The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-09-28
ALL CITIES URGED TO ASSIST
Local Health Department Gets State
ment Showing Demand for Care in
Preventing Spread of Disease In
This Part of State Next Year.

To forewarn Wisconsin citizens of
the danger of a serious epidemic of
infantile paralysis next year, the State
Board of Health has addressed com
munication to every health officer in
the state, asking that public action be
instituted at once to restrict the pos
sibility of a general outbreak. Health
officers are asked to take up with
mayors, councils, Or Boards Of Health
for the betterment of sanitary
conditions.
Every city and village in the state
is petitioned to enact ordinances COW
ering garbage, alleys, streets, manure
piles, cesspools, dust, debris of any
type, low places where water accumu-
lates, and rubbish of all kinds. It is
advised that homes be screened against
flies IN the spring, and general clean
up of the interior of the homes insisted
upon, and that if the results sought
are not obtained, some method of en-
forcing cleanliness be adopted.
I'VE believe that this procedure can
be taken with little expense" says the
board Is communication, "and in do
ing so not only will the possibility of
an epidemic Of infantile paralysis be
lessened, but the protection Of the
children will he increased against
oCnar diseases k4.sa a8ge from time
to time been a large factor in increas-
ing the death rate.''
Wisconsin IS incidence of infantile
paralysis, now about two hundred and
seventy-fve cases since July l, is not
regarded as an epidemic, being
scattered very generally throug hout
the state. It's abatement is expected
with cooler weather.
State Health Officer @. A. Harper.
who attended the recent Washington
conference on infantile paralysis, in
forms the health officers the general
opinion of sanitarians throughout the
country is that there will be danger
of serious epidemic next year in the
states mildly affected this year unless
unusual precautions are used to bring
about conditions unfavorable TO the
development of the disease. Expert
ence in New York and New Jersey
proved conclusively that the disease
has not occurred in any patients con-
fined in hospitals for ailments other
than poliomyelitis. This proves that
cleanliness of the environment, free
dom from dust and flies, and the
hygienic and sanitary methods asso-
eiated with hospitals are important fac
tors in safeguarding children.
Eastern experience this year also
shows that a lower general death rate
has resulted from cleanup campaigns
instituted in the cities.
"Unfortunately,'' says DR.. Harper.
"we are still ignorant of the direct
agencies of transmission of this dis
ease. The only real clue we have CON
corning its prevention is high
standard of hygiene and sanitation.
1t appears reasonable and also import
ant that general crusade should be
instigated this fall and next spring on
the cleanup proposition, and every
point where there is filth of any char
acter should be given careful consid-
GRAFTON, the fifth eliminated, and all
factors and forces producing insani-
tary conditions should be disposed of.
There is no time like the present to
give this matter consideration. y
Health authorities at the Washing
ton meeting were agreed that general
high standards of hygiene and santa
ton are absolutely essential to pre-
vent epidemics next year and possibly
in years TO come. Since 1900 the United
States has been the habita of this dis
ease. Other countries, through adj
vanced sanitation, have eliminated If.
The death rate in children from sum
mer complaints in the past five years
has been reduced seventy-fve per cent
in this state, only one child now dying
from those maladies where four used
to die. This is due to better water
and milk, greater care in feeding. and
more general cleanliness. It is believ-
ed that this death rate can be reduced
ninety-fve per cent in the next year
BY applying reasonable sanitary and
hygienic principles.
The state board appeal is not issued
as 9Wolf cry to cause unnecessary
ALARM but seeks common sense appli- |
cation Of sanitary principles in a time