The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-03-25
FEDERAL. AGENT
EcInS SURVEY
ON SOCIAL Ill


MAX j. Colon, representative OF
The United States public health
tefyice. arrived in Rock Island
yostsrday afternoon to begin . one
Woek's survey OF the venefeAl dis
ssso1Do situation here.
A county clinic will without
doubt result from the activities OF
Mr.. Cotton in conjunction with the
division Of social hygisne OF the
state department Of public health.
DR.. E. c. White, supervisor Of
clinics and hospitals for the divi-
sssion Of social hygiene Of the state
department, explained the clinic
proposition TO the county board Of
supervisors last week, which re-
suited in the board naming COM
mittee OF three to investigate the
proposition.
This committee met At the court
house yesterday afternoon with DR..
White present. 1t is understood
that the committee decided to make
. favorable report on the clinic at
the April meeting Of the board of
supervisors.
Need City Ordinances.
Mr.. Cotton appeared before the
city commissioners yesterday aft
ernoon and explained that in case
the county establishes a clinic It
will be necessary for the cities In
! the county to adopt an ordinance
covering the enforcement Of the
rules of the federal and state pub
lie health services. 1t was pointed
out that municipalities have the
I power 10 quarantine persons hav-
ing venereal disease. 1t was set
/ forth by the government represen-
tative that these come under the
restrictions upon communicable
diseases and that cases can be
guaranteed the same as smallpox.
In case a clinic is established
y there is to be no publicity attach
4 ed. Patients will be known by
numbers. and as long as they re-
port regularly to the clinic there
will be no efforts made to place
them under quarantine. However.
Il was said by Mr. Cotton that in
case there Is opposition on the part
OF patients quarantine signs would
1 be placed on their homes and the
quarantine enforced the same as in
the case Of any other communicable
disease.
II was pointed out that the per-
centage Of venereal diseases in the
United States Is astounding. and
that hospitals for the insane have
large percentage OF patients
whose loss Of mind can be traced
directly to venereal diseases. Much
! blindness among children is also
said to he one Of the principal re-
!. suits Of the disease.
"Quacks' Scored.
"Quack" physicians were round
~ scored by Mr.. Cotton, who said
that these .unprincipled medical
men set certain charge for cure
which in most cases is not accomp.
lished In the time set, and that in
many cases patients could not af-
ford to pay for medical treatment
For some time Moline has been
considering establishing a munic-
ipal clinic, but now that the matter
10 being taken up as county
proposition, each Of the cities have
Y promised cooperation in the move
Physicians are the only ones
who will have the names Of pa
tents. The state department will
have only numbers. but in case A
patient fails to report for treat.
Inent the name will be furnished
10 the authorities. Arrest will fol-
low and compulsory treatment be-
fore the clinic. Otherwise. the pa
tient has the choice OF treatment
with any physician.
State Furnishes Money.
Mr.. Cotton said that the state has
money appropriated by the federal
government to partially pay ex-
penses. He added that in many
localities in Illinois and Wisconsin
] states under his Jurisdiction
municipalities have taken up the
clinic proposition. He cited an ap-
preparation Of $4,000 made by Pc
Ofta Tuesday to carry on the work
In the situation here the state
will furnish ell equipment and
medicine and will pay part on the
salary OF the head official OF the
clinic. The county must appro-
PIRATE money to take care of re-
naming expenses.
Manufacturers Interested.
Mr.. Cotton cited statistics Of a
survey taken in a manufacturine