The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-11-30
Chatsworth.

DeSuetuQe seems 10 nave aDrOgated
the principles of humanity in the rul-
ings of our local health board Some
monthsago they refused and neglected
to quarantine local case of diphtheria,
and resulting from that inexcusable act,
we have suffered from an epidemic of
that dread disease. Despite the fact that
the only deaths from that affiiction were
due to the failure to give antitoxin in
one case, and tardily in another, when
its administration, to be effective, was
worthless, ordinary reasoning would
suggest that supply Of antitoxin
| (which is the greatest medical discovery
of this or any other age) would be pro-
vided by the township authorities for
emergencies, at least for use inithe homes
of patients not Immediately ready to
meet the expense. 1t is sorrowful COM
mentary on the ethics of this locality
that this precaution was evaded, and
our local physician, who obtained a
supply from DR.. John Flynn in order to
meet the conditions which obtained,
was warned that he gave that remedy at
his own risk, and the village authorities
would not pay for it; but relying on the
justice of our courts to compel our town
committeeman to recognize the claims
of physician, who was determined to
lift the sentence of death which our
civic magnates adiudged on all unfor-
tunate enough to be visited by that pes
| tilential horror-diphtheria- persisted
| in the use of antitoxin and all his
patients are alive. 1t is but fair to adj
NIT that our freeholder, George Bozarth,
has offered to liquidate the bill, if I'M
collectable from the town.
Our state board of health came nobly
to the rescue last week by writing to our
town clerk, informing him that they
had heard that our schools and churches
were closed on account of the prevalence
of diphtheria, and to please send them
full Information. The clerk in turn
gave the letter to our local blacksmith,
where it received the scientific attention
| it's belated interest demanded. The
state board was notified by phoue, letter,
and this column several months ago of
the conditions existing here, and the
awful ignorance demonstrated in COM
batting the situation, and the dangers
by contiguity confronting other places;
but being evidently of the same stripe
as our local types, their negligence and
our pusillanimity left this community
in danger of having to defend several
criminal and civil suits for damages for
vided. Recently the state board sent
man here who ordered the schools to be
opened, but the mothers of the district
took hand in the matter, and the adj
vice and suggestions of the state board
of health were sensibly ignored.
Apropos of the activities of our local
health board, the membership of that
body comprises nearly all of our store
keepers, and despite our low rentals,
non-delivery of purchases, and high
selling prices, you would hardly credit
that all food sGuffs-meat, bread, ETC.,
are wrapped in old newspapers, and as
there are only few people here who re-
ceive daily paper, it is matter of
some concern to the state to learn the
address of the junkshop where those
ancient malodOrus tobacco and rum
soaked old newspapers are obtained. A
ldiphtheretic or any other kind of an
epidemic is possible when we invite and
tolerate the conditions which cause it,
Our storekeepers are certainly not in
business for our health, and it is to be
hoped that negotiations which are now
proceeding to start meat and grocery
store here on hygienic principles, will be
pushed to successful conclusion.
Last week proposition to spend
$1,000 on repairing and adding to our
school house shack was voted on affirm
atively This makes the fifth time that
school money has been voted for this or
similar purposes without results. Mr..
Morse, of the state board of education,
and the state architect were present at
the meeting, the one with few ju-
dicious remarks concerning the possible
| ity of losing the state school appropri-
alton unless we threw into the discard
our trance-like interest in school affairs,
and the other with some plans showing
how money could be expended. We
were only slightly interested in the latter
phase. From experience we know how
to handle school funds, and. need no
outsider to post us along those lines.
The idea that the town money must be
spent for the purpose for which it is APP
propriated is fine sentiment, and as
we know the purposes, why we all act
accordingly 1t would be interesting to
watch that architects face when he ex-
amines what we construct for that app
l propriation.