The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-02-09
A Card by Mr.. Balm.


Health officer instructed to econ.
omize. Expenses are too high"
The above is the title Of an article
appearing in the city papers Febru-
ary :. Referring briefly to the sub
ject. the health officer was assailed
and unmercifuly censured at a late
meeting of the board of health at
which Members Wiant and Market
were absent The health officer was
charged with wasting and extravagant
use of the citys money. with all
kindness to the members of the board
! wish to submit a few lines only in
way Of explanation of few facts not
made plain TO the people by the
board.
First. as regards fhe resolution "Th"
heads of families exposed to scarlet
fever and dlphthcria not to be quar-
antlned." The health officer protest.
ed against such absurd measures, stat
ing that the board had no power to
make rulings conflicting or contrary
to state law \ portion of Section
211S r. S. reads as follows:
Orders and regulations not for the
government Of the board but intend.
ed for the public shall be adopted,
advertised, recorded and certified as
are ordinances of municipalities (hy
the council.)"
The article states that under ordi-
nary circumstances the heads Of fam
lilies could be released from quaran-
tine TO support their families. As
health officer | have failed to find
but one instance where heads Of fam
lilies might have been released (the
Huber famlly) However. in this
case. either by ignorance or neglect
Of the attending physician. the case
was not reported to the health au-
thorlties until after the death of the
patient. "Over precaution" was the
next subject discussed The health
officer holds that the people are en-
titled 20 every protection, has also
learned by experience that II is cheap
er to prevent than 1t Is to cure. to
say nothing about fatalities. Let us
consider one case on Fies avenue. \
child taken from n diphtheria home
and placed in a home where the
neighboring children were allowed to
mingle with her The health officer
at once placed six homes under quar-
antine to await developments, the re-
suit was that five cases of diphtheria
developed in the quarantined homes.
each one can make his own con-
clusions as TO what would have been
the result had not these homes been
quarantined II would certainly be AN
easy and plain proposition 10 release
heads Of families II we were all SUR
rounded by the comforts of life, but
the realities we are dealing with
which are the subjects Of this article
are Just the opposite In most cases,
men with large families, rented
homes. dependent on their daily 10
bors for the scant necessities of life,
in destitute circumstances and In
many instances without a change of
clothes To ask such a man to leave
his home and leave three sick and dy-
ing children with an invalid mother
Is something your present health Of
flcer will never do. six dozen eggs
at 3S cents per dozen to the McFad-
den family gave food for thought"
During the twenty-five days of the
quarantine of the McFadden family,
they purchased eggs as follows; jan
uary q, three January 10, two; Feb
ruary 6, six. In the Benjamin link
case, whore three children were low
with diphtheria, DR.. ]. A. McMurray
gave special orders for eggs and
fruit. saying to the health officer at
different times that 1t was absolutely
necessary that these children have
fruit and eggs. "A motion 20 compel
the health officer 10 make report"
win say for the thirteen months |
have served the people as health Of
ficer there are thirteen reports filed
at the clerks office. which have been
read to the board during my term of
office, Permit me TO say that a COM
plete record Of contagion with every
detail, date and amount of every dol
lar Of expense for each individual
case Is open for inspection at my Of
fee, the only record of such a nature
known to the health authorities of
this city believing IL will be OF I'm .