities were bordered
on in few instances. The mayor re-
sented the claim Of DR.. Jay that he,
the mayor, was actuated by persona!
motives, and stated that, because OF
this claim, he was not going to press
the case further, or prefer charges to
the state board of health. DR.. Jay re-
piled that the mayor could, as far as
he was concerned, prefer charges at
any time before the state board. and
he would be ready to meet them. 1t IS
not thought likely that there will be
any further developments in the con-
troversy.
The Mayors Report.
The mayors report to the board was
as follows:
ITO the board of health of the city of
Marshalltown. Iowa-Gentlemen: The
rules of the state board of health pro-
vide as follows:
ease.
"2. That every physician shall give
Immediate notice (by telephone if ac-
cessible), to the mayor, of every rec
ognized case Of smallpox. and within
twelve hours he shall give written no.
tice.
,"3 Mayor must report every case to
state board of health.
~. Mayor shall quarantine the prem
Uses and provide for care of sick. etc
IS. Mayor shall keep record Of cases
so reported.
IT call attention to these rules in orr
der to emphasize the fact:
"d) Notice must be immediate.
"(2) Notice must be to the mayor
"(3) This duty cannot be delegated
by the physician and the responsible
ity continues until the report is made
In other words. a physician cannot de-
mend upon some one else doing this
duty. ard cannot relieve himself by
being discharged as attending physi-
clan.
with these rules in mind. I wish to
call the attention Of this board to the
facts as to DIR. Jay.
81. desire to state that have not
had. ara have not now any personal
quarrel with DR.. Jay. What have done
and am doing is as magistrate and
mayor. In the protection of the public
health and safety. and not on account
Of any personal feeling Neither am
looking for trouble. But. as Is above
shown. the rules of the board Of
health impose certain RESPONSIBILITIES
upon the mayor, and ] would be dere-
lict in my duty if did not perform
them.
49, The Reisinger family had the
smallpox. The disease had run it's full
course with one member of the family,
there being no report and no quaran-
tine. Another member of the family
was taken down and removed to the
detention hospital. Then there came to
me a report from Officer Clark that a
third member of this family was all
broken out with the disease and had
been in that condition for four or five
days-yet no report had come to me or
to any other official. The city physi-
clan and health officer stated, after ex-
aiming the case, that Mrs. Reisinger
disease for almost a week The facts
pertaining to the matter are set out in
the attached affidavits Of Officer Clark
and City Physician and Health Officer
Chesire.
Now, DR.. Jay was the attending
physician of this family, and it
seemed to me he ought to have known
about these matters and reported
same long before Officer Clark discov-
cred the situation. Prompt action in
dealing with a disease like smallpox is
the main essential. A little delay,
little neglect, and we have an epidemic
which guarantees our town, shuts
down our business enterprises, and i'm
perils the lives and health of our citi-
zens. If one physician could fail to
report, all could do SO. We must de-
pend upon the doctors to report these
cases, or the public health is menaced.
"3. examined the quarantine rec
ords of this city, and found several
cases where DR.. Jay was the attend
ing physician, yet no report of any kind
had been made by him to the mayor
HE had three cases in the Stanton
family, yet made no report to the
mayor of any them.
There were three cases in the Refs
niger family, and no report of any to
the mayor.
There was Miss Biggs' case, and no
report to the mayor by DR.. Jay.
There were the three Giriffis cases
and no report to the mayor by DR..
Jay, the attending physician.
Yet the law requires each and ev-
cry case to be personally and imme-
"A