Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-05-22
FOR
UNIFORM WORK
San Antonio Health Officer
Reads Paper on Commu-
nicable Diseases

A plea for the more uniform han
ding Of communicable diseases by
the city and county health officers
of Texas was made by DR.. w. A.
King, city health officer Of San An
tonic, before a group Of doctors late
Tuesday afternoon at the State
Medical association convention in
session here.
DR.. King said in the paper he
read. I'm 1926. the United States
public health service published a re-
port Of 100 of the largest cities OF
the United States. This report dealt
with the manner in which COM
municable diseases were handled in
the 100 respective cities"
TO my mind it was rather as
founding the wide difference OF
opinion that existed amongst us as
physicians and health officers, and
1t has occurred TO me from time to
time since reading this book to
say something before this section
that might arouse us TO the real
lzation Of how the public considers
this difference Of opinion and TO
see If we cannot create a Senti-
ment in this country for a more uni
form method Of communicable dis
ease control. It is found to react
unfavorably on the public's faith
in the scientific principles OF health
practice in the wide variation among
cities in the periods of isolation,
control. ETC., of the recognized COM
municable diseases. Performance.
application in practice in the func-
ton OF communicable disease con-
troll, lags behind the well-establish-
ed and fundamental facts Of the
medical sciences upon which adj
ministration Of this primary public
health activity depends. Supple
mentary. or supporting action in this
/ field. Is properly considered insult
able for private health agencies. The
entire burden OF inconsistency In
the regulations for control OF these
diseases. incompleteness and inaccu-
racy falls properly upon the health
officer and the medical profession
! There Is a wide spread negligence
on the part of physicians Of the re-
porting Of notifiable diseases. The
physician should realize that nc has
a responsibility that he owes not
only to his profession. but TO the
community at large, and that re-
spOnsibllity Is to report to the health
department. at the earliest possible
moment. every ~reportable disease.
Notification should be made of di-
agnosis. together with the name,
sex and address of patient"
Terminal gaseous Iumlgation has
a valuable place among the re-
sources for the control of communi-
cable diseases. namely, in the de-
| StTuction or insects or vermin cap
able Of direct, or indirect transmits
sion of a disease. by means OF in
occulation through skin punctures.
The destruction of mosquitoes, flea5,
bedbugs. reaches. flies. lice. rats,
mice and other vermin can be car
ried out satisfactorily, and effective
ly. by gaseous fumigation Of the inn
mediate chamber Of the patient. and
sometimes of the adjacent rooms
and neighboring dwellings"
II am Of the opinion that with
proper concurrent disinfection. and
at the termination Of the case. dis
infection and renovation, air and
sunshine are all that's needed IN or
der to protect that home against the
ordinary communicable disease, ex-
cept those transmitted by the bite
or sting Of some insect"
Prior to the discovery of the germ
theory Of disease. 1t was considered
bad practice to treat communicable
disease in general hospitals. 1t was
thought at that time, that atmos-
pheric transmission was the princi-
pal factor which entered into the
distribution OF this class of diseases.
Consequently. all over Europe and
this country. isolation hospitals were
erected. It was not a difficult feat
III the larger cities who were H.
nancially able to erect and maintain
such isolation hospitals. but in the
smaller cities and rural communi-
ties such institutions could not be
secured for financial reasons. 1t *
true there was one exception. and
that was smallpox. The older mem
berS of this section remember the
time or the peSt-h0uSe. and they
were properly named. for they were
pest-houses indeed. I think il was
indeed fortunate that no attempt
was made to ~hoSpitalize other CON-
municable diseases. Ii such hospi-
~talization vas to be maintained sr
the same manner. with the same
equipment as the pest-house.r
AT this time we know that atmoS-
pheric transmission has very little
If anything, to do with the trans
mission OF communicable diseases
We know 1t Is by things and per-
sons that thees diseases are com.
municated. Therefore a great dea'
OF the mystery and superstition
which surrounded these diseases liz
the past have cleared up. We know
that Il Is perfectly safe TO have q
vard desCted 70 communicable dis.