Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-01-20
State to Combat
White Plague
CONNECTICUT MBARKlNG IN
BIG CRUSADE.
COUNTY PLAN PROPOSED
The Measure Which the tuberculosis
Commission Desires the General AS
senbiy to Enact lnto Law.

full text of the bill which the special
commission appointed under All act of
the last general assembly to investi-
gate methods for combating tuberculo-
sis has caused to be prepared and
which was sent to the legislature to-
day:
.NRe 1t Enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives in Gen
eral Assembly Convened:
, The governor shall on or before the
first day of July 1903. appoint a board
OF commissioners on tuberculosis, said
board to consist of three (3) members.
who shall hold Office for two. four and
six years from tke first day of July
in the year of their appointment until
their successors shall have been ap-
pointed and qualify. At least one of
said conlmissioners shall be a physi-
clan, wh0 has had at least ten years
active practice, and be an expert in
the modern treatment of human tuber-
culosis. On or before the first day of
July 1911, the governor shall appoint
one member of the commission, to fill
the office of the member of the board
whose term expires on that date for
term of six years; and the govern
or shall biennially thereafter appoint
one member for a term of six years.
Section 2. There shall be erected in
each county of the state a county
home, to be used for the care and
treatment of persons afflicted with pull
monary tuberculosis.
Sec. 3. The site of said homes in
each instance shall be purchased with
in six months from the passage of this
bill, by the county in which the home
is located. after approval by the COM
mission on tuberculosis. Such site
must be one suitable for the purpose,
and may have thereon buildings which
may be used for the residence of the
superintendent and for administrative
offices; or such buildings if not exist
ing on the site at the time of pur-
chase thereof shall be built at the ex-
pense of the county at a cost not to
exceed ten thousand dollars.
Sec 4. All buildings necessary for
the work of such county homes for
the care of sufferers from pulmonary
tuberculosis. including such as are
provided for in section of this bill,
shall be constructed on the sites ap-
proved by the commissioners on tu-
berculosis in accordance with designs
and plans of construction adopted by
the commission on tuberculosis; and
all buildings referred to in this act
snail be constructed under the direc-
tion of the commission on tuberculO-
sis. The cost of the construction and
equipment necessary to work of such
homes shall be met by the state out
VI tie SLdl6 treasury, Wllu tle pro-
Viso that no appropriation for such
purpose shall exceed ten thousand dol
lars for each fifty thousand inhabitants
or fraction thereof in each county.
Sec. ). Persons afflicted with pull
monary tuberculosis applying for care
shall be received into these homes
without regard to the stage of the
disease or the financial circumstances
OF the applicant. Patients who are
al, 10 +n t,cs,. -I,io
be received upon payment of the full
cost Of the same. Patients who are
not able to pay full cost shall be re-
ceived for a minimum charge Of two
dollars ($2) per week.
Sec. 6. Patients who are unable to
pay anything shall be admitted to the
homes upon order of the selectmen of
the town or upon order of the CORE
spending authority of the city in which
such patients live. in which instance
such charge of two dollars per week
shall be paid by the town or city to
which such patient is accredited For
patients who are not able to pay the
full cost the balance of cost of treat
ment shall be divided between the
county whence the patient is sent and
the state. All expenditures of the
homes, over and above the money re-
ceived from the patients or their re-
spective towns, shall be borne in equal
parts by the state and the county in
which the home is situated.
Sec. Z. Patients who are known to
be immoral or who by reason of filth
ness of habits or because of resistance
to discipline are unsuitable for inti-
mate association with the inmates of
these homes. shall not be received or
retained unless separate accOmmoda-
tion is provided for them.
Sec. S.-The management of the
county homes shall be under the direc-
tion of the commission on tuberculo-
sis and said commission shall appoint
q manager or superintendent of each
county home, which manager shall
have the direction and supervision of
said home under rules to be Prescribed
by the commission on tuberculosis. In
counties. .IEhere the services of a resi-
dent physician in the homes is requir-
ed, such physician shall be appointed
by the commission on tuberculosis. In
counties where a resident physician
is not necessary. attendance upon pa
tients when it may be required shall
be provided by the appointment of a
local physician by the commission on
tuberculosis, which local physician
shall be a practitioner in good medical
standing, and whose compensation for
services rendered to patients shall be
at the rate prevailing in his locality
for private practice.
Sec. 8. The commissioner on, tuber-
culosis shall visit the several COUNTY
homes and shall have the management
of each under observation and super
vision Each member of the state com
mission on tuberculosis shall make an
lannual report of the conditions which
he finds in each county home and re-
cord the date Of such visits in such,
report to the chairman of the commits
sion. which report shall be transmit
ted to the chairman without alteration
to the governor. Each commissioner
shall make not less than four visits
to each home annually and an inter-
val of at least one month shall elapse
between such visits.
Sec TO- Each member of the COM
mission on tuberculosis shall receive a
salary of twenty-five hundred ($2500)
dollars annually, and an allowance for
travelling expenses not to exceed five
rundred ($500) dollars annually dur
ing the first six years of the commits
sions work; and after said six years
the amount of salary shall be deter
mined by the general assembly. Said
commission on tuberculosis is hereby
given authority to appoint a secretary.
and shall receive an allowance of fif-
teen hundred dollars ($1,500) annually
for salary of such secretary and for
Office expenses.
Sec. II. Sanatoria under private
mana cement and receiving state aid
shall be inspected semiannually by
the commission on tuberculosis, and
the amount of state appropriations for
the assistance of such institutions shall
in each instance be recommended to
the general assembly by the cormis-