The Robesonian., 1918-02-21
IF A COMMUNITY WOULD
CONTROL DISEASE
To the Editor of The Robesonian.
No Individual, Parent, Teacher, Doc
tor or Officer Should Violate
Quarantine Law.

demic of measles or whooping cough,
but it is an easy matter for a COM
munity to prevent such a calamity.
For instance, few weeks ago, in a
thriving rural community in this
State, a physician was called to see
a sick child. He said that the child
most likely had whooping cough. But
for two weeks he never came nor in
Qulred to know for sure, and what is
worse, he never reported it to the
other children in the family contract
ed the disease and continued to go to
school. The result is, there are twen-
ty cases of whooping cough in the
neighborhood, one baby death has
occurred, and the school has been
closed for a period of four weeks or
longer.
Now this epidemic that caused a
needless death and much sickness
that could have been prevented, to
say nothing of the time and money
lost by closing the school, probably
would not have happened had that
physician reported that first case to
the county quarantine officer That
was the doctors duty as prescribed
by the State Quarantine Law. 1t
would have been the duty Of the quar-
antine officer to have had the house
tined, also those in the house who had
not had whooping cough. This would
have prevented the infection spread
, ing to the school and through the
school to the community. He also
would have given the parents the
proper instructions for dealing with
the sick child, and other members Of
the family, and for keeping the dis
ease from spreading. To have OBJ
served these rules would have bee.l the
family's duty. The neighbors would
have been given a fair chance, by
4 knowing that the disease existed in
the community, to have protected
themselves and their families from
. the disease To have done this would
have been the neighbors' duty.
= Vhe point to this story is that as
important as it was for the doctor
| to have done his duty in complying
| with the State quarantine law, just sc
! important is it that every Individual
in any community shall do his DUTY
| by the same law. Parents, doctors
teachers and the quarantine Office
have an equal share in making the
| quarantine law effective. A violation
on the part Of one defeats the whole
purpose of the law. In other words
| to control the spread Of whoopine
cough, measles or any other communi
cable disease in community requires
the cooperation of everybody in thai
community.
The first duty of every individual
is to report at once any case of con
tagious disease to the county quar-
antine officer. In no other way is nj
II s-4~ II
| will then give you the further need
law-abiding citizen will be glad to fol
low These instructions are the onl.
safeguards known for protecting til
health of your own family and that 0
your neighbor's. You are fortunate i
= that you live in a State where tn
= best methods known have been pro
vided to protect your children fror
unnecessary disease.
Communicable Diseases.
Cases Of communicab BILE diseases re
ported to me last month were:
Typhoid Fefer.
| Mas Brown, Maxton; Thurma
II Parnell, I.umberton.
WhOOping Cough.
ii Nellie Campbell, Maxton; Dice
! Floyd, (Colored) Fairmont; Flossi
1 lOyu, L dlIlllO1lC, IlSSCSl -I4OyO, L a.
mont; three children of Geo. Jacob
st. Pauls.
Dipther;a.
Fannie Currie, Lumberton; Len
Owens, Lumber Bridge; Francis Bas
Barnesville.
Measles.
Lessie Taylor, George Taylor, Wn
Taylor, Ben Seasons, Collins Clar
Mrs. Henry Burchett, Jno. B. Smit
Isaac S. Smith, Claudine Smith, Woo
- row Smith, Katherine Smith, Mrs. !
B. Miller, John Miller, Bertha Levi
Ill C. Lewis, Fannie B. Lewis, Lorer
Lewis, Florine Bullock, Flora Bulloc
Rosa Lee Eady, (colored), Roger D;
\ Wis, Herman Davis, Eley Davis, -
\ seph Davis, Walter Regan, Add
Moody, Kathedraf Bradley, Ru1
Wilmington, Mary Bell Jones "a
Fairmont; Newsom Woode, Martf
Woode, Orrum; Alma Hill, Eveli1
Hill-&arietta Mrs. E. J. Britt, Lun
berton; w. D. Lewis, Pembroke.
AxrrnrrAHr mn00Dc