The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-01
Health Officers Exoneration
By DR.. Hurry Does Not
Appease w. R. |. A.
ASK FEW QUESTIONS
DR.. Davis Asked Why He
Does Not Observe the
Rules of State Board.

State Health Officer Hurtys exon
Grafton of DR.. T. Henry Davis, Rich
mond health officer, of the charges of
neglect of duty in the scarlet fever
epidemic, is not acceptable TO the West
Richmond improvement association,
which today addressed another open
letter to the health officer, which fol-
lows:
DR.. T. Henry Davis.
Dear Sir: One week ago this COM
mittee of the West Richmond Improve
ment Association addressed to you a
public letter regarding the scarlet
| fever situation in Richmond AS yet
you have not seen fit to answer the
queries we put you in this letter, un-
less you consider the communication
you received from DR. Hurry as a
reply. We are. however, by no means
satisfied and therefore again address
you through the public press.
If, as set forth by DR.. Hurry, THE
health officer must establish quaran-
tine in such manner and for such
length of time as, in his judgment, is
necessary to prevent the spread of in
fection." then we take it that the rules
of the state board of health are to be
| considered merely advice We are by
no means able to reconcile this inter
probation with the plain reading of the
rules and statutes. But if such is your
view of the matter. then permit us
to ask you few further questions.
In view of the continued prevalence
and increase of scarlet fever for the
past year do you feel justified in dis
regarding the advice given in the
rules?
We notice that the rules advise ire
quire0 a quarantine of not less than
twenty-one days. Does the increase in
number of cases support your opinion
that shorter period is sufficient?
The state board advises (requires?) p
that other children in home in which
there is case of scarlet fever shall
be excluded from school, after disin-
fection and isolation, for ten days. Do
you think it unnecessary to exclude
them, or even disinfect them?
The state board advises (orders p
that no milk tickets be taken from
quarantine premises till quarantine is
raised. On what medical authority do
you base your disregard of this pre-
caution?
The state board advises (rules?)
that domestic animals be excluded
from quarantined premises. Do you
| consider this advice too puerile for
notice?
To sum up, the public is not con-
cerned in any discussion of the
We do not claim to be up to date in
such matters, but we do believe the
public has a right to demand that the
health department protect our children
| from preventable disease If it is be
yond your power as health officer to
control the scarlet fever situation,
| come out and frankly say so. If two
| hundred and fifty cases of this disease
within a year is the best we may ex-
| pect. tell us so. If steady increase
| in the number of scarlet fever cases
through a period of ten months shows
effective work by the health depart
ment, proclaim it.
Granting that in our previous letter
we were mistaken in speaking of pres
ent conditions as an epidemic, do you
suppose this softens the bitterness OF
loss in the six homes from which chill
dren have been taken? Does the
bubble over terms make good the i'm
pared faculties and weakened bodies
of the fever's victims?
| We await your reply.
\. c. Heironimus,
Richard Sedgwick,
Frank l.. Waidele,
Harlow Lindley.
Public Service Committee, West
=. Richmond Imnroyement Association