The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-22
Says Diphtheria
Sweeping State

| kNOANlLLE, NOV. ZZ.--EpldemlC
of diphtheria and scarlet fever are
sweeping thruogh every county of the
state, according to DR.. Olin West
secretary of the state board of health
who stopped over in Knoxville last
night en- route to Nashville, his home
from visit to several East Tennessee
counties where he has been making a
study of health conditions.
"Unless the people in every county
cooperate more closely with their
health has provided for the distribu-
ton "in an effort to stamp out these
diseases the general health conditions
of the state will soon be in a deplor-
able condition"
DR.. West declared that one reason
for the prevalence of these two dis.
eases was due to the disposition of
the people to ignore sickness of their
children. He declared the only way
to combat diphtheria was the prompt
application of anti-toxin in all cases
when the patient is first discovered to
be suffering with it.
Something has got to be done in
every community" declared DR.. West,
ITO prevent a greater spread of diph-
liberia, and the only way to success
fully fight the disease is to have ey-
cry child who is suffering from any
illness taken to physician for a
prompt diagnosis.
'If the child is found to he suf-
fering from diphtheria, it should be
Immediately quarantined, and In nc
case should a diphtheria patient be
permitted to attend school or allowed
outside of its home"
Watchfulness Requested.
DR.. West stated that many people
are of the opinion that diphtheria is
always accompanied by high fever
and this belief, he said, is responsible
for many cases of diphtheria being
ignored, resulting in the patient con.
tinuing in school and communicating
the disease to other chi:iren.
He stated that the state board OF
health has provided for the distribu
ton of anti-toxin in every city, town
and hamlet in the state, and it could
be bought from drug stores at nomi-
nal prices Anyone, he said, is in a
financial condition to purchase this
medicine at the prices that it is now
being sold at. He said the state
board of health has contracted with
a firm to place anti-toxin on the mar.
ket at prices within the reach OF
everyone.
In discussing the state law which
requires registration OF vital stats
tics, DR.. West said that the law il
being more closely observed now
than at any time since it was en-
acted in 1914. However, he said
there was a great deal of room fol
improvement, and he intended to in
sist that every physician practicing
in the state be forced to comply will
its provisions.
Finds Impure Water.
Out of % cities visited in the stat,
sanitary corps, DR.. West said tina
only three Of these cities had a wateI
supply that came up to the require
ments of the state board of health
He said that a thorough investigation
of every municipal water plant in th'
state would be made by his depart
ment within the next few months.
Water plants in the small towns will
be inspected first for the reason tina
the cities all have health department
that should be, if they are not, in /
position to look after their local sit
uations, he added.
The sewerage system of the entir'
state, he said, is in deplorable con
dition, and only one town, he stated
out of the many places visited, has ;
sewerage system that comes up t.
the requirements of his department
Inadequate sewerage facilities, de
clared DR.. West, contributed great,
to the spread Of typhoid fever ant
other diseases, and it is very essentia
that every municipality of the statC
take steps Immediately to improve it
system.
|
Each kind of orchid has it's owl
| kind of insect for pollinization.