The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-04-28
THE NEW QUARANTINE LAW.

terity.
THE NEW QUARANTINE LAW.
Dr.. A. G.. /, Moerke of Burlington,
member of the state board of health, |
contributes to the Hawk-Eye scath-
ing arraignment of the legislature for |
Its destructive enactments as regards
the health of the people of the state.
Under the new quarantine law, now.
in effect no contagious or infectious
diseases are to be Quarantined or dis
infection used, except as follows:
Scarlet fever Qncluding scarlet fever
and scarlet rash); smallpox; diph-
liberia (including membranous croup);
cholera; leprosy; cerebro-spinal men,
nights, and bubonic plague. No pla-
carding or disinfection is permitted in
any disease, except as above. A house
may be alive with tubercular germs,
but the local board has no authority to
order disinfection. The provisions of
| the new law are set forth in some de-
tail as follows:
The physician in charge Of case
has the right to disinfect the premises
in any of the diseases named above II
he SO desires, but it must be done in
accordance with the rules AMI regula-
lions of the state board of health,
which must be adopted by the local
board and published either in news
\ paper or posted In five places in the
district All expenses OF quarantine
and disinfection must be paid by the
party quarantined. II the physician
refuses to disinfect the premises then
the local board of health must do so.
If person is unable to pay, then the
expense shall be paid out of the coun-
ty poor fund. But nobody can collect
anything from the county unless the
local board of health first orders the
party performing the service to do so,
and the county supervisors may cut
ID t. bal to suit.
Sections 2570a, 2570a1. 257ob and
2571, supplement of the code of 1907.
are repealed. The state board of
health furnish copies of the rules and
laws to every county auditor, he to
distribute them to the local board and
they to any physician or citizen who
desires them, also the local board OF
health must give copy pertaining to
: 4 d
: son is guaranteed to the parties quar-
a antined. For this the legislature do
i mated the large sum of $500.
The reason given by one member Of
). the legislature for taking the disin
i lection out of the hands Of the health
s officer, was that he did not desire {
n health Office to handle his wife's un
d derwear, but wanted physician to d.
a it Another had had trouble with tn,
# local health officer, and so forth"
q In onnec-ion with his exposition o
~ the provisions of the new law DR.
n. Moerke makes comparison as to wha
n. is given for protection OF hogs and cat
j. tie and what the children are con
ie sidered worth 1T is pity" he says
at children do not have marke
price like hogs and cattle In Iowa.
The state board of health for all it
90 n -nbers and Office expenses receive
m $4,000 year, out of which ever,
~. thing must be paid. Says DR.. Moerke
~ Il asked for an appropriation of SIS
10 200 to produce our own antitoxin, fo
~. Wnlch we are now paying an emo
~ nous price, and which would not hay
us cost the state a cent after the frs
III appropriation, as 1t was intended {
or E~-ie 1t self-supporting. 1t was turne
tie down at once, the cry being. we hay
ng no money, but they had plenty to pas
m. bill to produce antitoxin to cure he
cholera. Then they gave $4,000 |
~, teach people how to make butter. an
-, gave 1t to an association, whicl has 4
a. official connection with the state
20 all. Why not give $4,000 to teac
oil how to make crackers or pickles {
straw hats? They already pay OF
-; large sums to teach those things
,at Ames, where anybody may go WI
20 desires. Then, | believe. they ga,
- 1000 for bees, and 81 600 for moth
and large increase in the veteri
iii arian department, and then 500, 0t
Inn. for the grandstand for people to go fl
week and witness the result of VIII
TOD the appropriations have done. tt
~ cities are giving a large amount
,de this money in taxes and | believe v
~ should receive little donation to Or
cal tect our and our children's health al
80 lives. Iowa has been fortunate
;s late years to have no serious eI
ess denies to fight, as other states ha
81 had to do, but If we ever have on
sas with the appropriation now in o
,Ily hands, we would certainly have a Sc
a,a ious problem to face"
icb DIR. Moerke expresses the hope tn
his the next legislature Will be constrt
uld tive instead of destructive. as t
to late one was. He suggests that t
OF womel's clubs would find it proftat
we. to take UP some of these problems al
.nu inaugurate a campaign of educati
;ts in the interest of the public health
to NOTES AND COMMENT.