The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-05
SENDS LETTER TO
MEDICAL SOCIETY
w. r. |. A. Committee Asks
County Association for
Opinion.
SEVERAL TALKS MADE
Subjects Of Interest TO Doc
tors Organization are
Discussed.

The committee from the West Side
Improvement association sent letter
to the Medical Society, which met this
afternoon, asking the opinion of the
society on the manner in which the
quarantine rules have been carried out
in this city by Health Officer Davis.
be sent to the association
The committee asked the society rs
to whether the rules for guarantees
in scarlet fever cases are mandatory
or advisory only. They also ask If the
Medical Society deems 1t advisable for
the attending physician to be permit
ted to determine when the quarantine
in these cases should be raised.
Opinion of Officials.
City officials this morning denounc-
ed the methods of the women of the
west side and the committee Of the
West Side improvement association in
charging Health Officer T. Henry
Davis with neglecting the duties of
health officer. II is their belief that
II the west side people were sincere
in the charges which they make they
would complain to the mayors cabi-
net or the board of works. They be-
lieve that Dr. Davis should disregard
the charges which the women and the
committee have made.
Letter to Society.
Following is the letter sent to the
physicians:
The Wayne County Medical Associa-
ton,
Richmond, Indiana.
Gentlemen: Since last May scarlet
fever has been prevalent in Richmond.
There has ben a total of more than
two hundred cases reported to the city
health officer, and there are grounds
for believing that many other cases
have existed that never came to his
knowledge. We submit to you that
this is a highly unsatisfactory con-
dition. And since there seems to be
some divergence of opinion as to the
precautions necessary to prevent the
spread of the infection, and as to who
is responsible for taking these precau-
tons, we ask, on the part of the public,
that your Association give some eX-
preston on the matter
Health prescribe twenty-one days as
the minimum period for scarlet fever
quarantine. and other precautions that
shall be taken to prevent the spread
of infection. Are these rules manda-
tory, or advisory only?
If the rules are merely advisory, is
1t the opinion of your Association that
they advise an unnecessarily long
minimum period of quarantine?
Is it advisable to permit the physic-
ian in attendance to determine when
quarantine should be raised?
Is it unnecessary to follow the in
structions in the rules to exclude from
school other children of the family
unless disinfected and isolated for ten
days?
The public has been of the opinion
that our. State Board of Health has
authority to prescribe and enforce,
through local officials. certain regu-
lations in regard to the control of in
fictitious diseases. But since the secre-
tary of the board in a signed COM
munication proclaims that the rules
adopted by the board are of no force
at all, we see no recourse in the pres
ent emergency but to appeal to the
medical profession to come to our res
cue and agree on some plan that will
afford prompt and decisive relief.
viii you do it?
n. c. Heironimus,
Richard Sedgwick.
Frank L. Waidele,
Harlow Lindley,
Public Service Committee, West
Richmond improvement Association.
The members of the society will be
addressed by Hugh o. Painter, of In
dianapolis, who will use as his sub
iect. "Glandular Insufficiency" Sew
eral other addresses of interest will
be given. The program is as follows
"Glandular Insufficiencv''-Hug O.
Panther, indianapolis.
'"Spondylotherapy, Its Value to Pa
tients and Physicians. E. Bond
Coolies Fracture"-V. T Fackler.
Several local physicians state that
they believe that the action of the so.
ciety on the communication from the
committee will settle the present stir
which has been made by the west
side people