The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-01-04

laid down by the health officer t.
stamp out the influenza which is nov
prevalent are causing c~onsiderabl,
discussion, and there are a number
of people that object thereto. It il
believed that these objections ar
largely due to the lack of understand
ing as to the reasons therefore, ane
inasmuch as these reasons are of 6
scientific nature, based upon bacteri
illogical knowledge, the Star-Mirrol
has had prepared an article, which is
published herewith, with the hope tina,
it will be of service to it's patrons
in giving them a better understanding
of the reasons for the quarantine and
assist them in protecting themselves
and other members of the community
from the spread of this disease which
has caused more deaths than the re-
cent war and all other epidemics that
have prevailed in u country for
many. years past.
The Whyfore of Quarantine Rules.
During the past year the disease
known as influenza has become pam
demic throughout the world. 1t has
developed and spread to such an ex-
tent that it is now considered a
plague. The death rate in some To-
calltles has been enormous. The NOR
tally among our soldier boys has
been greater than that caused by bull
lets and other diseases combined. The
disease developed and spread so rap
idly that it caused chaos to prevail
in the minds of the health officers and
the public at large. The specific or
ganism causing the disease is not
known to scientists, therefore, the
medical professions and health Of
ficers have been unable to develop a
specific preventative or curitive agent
for the Until such time as the
organism producing the disease can
be isolated and it's life habits specifi-
cally determined no specific way of
combating Ear be provided.
While the organism that produces
influenza is not known, it has been
determined that influenza is an in
fectious disease, a disease caused by
a living organism, which can undoubt-
eddy be classed as a bacteria, thus,
until more specific knowledge is had,
the medical professions and health of
ficers car only use those precautions
that have been found effective in the
combating of other bacterial diseases.
This they are e~ndeavoring to do by
the utilization of quarantine rules
that have been found effective in the
control of smallpox, scarlet fever,
measles, mumps, etc. The quarantine
rules for these various diseases are
modified in accordance with the Sc
verify and degree of the contagion
possessed by each, they are also modi-
fled in accordance with the mode of
infection and transmission Of the di-
sease.
1t is not the purpose of this article
to deal with the various notifications
of these quarantine rules as laid down
for the several diseases, but to deal
more especially with the general !
Of the quarantine regula-
lions that have been found effective
in preventing bacterial infection and
to show the reasons therefore.
A knowledge of what bacteria are,
how they produce diseases and how
they are transmitted from one indi-
vidual to another is essential to I'M
derstand the reasons for the quaran-
time regulations.
Bacteria are the smallest form of
life known to scientists. It is COM
said that one thousand of them
dance upon the point of a pin
inconvenience. They are
found everywhere, in the air, in the
soil, in streams, lakes and oceans and
they are carried about from one place
to another by the winds, by the move
ment of all articles of commerce, the
movement of people and other ami
mails, birds and reptiles from one
place to another. But relative few of
the known bacteria produce disease.
Each of these have a specific method
entering the human form, and pro-
luce certain reactions therein. No
can have diptheria without the
1iptheria germ present. The small
germ will produce smallpox only,
The organism of measles will produce
measles and not mumps. The bac-
,eria that produce diseases in the hui
nan body are those that find in the
body the necessary nutriment
md conditions favorable for their
and multiplication, in the
anne sens that a wheat kernel finds
he proper punishment in the soil for d