The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-12-21
The Isolation Hospital.

real needs of Kenosha, lot of men
who are in authority are asking the
question, What s the Use.?' Isola-
ton hospitals are a part of the real
equipment of the modern city. Men
who build real cities regard them just
as important as the court house, or the
fire stations, or the city hall. Many
people regard them of more Importance.
These are the people who believe that
the protection of life is just as import
ant as the protection of property.
Kenosha has always had the bad habit
of regarding property rights first and
the value of Human life second 1t has
expressed this idea in meager provision
for its department of health for years
and it expresses it again by delay and
argument over the building of the iso-
lation hospital OF course, the argu-
ment is raised that no one will want
an isolation hospital near their home.
This argument will be raised just as
strongly ten years from now or fifty
years from now On account of
just such arguments the people elect
men to take the bull by the horns and
do business for the city.
An isolation hospital would probably
cost the city in the neighborhood of
fifteen thousand dollars. Right now
there is not single person ready to
go into such hospital. 1t might look
to some people as a useless expenditure,
but that same man would probably con
slider the man fool who in the blush
of robust health walks into the Office
of life insurance agent and tells
him to write a policy on his life. He
might say that the man who insures
his home against fire while the roof
of the building is in tack is lacking in
wisdom and a spendthrift.
Through some mercy of Divine
Providence, Kenosha has so far been
spared from serious epidemic of disease.
By this we mean that scores have not
died in day. Of course, in the past
years there las been times when an
isolation hospital might have resulted
in the saving of many lives. All peo-
pie do not know the regulations for
handling cases of contagious diseases.
Many who know them do not observe
them and for this reason the coming
of an epidemic Of such diseases to
Kenosha is an easy matter. An empty
isolation hospital would be monument
to the forethought of the people of
Kenosha. One filed with patients
properly protected so that they could
not spread the disease far and wide
would be the saving of the lives OF
scores Of little children.
1t is easy enough to temporize, but
when the need for an isolation hospital
occurs it is an urgent need. It can not
be met by make-shift. Kenosha prob
ably spends more than fifteen thousand
dollars every year to protect buildings
owned by the municipality against
fire. Isn't it fair to ask that it make
a permanent investment of fifteen
thousand dollars to offer some protec-
ton for the lives of its children and
it's adults The cost Of maintaining an
isolation hospital is not going to be a
milestone about the necks of the
property owners.
If the city is fortunate to be free
of contagious disease there will be no
need of opening the doors of the build
ing. If the necessity arises to protect
hn ar
of maintenance will not be great.
Probably few thousands of dollars
will take care of all the demands of
the hospital for several years. 1t
needs no permanent. superintendent, no
corps Of nurses, not even a caretaker.
Tt is no more expensive to maintain
than the insurance policy against fire
or the benefit certificate against the
entrance of death into the home.
The modern ways Of fighting disease
is to prevent the spread Of disease.
The county has shown results by open
in a sanitarium for the treatment Of
patients Ill with tuberculosis. Segre-
cation of such people has undoubtedly
saved many lives ana mucn misery TO
the people of the city and county. The
isolation hospital goes even farther
than the sanitarium. 1t comes when
the need of isolation is greatest and
takes away the dangerous of ignorance
or the wilfull disrespect for the laws
of health and the protection of the
neighbors. It matters little where the
isolation hospital is located. 1t need
not be in the center Of thickly pop
ulated district of the city, but it may
be located in just such district with
less danger to the people than a single
home in which the laws Of quarantine
are not strictly enforced An isolation
hospital is no longer q 'Fpest house.. -
1t is not place for men and women
and children to die, but a place for
them to recover and where they can
recover without sowing throughout
whole communities the seeds of disease
which may bring death to others.
Modern science mas taken death
farther away from homes of people
Most diseases are durable diseases now
and the most approved way to cure a