Evening journal., 1910-09-19
MALCOM GIVES
HEALTH HINTS
Board Of Health Secretary
Suggests City Hospital for
Contagious Diseases
ALSO SEES NEED
OF CITY LABORATORY

In the current issue OF The Journal
of the Delaware State Medical So
ciety, Secretary c. William Malcom,
of the local Board of Health, makes
recommendations to improve the
health of the city which are worthy
of consideration. He urges that in
order to better protect the public
health end control scarlet fever and
diphtheria the city should provide a
hospital for the isolation and treat
ment of all contagious diseases. Mr..
Malcolm also recommends that the
Board OF Health he equipped with a
well equipped laboratory. In this
respect he says the city is far be-
hind the time.
Mr.. Malcom's letter follows:
Harold l.. Springer, NJ. d.. Editor,
Dear Sir: One of the most inn
portant branches of the work OF the
Board OF Health is i'm the manage
ment of contagiOn. To successfully
meet the conditions that arise every
day in the management of contagious
diseases, from a public health stand
point, requires first the cooperation
Of the medical profession. This con-
ditiOn, feel exists between the board
and the medical profession.
A careful study Of the cases demon
strates TO me that our schools are so
carefully watched and protected that
they have not played an important
part in the spread Of scarlet fever and
diphtheria, and that a large percent
age of cases are caused by direct coil
tact with the disease and It's carriers
outside the public schools.
The quarantine measures now be-
| ing imposed upon households affected
with scarlet fever and diphtheria are
often trying ones and in some cases
necessitate a great financial loss to the
| family. We often find it impossible
in poor families to isolate the cases
and protect the rest of the children Of
the household.
In order to protect the public
health and control scarlet fever and
diphtheria as modern preventive
medicine demands, it is incumbent
upon the city TO provide. in the near
future. a hospital for the isolation
and treatment Of all contagious dis
, eases. I am confident that the es-
| Enlistment of such a hospital would
annually save many lives, be a bless
ing to hundreds of poor families who
can i'll afford any financial loss what
ever. and materially lessen the num-
Der Of contagious diseases in the
city.
The comparatively small number OF
second cases after fumigation for
scarlet fever and diphtheria with the
formaldehyde method. demonstrates
the value of our method and th'
thorough manner in which each hous,
has been fumigated.
During the past month the Boar
of Health has ordered that all dealer
in meats, poultry, game and FISH shall
screen the windows and doors of thef
building and protect all meat, poultry
game and fish exposed for sale on tn
outside Of their building by the use o
glass cases. This resolution met
at first with some objection on tn
part Of the dealers and after severa
conferences with both the member
of the board and the dealers TIL
questions involved were amicably set
tied by the dealers agreeing to TIL
conditions as enumerated. l nigh
SAY In connection with this resolu
ton that the time limit has not al
yet expired and It is though by TIT
members of the Board OF Health tina
the dealers all propose to assist il
enforcing the provisions of the reso
luton by observing the requirements
The department is actively engaged
at the present time in examining tn
condition of our street markets ant
the condition under which our food
stuffs are being handled.
y The value and in fact the necessit
of a we'll equipped laboratory devot
! ing its entire work to the interest Q
the municipality is to-day concede
throughout the land Indeed tina
health department which has not it
own laboratory is at the present tim
considered to be behind the times an
wholly untitled to perform the man
duties incumbent upon it. Not onl
, do we look to the laboratory for fini
decision as to the diagnosis of diseas
. the causes of death, the suspecte
adulteration of food-stuifs, the purii
Of water. etc, but by proper use A,
that adjunct to our department "