The Republican., 1930-04-10
HEALTH PROTECTION IS
COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISE
Approximately Fifty Diseases
Are on ''NOtifiable" List

Over 10000 cases of communicable
diseases have occurred in Maryland
since the first of the year and have
been reported to the State Depart
ment of Health. The cases have been
about evenly divided between the
counties and Baltimore City. Large
as the number seems, it is much less
than the total for the first three
months of last year when influenza
brought the total for that period up
to over $4,000
There are nearly fifty diseases on
what is called the "notiiable" list.
These include typhoid fever, typhus,
tuberculosis, influenza, pneumonia, the
so-called children's diseases-measles,
whooping cough, scarlet fever, and
diphtheria, other diseases such as sep
tic sore throa, dysentary, sleeping
sickness, with rabbit fever, and undu-
liant fever among the more recent ad-
ditions. Asked whose duty it was to
notify the health officer of the occur
renee of communicable diseases, DR..
R. H. Riley, Director of the State De-
partment of Health, said that the res
possibility falls upon the attending
physician, upon superintendent of in
stitutions and upon householders.
Teachers are also asked to report sus-
pected cases.
Communicable diseases are repor-
ted to the local health officer or the
State Department Of Health" DIR. Ri
lev continued, "for the same reason
that a fire is reported to the nearest
fire department order that the
outbreak may be gotten under control
promptly and to prevent its spreading
elsewhere. Just as fire department
snaps into action Immediately, so a
health department starts the neces-
sary control measures as soon as it
is notified of the occurrence of COM
municable disease. The measures diff
fer in accordance with the character
and seriousness of the disease.
'In these days of rapid and easy
travel by land and sea and in the air.
disease may spread very swiftly. 1t
is no longer sufficient for health Off
Ger to be informed only with regard
to sickness from the catching diseases
IN his own county or state. In order
that the people under his care may be
adequately safeguarded, he must be
notifed-and notified promptly-of
the occurrence of disease in other
places. Disease prevention has be-
come more and more cooperative
undertaking.
Information in regard to the oc-
currence of communicable diseases in
this country and throughout the world
is collected by the U. S. Public Health
Service and relayed to health depart
ments throughout the United States.
The records for each state are fur
nished by city and state departments
of health. 1t is obvious that to be of
use they must be accurate, complete
and sent without delay.
"The accuracy and completeness of
the reports that are furnished by the
different states are being tested by
the U. S. Public Health Service to de-
termine their right to be included in
what is to be called the U. S. Regis
tration Area for sickness -Morbidity,
to sue the technical term. This will
include only those states whose regis
tration-or reporting sickness
comes up to certain standards. The
tests have been completed in sixteen
of the twenty-three counties in Mary
land, and so far, eleven have had a
perfect record. 1t is hoped that an
equally good showing will be made by
the remaining counties and that
Maryland will have place in the pro-
posed Registration Area"