The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-10
ARE
ANSWERED BY
THE ". {. NJ. s.
Physicians Say That State
Boards Rules Are Not
Mandatory But Advisory
Upon Local Health Officer.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

the disease is no longer communicable
unless the period set be one of weeks
or even months, when there is a dis
charging ear The twenty-One day per
iod is too short in many cases; in 9th
ers, as in the prevailing mild form it
is unnecessarily long. 1t is manifest
ly unjust and unwise to prolong quar-
antine when no good reason exists.
"Is it advisable to permit the physi-
clan in attendance to determine when
the quarantine should be raised?"
Resolution Adopted.
In answer to this question your at
tention is called to the following &C
ton of the Wayne County Medical So
ciety at it's regular meeting, March 9Th,
1913.
In view of the following facts,
namely:
That scarlet fever is and has been
for many months prevalent in Rich
mond and Wayne county an epidemic
of measles is imminent and other con-
tagious diseases continue to occur at
times. That the law of the State en-
powers the local health office only to
enforce quarantine in contagious dis
eases for such time and in such man
ner as he deems wise and necessary.
Be it resolved by the Wayne County
Medical Society, That we adopt the
following as the course to be pursued
by us with reference to the period of
quarantine in contagious disease.
When a physician dismisses a patient
or is dismissed from such a case, he
shall promptly notify the Health De-
partment; the Health Officer shall
then assume sole charge and shall de-
termine by personal visit or by deputy
when conditions indicate the lifting of
quarantine.
us it unnecessary to follow the in
structions in the rules, to exclude from
school other children of the family I'M
less disinfected and isolated for ten
days."
The rule of the State Board of
Health referred to read as follows:
Exclusion of the patient and of chill
dren associated with the patient
from school for ten days after removal
of quarantine. Other children of the
family may at the discretion of the
health officer having Jurisdiction, be
disinfected and removed to another
house and shall there be isolated and
excluded from school for a period of
ten days and then released provided
they remain free from disease The
local health officer has adopted this
rule and considers it a necessary meas
ure. To our personal knowledge, the
largest factor in the continued preva-
lence of scarlet-fever in Richmond is
first the unreported cases, some in
tentionally concealed to avoid quaran-
tine and others so mild that they
were not recognized by the family;
second, the delayed recognition and
reporting of cases, thus allowing 9th.
er persons both in and out of the fam
lily to become infected. The fatal
cases in the present epidemic have oc-
CURED in this way.
To carry out the plan adopted will
involve increased expense on the part
of the health department. This the
public will have to bear. but it should
do so willingly for the sake of the pro
lection afforded. Even this arrange
ment is not ideal. The best plan would
be to have the health officer on an ad
equate salary devoting all his time to
the public health.
DR.. George B. Hunt.
POI North 7th st.
Sec'V WaVpp 20 Medical