El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-25
Will This NEW QUARANTINE LAW
WORK? ANYHOW, IT'S WELL MEANT|

BIT Of Texas legislation which seemed almost to have
escaped public attention until It became law last
week may rightfuly claim to be Of the most pro
nouuoed examples Of advanced legislation passed The
tact is merely mentioned in passing That it is called
that is freash rather than beneficial The act is one
compelling doctors to report for quarantine all cases Of
certain social diseases Of infectious nature and Obgng
presumably until the period wherein the disease might be
communicated had passed. otherwise until cure had been
effected, for that is what 1t would amount to-
It IS a good thing to state take action to fight
these diseases which not the less prevalent because
seldom discussed outside the privacy Of physicians office
OF IN meetings or clinics Of the medical profession That
profession very well realizes how widely spread through the
human race those diseases are and what part they play
IN ue spread OF oIner diseases now their contamination
passes from generation to generation; how defomity
crime insanity and death often result from them
when they themselves may not be Conceaent and only
their manifestations apparent.
Granted the good intent Of such law, It viii be most
interesting how IT in operation whether It
VIII Be enforced whether, like many other laws,
VIII be generally disTegarded and become dead letter
Hll physicians report such diseases viii they,
Of them do with other diseases supposed to be quar-
sntned like measles and mumps, merely caution against
contact with other persons and report the cases for
quarantlnes Doctors are VIGOROUSLY Teiss about quar-
antining measles
If The physicians do take pains to report every case
interesting situations are bound 10 arise. In
stances Il IS conceivable that patients might be quaranned
for the Of their lives which might be for IS or so
years even longer for there diseases which
yield readily to treatment in advanced stages even with
constitutions the most robust and not at all when the
constitution is quite robust Nor in most cases Of the
most vTuleut disease would physician be willing
pledge his word that the patient had recovered thoroughly
to avoid the danger Of communicating the malady to
others
IF quarautniug al social diseases meant isolation in one
building, Ike pesthouse for smallpox strict reporting
Of cases would mean the filling Of an establishment Of
some magnitude, as any physician VIII If it
only the confinement OF the patient his home or room
and the warning Of others away by placard,
there would be noticeable plenude Of pacards and they
CT nature 10 prove embarrassing, matter what
scpu0n they bore, whether any all These state
ne1ts made full realization Of TIE shame which
such conditions inspire and the other hand with
intent to convey the false impression that OF
human race Is tainted Relatively, the number is rather
small IN which these lOsthsOme diseases acuely present
In larger number including many innocent and clean
living persons, the faint inherited quasi-dormaut
Presumably the matter Of quarantine in its practical app
cation, would be matter Of understanding between the
4uara1nlng officer and the patient, with the threat OF
Consider the patients side. If the law is to be strictly
enforced, and that is the only supposition right
10 conside-because take IL for granted all laws viii
be strictly enorced-i sufferers from disease consult
physicians thus putting themselves IN the way Of quar-
n1e, or VIII they resort to the doubtful even danger
Gus ezpedient Of sefeatment? Or vet again VIII they
leave the state for other state where physicians may
be visited without the quarantine feature? total quar-
autine Of months years duration would be a most
oTbddng prospect; partial quarantine not at all pleasing
But the trainers Of the law doubtless contemplated ii
principally as a preventive measure; which BY its
very severity, would tend to deter people from sins which
would constitute exposure TO disease Perhaps so: o. If
not perhaps 1t would promote their migration to other