The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-02-15
Health officer Alarmed on
Account Of New Outbreak
of Scarlet Fever.
SEES need OF ISOLATION NOW
OfGcials Declare 1t Is Impossible to
Maintain Quarantine in Some OF the
Boarding Houses Peopled by For
eigners---Police to Aid in Work.

Scarlet fever conditions in Kenusha
are again becoming alarming and the
disease is now declared to be epidemic
in the city by Health Officer DR.. j..
3. Spaldiag and he has appealed to
the members of the common council
to take the most stringent possible ac-
tion to prevent any further spread
of the disease.
DR.. Spalding states that there are
about fifty cases Of the disease in Re
nosha at the present time and other
physicians who have been closely con
nected with the treatment of patients
with fever declare that the number
of patients is closer to hundred than
fifty. The disease seems to be COM
plicated in many cases with diphtheria
and the deaths reported during the
past three or four days have all re-
suited from this complication. Three
deaths have occurred within week
and while there was but one new case
reported to the department on Friday
DIR. Spalding declares that the condi-
tions at the present time are worse
than they have been at any time DUR
ing the prevalence of the disease,
The health officer admits that his
department is not able to enforce
guarantines and he is asking the coun-
Gil to name a. special officer who will
give his entire time TO watching the
houses which bear the scarlet fever
signs. In addition TO this he has sug-
gested that the council furnish free
Rnti-toxin for use of the physicians
In fighting the diphtheria and that
special provisions of a police nature
be provided to aid the health depart
ment along other lines in combating
the disease. He has even suggested
che necessity Of an isolation hospital
declaring that in some cases it is abb
Bolutely impossible on account of the
ignorance Of the people to maintain
proper quarantine regulations. in
many places on the west and north
west side the disease has broken out
In boarding houses and it has been inn
possible for the physician in charge to
keep the boarders from mingling with
the patients. 1t is declared that four
boarders came out of a house on How
land avenue and got on a street car
and rode with a large party of work
men. AT the time there were two
children in that house suffering from
scarlet fever and no successful effort
had been made to keep the boarders
away from them.
The disease has not spread to other
parts of the city to any great extent
ollt the one case on Friday was re-
ported from Prairie avenue. DIR.
Spalding declares that under present
conditions he feels that the disease
will certainly spread to other portions
of the city.
He has appealed to the council to
take up the matter at once and It is
probable that a special meeting will be
called and the council make provisions
for stronger fight against the furth-
or spread of the disease. Many people
IN the city have become so frightened
on account of deaths from scarlet
fever that they have taken their
children out of school and they de-
Flare that the children will not return
TO school until all danger from the
disease has been eradicated.
The disease has such firm hold in
The city that it is feared that it viii
be weeks and possibly months before
the epidemic is under control.