The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-12-08
QUARANTINE QUEST
QUOTED
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PROM.
isE AN ENFORCEMENT OF
EXISTING RELATIONS.

Pursuant to the agreement reached
Monday night, representatives of the
/ city administration and the $4,000
+ Booster club met with the county COM
missioners yesterday morning and dis
4 cussed the local situation relative to
the quarantining Of smallpox. Party
4 to the conference, also. We're City
Physician Pease and County Physician
I Efynr.
/ Following n statement of the posi-
/ ton of the booster club, DR. Pease
I said that the understanding of the
( club was correct as 10 the date when
+ the new regulation Of the state board
/ Of health. suspending the smallpox
\ quarantine becomes effective. II is not
/ operative until January /. 1910. and
/ the quarantine regulation is now in
full force and effect. But DR. Pease
said the club had been misinformed as
tn the attitude of the local health Of
ficers. they are, he said. enforcing the
quarantine Iaw as strictly as ever.
As to the cases Of smallpox which
have been reported as wandering about
tn. city, DIR. Pease said their presence
was due to the fact that some of the
local doctors had misunderstood the
date when the new regulation became
in force this month; they had cense-
auentiy neglected to report cases; all
OF these doctors have been notified
that the quarantine law is In force.
Dr. pease said he believed there would
be no more carelessness until the new
regulation is effective. In this he was
supported by DR.. Flynn.
The county commissioners expressed
themselves as determined to have the
law enforced as long as possible.
There was a lengthy and at times
heated discussion of the effectiveness
Of vaccination; there was n debate
none the less warm. regarding the
necessity OF quarantine: to this lat
ter, there were many hypothesis
attached that the discussion became
involved and fruitlass and was final
ly called a draw by the chairman Of
the board Mayor Logan. DIR. Willard.
DIR. Buckley Harry Shapard and Coun-
ty Attorney Mulroney and other par
ticipated in the debate. Sometimes
one speaker had the floor and again
all the speakers had II ut once. The
din mt times was bewildering, but the
main point was not lost sight Of and
the result OF the meeting was that the
commissioners promised strict en-
forcement of the quarantine law. They
declined. however. To communicate with
the state board OF health. believing
that IL would be breach of ethics
for the county board of health To call
down the state board. under whose
direction IL acts.
The joint session adjourned at noon.
the action OF the commissioners being
satisfactory To the other parties to
the discussion. The booster clubs
committee yesterday afternoon seat
communications to the governor and
the attorney general as instructed.
Mayor Logan has had instructions sent
to all local doctors regarding the re-
porting of cases.
DIR. Pease made one point yesterday
which should be considered: he said
that IL has been almost impossible to
enforce quarantine regulations on ac-
count of the lack of popular support:
every man wants quarantine until
he himself is affected. Cases had
been brought To court and the Of
tenders had been released without
punishment. No health officer can en-
force n law of this kind without the
support of the people. DR. Pease and
DIR. Buckley declared that they had
been subjected tn such repeated in
suits in connection with quarantine and
vaccination cases that they were
heartily sick OF the whole business.
II was an interesting meeting and
everybody present went away feeling /
.scratchy" and imagining that he had
symptoms OF the disease under dis
cussion.