Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1916-08-03
NECESSITY FOR REPORTING
CASES OF TUBERCULOSIS TO
THE STATE BOARD OF
HEALTH.
(By James A. Hayne, M. D., Secre-
tary and State Health Officer.)

! lOolS al cS SeASo AA
cases if diagnosed in its incipiency
and the individual who has the dis.
ease properly instructed in the meth
cd of taking care of himself. There is
no specific for the disease, although
symptoms sometimes require medi.
cines. Routine administration of med.
icine is useless. The best means we
have of combating this disease is by
a campaign of education. By this
campaign we prevent the self ad-
ministration of nostrums containing
usually either alcohol or opium. AL
cohol is not only communicated, but
is about the worst drug that a person
suffering from tuberculosis can take,
Opium by dulling the sensibilities Of
the patient is a most insidious and
dangerous drug in this disease. 1t
deceives the poor sufferer into a be-
lief that his disease is being arrest
ed, and for this reason millions of
dollars have been made by unscrupu-
lous quacks and sellers of patent med
icines. The only cure for the disease
is rest in bed when there is tempera-
ture, sleep in the open air, taking an
excess of nourishing food. such as
milk, eggs, meat etc. Exercise pres
cribed by a competent physician, and
not too much exercise. Careful at
%tention to personal hygiene and the
cure of intercurrent diseases which
may accompany the tuberculosis, such
as malaria.
The State Board of Health wishes
to disseminate the above knowledge.
1t wishes to be in touch as far as
possible, with every tubercular pa
tient in the State; to send them in
structions so that they may know
how to take care of themselves and
how they may prevent those with
whom they come in contact from con-
tracing the disease. 1t also wishes to
advise them that a course of treat
ment at a properly conducted sana-
torium, which the State provides, will
give them in a practical manner a
method for the cure of this disease
in themselves, and how to instruct
others who are afflicted. We have an
ideal s%anatorium, where the best of
food and the best Of medical atten-
ton is furnished for q nominal cost,
and we want the public, especially
those who have tuberculosis to know
it, but we have no method of reaching
or even of knowing who are suffering
with this disease unless the attending
physician reports same.
The regulations Of the State Board
of Health promulgated under author
ity of Act 419 entitled, an act to au-
thorize the executive committee of
the state board of health to adopt,
promulgate and enforce rules and
regulations for the betterment and
protection of the public health of the
state of South Carolina, is as fol-
lows:
every physician in the state OF
South Carolina shall report in writ
ing or by an acknowledged telephone
communication to the local health au-
thority, where such exists, where one
does not exist, to the state health Of
ficer, Immediately after his or her
first professional visit, each patient,
he or she shall have suffering, or H.
pected to be suffering, with any con-
tagious disease. And if such a dis
ease is of a pestilential nature, he
shall Immediately notify the State
Health Officer at Columbia by tele-
graph or telephone at State expense.
He or she shall report, as required
above, every death from such contagi-
Gus or pestilential disease immediate
ly after it shall have occurred. The
attending physician is authorized and
it is made his duty to place the pa
tient, the household and the premises
under the restrictions as hereinafter
provided for the management and
control of said disease"
The penalty is as follows:
"That any person who shall, after
notice, violate, disobey, refuse, omit
or neglect to comply with any rule of
said executive committee of the state
board of health, made by it in pur-
suance of this act, shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be fined not exceeding
the sum of one hundred dollars or
Imprisonment for thirty days: Provid-
ed, this section shall not apply to
any person until the rules of the
state board of health are promuleat-