The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-03-09
SEES DEMAND FOR MORE WORK
Believes City Should Make Larger APP
preparation for the Health Depart
ment and That Laws of State Should
be Enforced.

Mrs. Sarah Ryder the VlSlClAS AuISo
who has been working in Kenosha for
the past month took final shot at
the Health Department Of Kenosha on
Wednesday before she left to begin her
work at Madison when she gave out for
publication the following open letter:
In answer to DR.. Spalding's letter
which appeared in Tuesday evening $
News, / wish to say that there was NOS
one fact mentioned in my argument
which was not absolutely true. | did
not make any insinuations against the
city administration as he says did,
but L found fault only with the health
ordinances, and advised that they be
changed for the better. [ did not say
anything about the city poor not be-
ing we'll cared for I spoke only of
poor families who are too honest to be
pauper1zed and who need assistance.
DR.. Spalding says there have been
no contagious diseases reported within
the past two weeks, but he does not
say that they do not exist. Unfortun-
ately the state law does not require the
placarding of houses for measles and
whooping cough, but it gives the local
health board authority to do so, and
depends upon the local board to use
discretion in such matters. Let me re-
iterate that very large per cent Of
eases of tuberculosis in children under
fifteen years Of age are directly trace
able to neglected measles.
When cases Of contagious disease are
allowed to run about neighborhood
during the eruptive stages, it is folly
to suppose that fumigation would do
any good.
When DR.. SpAlding wrote this article
he must have forgotten that called
at his office three times before he could
give me a complete record of deaths
from tuberculosis.
DR.. Spalding calls the present move
BIS ridiculous, inadequate and waste
Of time and means. He says he does
not say this in spirit of malice to-
wards his detractors. 1 should like to
ask who are his detractors. am sure
/ did not mention him, nor his office,
nor any person in my report. l only
mentioned conditions as found them.
No one with a grain of common sense
would expect that the work in the
health department. for which other cit
les the size of Kenosha pay from $4,000
to $4,000 a year should be done by any
one for the mere pittance that DR..
Bpalding receives
AS for the righteousness and mad.
equacy of the anti-tuberculosis move
ment, it is due to this movement that
the State Sanitarium at Wales was es-
tablished. In this sanitorium four cas-
es from Kenosha have been cured. DR..
Spalding is perfectly correct in his
contention that tuberculosis cannot be
stamped out without suitable sanitoria
and hospitals (the need of which I also
pointed out in my report) and it is for
the purpose of educating the people to
see the need for such sanitoria that
the anti-tuberculosis movement has
been inaugurated.
The state law makes it incumbent
upon incorporated cities to see that all
contagious diseases to which tuberculo-
sis belongs are properly taken care of
to prevent their spread and every city
has the power to establish hospitals
and sanitoria to that end. But the
cities have neglected their duties and
therefore the sentiment is that the
counties take hold of the matter.
From his various statements it is
evident that Dr. Spalding does not
know what measures have been taken
IN other states and in this state for the
stamping out of tuberculosis.
The sending out of visiting nurses
as well as the whole anti-tuberculosis
movement, was never intended to have
any other than an educational effect.
Sarah West Ryder.