The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-08

was SeQueStereQ by the Health
 Board of Duluth Because He Had
 Sore Throat-No Legal Remedy for
 Him.
 Editor of the Farmer:
 Sir-At a recent session of the House of Representatives in Hartford a bill was passed giving the Health Board of Bridgeport power to make it's own rules for the regulation of the sanitary and hygienic conditions under which we must all live.
 I wonder if the honorable gentlemen who so complacently voted such power into the hands of sn irresponsible body gave more than a few moments thought to the possible result of their action. Who demanded this law The people of Bridgeport? Oh, no! The people were not consulted in the matter; but a certain clique of the medical profession, generally of medio- ere ability, who manage to get them selves appointed to these semi-political positions; seek to force the confiding public to accept THEIR interpretation of the laws of health and sanitation. As if they were the only persons ca pablo of understanding Natures laws, or the principles of sanitary science. Have these gentlemen an ulterior de- sign? Under such law, whenever they agree that it is necessary. in their su- Perior wisdom, or to their financial advantage they can order and compel all citizens to be vaccinated.
 Qt will need considerable courage on their part to try it in this particular community.)
 When case of diphtheria is discov- every one may be ordered a dose of anti-toxin. and if one child has the measles they may deem it necessary to scuirt some saving elixir into our frr rofc cyr n idiot with an unpronounceable name discovers new serum cure, and the State will furnish money and squirt gun for the operation. they will man age the popular scare all right.
 It is amazing the ease with which these very disinterested gentlemen can wheedle the members of the Legisla- ture to comply with their seemingly innocent requests. Today there is not a law on the statute book of Connec- tfcut relating to this subject, that was asked for by the people, and few of them could have been passed if our legislators would consider the effect of such laws in the light of our present advanced knowledge. and more par ticularly after reading of the scoun- drelly and tyranical action of some of the Health Boards throughout the country.
 The following instance should be enough to show that my criticism is not without grounds; and many more could be furnished if space could be given them. I quote from Health,
 The quotation relates to the seizure of the chief of police of Toledo, be- cause he had a sore throat, and his forcible detention in a pest house by count proceeds:
 'He had received his injection of nti-dfphtheritic serum with the ex- planation that whether he had diph- ( l. T., II A>A a preve ntive, as he would surely be ex- posed to diphtheria in the pest house. He was not a particle sick when he consulted the doctor. but he began to feel sick from the effects of the dose they had given him.
 He was sentenced to ten days in the, pest house. at the end of which time another culture was to be taken from his throat. to determine whether he was fit to be released. At this time they were examining diphtherftic cultures in Duluth, instead of sending them away.
 By this time the chief began to realize that he had got into a serious scrape. That he was a prisoner serv- ing out an indeterminate sentence de- pending uoon some whim or alleged discovery at the health office.
 'The pest house was crowded. It on cot in a corner of the room, a berth that she had been occupying for dght or ten years. She was kind, but powerless to offer any assistance fur ther than to give the regulation fare to each one alike. "The chief, being in splendid health, sooE recovered from the effects of the anti-toxin, which left him nothing to- days of his imprisonment, hoping against hope that after ten days he might be allowed to go. They had taken his clothes away from him. His money. His watch. Everything. Left him absolutely empty handed, clothed only in cheap cotton night shirt.
 "He wanted a bath. They had no facilities for bathing in the pest house. He discovered that there was a bath room connected with the medical of- fices not far away. He offered the nurse ten dollars to allow him to sneak over there and take a bath. She did rot dare to do so. She resisted the bribe.
 At least, the examination of the obtained from his throat de- cided that he was fit to have his lib- erty again. And once more, dressed in his own clothes, in possession of his nasty exit from Duluth a wiser if not a happier man.
 tt.He had received an entirely new lesson in American politics. He had an autocracy so relentless and terrible as to make the ordinary policeman with his revolver and mace an angel of mercy in comparison.
 'Arresting a man for vagrancy, hold ing a man in a city prison for drunk enness CT disorderly conduct, putting a suspect in the sweat box for exami- nation, all these were picnics in com parison to what he had endured
 'The sore on his back produced by the injection of anti-toxin was nothing in comparison to the assault made up- on bis sense of justice and decency. He kept saying over to himself: Where Is this thing going to end? If I, a man of experience, with money in my pocket, political influence, good standing in the city where I am a citi- zen, if I can be captured in this ruth less manner and subjected to the in dignity that I have passed through, if this can be done under the pretense of protecting the public health, what chance is there for the average citi- zen? Where is this thing going to end?'
 After returning to his home he started in to find out what redress