The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-19
Health Nursing AssOcia-
ton FavOrS Ordinance.
DIR. III. L. Clark Thinks Such
Steps Are Desirable.
CITY MAY PASS ORDINANCE
Treat Patients Like Those With
Contagious Diseases
Many Cases in City Not Report
ed to Authorities.

Complet isolation of all Topeka tu-
berculars from their families and the
public at large is revolutionary re-
form advocated by the Topeka Public
Health Nursing association. The re-
form. if it materializes, will be real
lied thru the medium of an ordinance
passed by the city commissioners.
Already Commissioner w. L. Por-
ter has received an opinion from
George P. Hayden, city attorney, on
the legality of such an ordinance and
its enforcement by the city health Of
ficers. Mr. Hayden declares that iso-
lation of tubercular patients is as law
full as that of smallpox, scarlet fever
and measles patients. That opinion
was rendered several weeks ago.
However, no definite steps toward
the realization of a complete isolation
scheme were taken until at the an
nual meeting of the Public Health
Nursing association at the Chamber
of Commerce. The great white
plague, its dangers and the indiffer-
ence of the people to the danger of
its spreading were the principal sub
jects of discussion.
Clark for Isolation.
Then, DR.. H. L. Clark, city physi-
clan, ignited the bomb by advocating
complete isolation of tuberculars from
their families. He didn't overlook the
opposition such a revolutionary pro-
cedure would cause. Yet, both Dr.
Clark and DR.. F. L. Loveland advo-
Gated that such action be taken imne-
diately.
I'VE should have authority to take
these patients away from their fam
lies, thus avoiding the danger of
contagion, but in most instances they
refuse to go, in spite of the menace
to their own children" said DIR. Clark
Dr. Loveland declared that only
40 of the 200 cases of tuberculosis
found in Topeka were reported. He
predicted that as long as people con-
tinue lax in reporting these cases in
time for physicians to benefit, tuber-
culosis will continue to increase. DIR.
Loveland and DR.. w. w. Mills have
given their services free in treating
patients at the new tubercular sani-
tarium. A vote of thanks was tend
cred to them for their work.
Mrs. Growers Report.
Mrs. Mary Grover. school nurse, re-
ported that she had inspected 4,4O0
pupils during the year. Forty-six
were sent to hospitals, and the parents
of eighty-eight children were induced
to consent to operations for adenoids
and other throat troubles. Expendi-
lures of the association in the last
year have amounted to $10,026.11, ac-
cording to the report of Miss Kate
Pierson, secretary of the association.
H. G. West. Mrs. Arch Catlin, A
A. GODDARD, DR.. S. J. Crumbine, Scott
Hopkins and DR.. H. L. Clark were
unanimously reelected members of
the board of directors. The report of
Miss Bertha Saville, superintendent of
the association, read by Mrs. F. L.
Loveland. showed that the nurses
have made S,053 trips to patients in
a year, have cared for 1,069 patients,
have sent nineteen patients to the
tubercular sanitarium, eighteen to
hospitals and thirty-nine to the tu-
berculosis clinic at the Provident as
Sociation.