The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-08-24
THE PROPER QUARANTINE.

The Wisconsin State Board of Health has
aiken long step forward in suggesting to the
health commissioners of cities that legal quar-
tntine Of houses where contagious diseases may
be discovered shall be kept up from the time
hat the case is reported to the health depart
nent, rather than from the time the patient
vas taken ill., This will naturally mean a
onger period of quarantine for the victims of
contagious disease but it is going to mean a
much larger measure Of protection for the rest
if the people.
A great many people resent quarantine. They
resent it to such an extent that they stave off
having a card of bright coors placed on the
house until their conscience sears them to the
heart or until the insstence of the rest Of the
people of the neighborhood force them to have
Tie house properly placarded.
Then they begin to argue with the health
commissioners that the quarantine should be
lifted They assert that the patient has re-
covered and that it is hardship to them to
have their house barred from the normal uses
Of it.
Undoubtedly quarantine is a nuisance to a
lot Of people but lack of guarantees and de-
layed quarantines are a menace to many peo-
ple The early stages of lot of diseases are
the most dangerous stages. Children coming
down" with whooping cough and measles have
a wonderful chance to spread the disease all
over a community and lot of people on ac-
count of their hatred for quarantine are will
ing to take chances with the health of other
people in order to save themselves few days
of the inconvenience of quarantine. With the
understanding that the quarantine is going to
be in part penalty for neglect and that the
~ h. H. Eo1s 4Ioo
full time ordered by law it is certain that re-
ports Of contagious diseases are going to be
speeded up
Sometime a failure on the part of mothers
and fathers to report contagious diseases just
as soon as they develop is going to be made a
criminal offense. A lot Of these people should
have properly been charged with manslaugh-
ter in the past but it takes time to build up
these protective health laws. The move to
force early reports by the penalty of prolonged
quarantine will be great assistance. The
State Board of Health can not do all that can
be done to protect lives until the people of Wis
consin learn that one of the most important
features Of any state government is the pro-
lection of health. Public sentiment has been
educated in recent years so that a lot of people
have learned the danger of contagion and they
have gotten away from that old idea that they
were not their brothers keeper. A lot Of peo-
pie are now reporting contagious diseases re-
CARELESS of the danger of "neighborhood
row" or CLOTHES line fight and this fact just
goes to show that the same people are coming
to regard their own children and their good
health worth more than peace in a COM
munity
Peace with honor in any community means
the peace that brings with it the proper pro-
lection of the people of the community. The
man who lets a disease spread in any neigh
borhood without giving proper reports to the
health department is accepting peace with a
dishonor which makes him properly menace
to good community. 1t is interesting to
know that suggestions for this plan of the state
board originated right here in Kenosha. The
rest Of the state has come to look to Kenosha
for sane suggestions for the protection of the
public health and it is worth while to know that
Kenosha is leading in this along with it's lead
ership in other great movements for civic bet
teTment