The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-02-25
DAVIS IS AWAITING
ORDERS FROM BOARD
City Health Officer Will Not
Reply to West Side
Charges.
IGNORES ACCUSATIONS
Explains His Position on the
Matter and His Line
of Duty.
IGNORES ACCUSATIONS

of Duty.
DIR. T. Henry Davis, city health of
ficer, stated today that he has not as
yet received his orders from the state
board of health in regard to the in,
depreciation of the quarantine law
When orders arrive he will act &C
cording to the instructions. Until that
time he will act under the same in
terpretations which he has placed on
the laws, in regard to quarantine OF
scarlet fever patients, he says.
DR.. Davis stated that he will not
reply to the West Side people who are
accusing him of criminal neglect. 81
recognize only one authority in this
matter" stated DR.. Davis. Il am not
state board Of health is the only body
from whom l will take orders. Until
the board instructs me to do different
ly than l have been doing in the past
will not act under any one else s
orders"
DR. Davis stated that he would
ignore the West Side people as far as
their accusations are concerned but
would act in the same way as former,
ly in any matter of health which may
come to his notice.
1.-The West Side people who are
making these charges do not possess
a knowledge of demography and there
fore are not in position to tell any
one what to do in case of this kind
The doctors who treat the cases know
how long the patients should be kept
in quarantine and when they tell me
to remove the card from the house, ii
is because the patient is entirely well
Modern Methods.
ut may be that the persons who are
making the charges have obtained an
old book on diseases and upon the in
formation which contains are max
ing the charges and statements.
In this day of modern research in
disease and the causes and treatment
the strides have been so rapid that
no longer use the books today that
were authority two years ago. 1t was
formerly the law in cases of yellow
fever to treat a patient almost as
though he or she had leprosy. An
thorities found that mosquitoes were
the cause. Now they attack the mos
quito and not the patient.
THE example I have given will
show that they could easily make the
mistake of taking information from
an old book on the subject or have
jumped at their own conclusions.
do not wish to antagonize the people
by making them think that am work
ing against them
Dr. Davis gave another instance OF
where a mother of several children
has scarlet fever, on South Fifth
street. The attending physician came
to DR.. Davis office this morning and
stated that a woman had called him
and he found that she had scarlet
fever
When she was told that she had
scarlet fever she stated that the chill
dren had been sick for several weeks
with the same thing which she had
although she did not know it was scar
let fever.
THAT is the third instance l have
shown in three days." said the doctor
"As no doctor was called, | had nc
way of knowing that the cases existed
and consequently there was no quar-
antine."
How Body Was Viewed.
With reference to the statement
made in regard to the scarlet fever
situation in this city, to the effect
that children were allowed to view the
body of a schoolmate who died of this
disease, DR.. Davis, city health officer
says in communication to a member
of the Palladium staff:
Il have, at the request of bereaved
parents, permitted a view of the re
mains. and would permit it at any
time under the following conditions
IF after death the remains have
been embalmed and wrapped in a
strong disinfecting solution, | have
permitted the same to be taken into
front room, placed near a closed
window and children to pass in the
open air and view through the closed
window.
Under no other conditions have
children viewed the dead with my con
sent or to my knowledge"
DR.. Davis says that any other course
would be ''imprudent and dangerous
and is surprised that he should have
been supposed to permit such proceed
ure.
Market at St. PauTs Par