The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-25
A Serious Disease Is Being
Spread Far and Wide.
Prompt Measures Are Planned
to Arrest the COntagiOn.
CERTIFICATES OF HEALTH
Will Be Required From All
Persons Handling Milk.
County Authorities Have Been
Asked to Give Assistance.

Prompt action for the protection of
innocent persons in Topeka against
the spread OF a most serious dis
ease is believed necessary by Jay f.
House. mayor, and the members OF
the city commission. Admissions made
by three women now under arrest ana
being given medical attention At city
expense, have alarmed city OfflclilS-
According to the admissions OF the
women they have been spreading DIS
ease promiscuousiy in Topeka since
January. They have supplied the po-
lice with the names of fifteen OF their
victims, and frankly admit that this is
only small percentage of the total
number
The number is so great that Mr.
Leslie Rowles, city milk inspector, de-
cided. after a conference with W. L.
Porter, city commissioner OF PARKS
Mayor House and George F. Hayden:
CITY attorney. that certificates OF
health from reputable physicians
would be required of all persons hand
ling any of the milk sold in Topeka
I'VE do not know that any persons
handling milk have the disease III
question said Dr. Rowles, but we
do know that the disease has been
spread so extensively that there Is
possibility of such a condition. ana the
CITY can not afford to take any
chances of a contaminated milk sup
ply whereby. the disease might be
communicated to babies and other in
nocent persons The germ OF tins DIS
ease is so small that it escapes ordl-
nary meteorological tests.
While the city is exercising all Wig
lance possible county officials seem
to be apathctic-
County Is Asked to Help.
To-day Miss Kate King. welfare
worker ana KilmaurS King, city hu-
name officer. appeared before the
board OF county commissioners and
asked that the county take charge OF
man suffering from the disease They
had found the man lOafing around
grocery store. His condition IS such
as TO make him dangerous to the gen.
eraI public. The county commission
ers were asked TO provide the 1undS
for having the man kept isolated pend
ing medical treatment. The request
was denied ard Miss King took the
matter to Mayor House.
The mayor got in communication
with F. E. Nipps. chairman OF the
county board.
."What we want to know is what VIA
the county do?~ the mayor asked Mr..
Chairman Nipps suggested that the
man be taken to the city detention
hospital.
MAYOR, because we can not take the
risk of the mans comm unicating the
disease to the patients there; neither
have we the right to expose this man
the hospital have"
well, we might pay room rent for
the man for couple of months, but
we will not play his other bills" House
was informed.
And then L hung up the receiver
/ was disgusted- The idea of a big
county like Shawnee quibbling over IS
in a case like this" said the mayor.
Il am told the city has no legal way
of caring for cases like this-that such
persons are to run at large and be a
public menace and the city is power
less to protect the public.
But whether it is possible or not
/ am going to do it l have no fund
upon which to draw to meet such ex-
penses, but 1 am not going to let red
tape stand in the way. If the county
commissioners wish to tie themselves
i am going to have these cases isolated
and the public protected and we will
figure how to pay the bills later
There is one case, however, which
has not been isolated. 1t has been
passed on to prey upon some other
community. Thursday Sheriff l. L.
Kiene was called to Shorey to arrest
a man who had been calling at houses
asking for food and making himself
offensive.
The man was found to be in
frightfully advanced stage of disease.
ground that the disease had unbal-
anced his mind. Physically he was in
such condition that he was both Of
ferSiVe and dangerous to any one near
him. To place him in the county Jail
would be a menace to the ether pris-
oners. Realizing the dissemination of
the county mmisSsiOnerS to pay for
isolation ard treatment of such cases
Sheriff Kiene took matters in his own