Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-29


lie safety. In this schedule are placed:
Anthrax, cerebrospinal meningitis, diph-
iberia (membranous Group, dysentery,
epidemic or septic sore throat. glanders,
leprosy, measles. paratyphoid fever, poll
omyelitis, scarlet fever. and typhoid
fever.
observation" is defined to mean and
include the inspection from time to time
by the officers or agents Of the local
board Of health Of persons suffering
from any Of the diseases which are no
tifable but which are not subject to the
regulations for full quarantine or modi-
fed quarantine. The main idea in con-
nection with the diseases placed under
observation" is that the local health
department shall exercise such degree
Of supervision and control over such
persons as may be deemed necessary to
prevent their becoming dangerous to the
public. To be placed Under observation
are those affected with chicken-pox,
German measles, humps, ophthalmia
noonatorum. pellagra. rabies. tetanus,
trachoma. or whooping-cough.
Rule provides a more definite under
standing of what shall be the duties Of
parents in keeping their children upon
their own premises when those premis-
es are under quarantine, and what the
duties shall be of other parents or other
guardians in keeping the children under
their charge away from houses or prem
ises or yards which are held under quar-
antine. There is in this section a more
definite definition Of responsibilities than
we have hitherto had.
While Rule provides that adults
need not always be quarantined and
seeks in fact to mitigate so far as pos
sible the inconvenience of quarantine.
Rules 10 and IL on the other hand pro-
vide that in certain Of the more dan
gerous diseases, when the person who Is
infected cannot be properly isolated or
when the orders or regulations OF the
health officials are violated or disobeyed,
the local board of health or health Off
Ger may enforce full quarantine or mod
flied quarantine when in the opinion of
the local board the public safety re-
quires such action.
Rule IL will enable milkmen and gro
cerymen as we'll as local boards Of
health and househoders to have a more
definite understanding Of the precaution-
airy measures which are required to pre-
vent such purveyoTs Of necessary sup
plies or the bottles Of milkmen from
acting as the medium for the transport
tation of infection.
For the reason that In cases Of ty-
phoid fever and various other infec-
tious diseases the infection has been
transmitted in the early stages Of the
disease. Rules Is and 16 authorize and
require the attending physician to take
action Immediately upon discovering a
case of infectious disease for the pur-
pose Of securing the proper isolation of
the patient and particularly in typhoid
fever and the other diseases which are
disseminated through the infectious de-
jections Of the patient, the physician is
required. upon his first visit, or as soon
as he has reason to suspect the onset
of one of these diseases, to advise the
nurse or other person in. attendance in
regard to the disinfection and disposal
of excreta
Careful provisions are made in these
rules and regulations for guarding
against the transmission Of infection
through milk or other dairy products
and to this end it becomes the duty Of
the physician to report forthwith cases
Of certain Of the infectious diseases
which may be found in such places, and
it is also made the duty of the owners
or persons in charge of dairy farms to
report promptly so asto- work in CO.
operation with the health department in
limiting the danger of milk borne infec-
ton. In cases of typhoid fever or 9TH
err diseases which may be milk-borne
appearing upon a farm or in a dairy.
there are definite provisions under which
the owners of such places may be per-
mitted to carry on their work.