Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-08-07

That there is no restriction on Nor
wich people taking their children to
the shore for a days outing was the
statement made on Sunday night by
Health Officer Edward J. Brophy. The
order that no children under Is years
of age, who are residents of any town
or city other than Norwich, be al
lowed to remain in Norwich unless
they present a certificate from their
local health officer stating that there
are no cases of infantile paralysis in
the cities or towns where they reside,
has caused some misunderstanding on
the part of Norwich people. 1t is to
be noticed that the order reads no
children under sixteen years who are
residents of any town or city other
than Norwich"
Any Norwich people who wish to take
their children TO the shore for a days
outing will have no difficulty in re-
turning to Norwich. Even though
they are stopped by the guards it will
be an easy matter for them to estab-
lish their residence in this city. DR..
BrOphy, however, warns them not to
stay at any shore resort over twenty
four hours for if they do and circum-
stances warrant they may be quaran-
tined for three weeks on arrival home.
1t is up to the people of Norwich to
keep away from the disease and they
should use all power in their means
to keep their children away from the
The theory has been advanced that
I the disease may be carried by a third
person. That is, a person who is not
sick, but who has come in contact
with a child who has the disease may
carry the germs on his or her clothes
and thus spread the disease to others,
especially young children. For this
reason Dr. Brophy says that local peo-
pie should be wary about entertaining
visitors, even adults. This statement
is given weight by the fact that a
woman who had lost all her children
in New York came to Fftchville and
soon after her arrival a case develop
ed in that place. The only available
| explanation of the appearance of the
case in TitchTille is that the woman
acted as q carrier and brought the dis
ease from New York.
AS it is impossible to tell who are
carriers and who are not nor how long
it takes to develop the disease. DR..
BrOphy feels that the present methods
are the only means of preventing the
disease from entering Norwich.
Letter of Warning.
In connection with the epidemic
DR.. Black received Saturday the follow
ing letter from Chas. S. Banks, senior
surgeon for the public health service
of the United States, with headquart-
ers in New York city:
I wish to advise you of my posi-
ton as officer in charge Of the gov
erEment measures, to prevent the
relation to conditions in Connecticut,
Railroad Inspection.
Our system has been from the
start, land will be so pursued,) one
of notification of travel from, OF
! of persons in transit through New
! York city, 70 interstate points. BY
the authority of law, this system OF
the common carriers and they are
acting hereunder to refuse entrance
| into trains or boats, to all persons
under IS years of age, without oul
/ certification. This system is working
completely to the exclusion of such
travel by order Of the traffic managers
| Of their respective gatemen and ticket
| sellers.
As to Auto Travellers.
We also reach automobile trave
/ as far as possible. Our officers
| twenty five in number, are stationed
| at every depot and ferry and boat
| line leading out of the city to in
| terstate points. 1t therefore follows
! that if any town or state refuses
Eentry to such travel, or has an alb
sOlute quarantine our notification
! is useless and merely adds unneces-
sary work on the officers who are
| busy enough examining children
about to travel and issuing the re-
! quired notices to health officers. SucF
| travellers would be refused entrance
to towns or within it, and our cffOr1
! to help town officials to locate adr
quarantine such travel is, in effect
respected.
/ have so notified towns that have
| taken this position and informed
! them that when they had decided tt
raise the embargo, I should instruc
our officers to resume notification.
The Connecticut Embargo.
While it is true that communities II
| New York state and New Jersey
| have adopted this embargo, in {
! few instances, it is also true thai
towns in Connecticut have done i
as a general rule. That is theil
privilege if they think it a better
way to deal with the problem. but i
| is applied by them illOgicalIy, fol-
residents of these towns visit New
! York city and return daily. An en-
! barge to be effective, should apply
to resident as well as NONRESIDENT
! travel.
Making due allowances for the ex-
| aggregation of the newspaper fra
| ternity who wish to write up situa-
| lions of this nature, it is a fact tina
| other New England states are doing
nothing of this sort to complicatC
matters. They are imposing such TEN.
/ y
rantine for q, given period, as is am
ply justified by the circumstances.
| 1t seems to me that there are bu
! two ways of handling this matter
] a complete cessation Of outward az
J we'll as inward travel by those loca
officials who believe in a rigid en-.
barge or an intelligent system o.
| inspecting and OBTAINING each en-.
trant under 16 years Of age on ar,
rival.
To the former I can be OF no use
| to the latter I may be of materia
assistance under federal authority
! 7 would be glad if you could give
the substance of this letter, as {
whole, to those whom it may concern
either to local health officers direct Of
| through the public press as you may
! think best.
Respectfully,
CHARLES E. BANKS.
| Senior Surgeon