Proceedings of the quarter-centennial celebration of the establishment of the Michigan State Board of Health : held at Detroit, Michigan, August 9, 1898.

Michigan. State Board of Health

Date:: 1898

Credit: Proceedings of the quarter-centennial celebration of the establishment of the Michigan State Board of Health : held at Detroit, Michigan, August 9, 1898. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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$may be necessary. Tliis leilj^er is ])OHte(l daily ami tlius the healthful- iiess of llie families suppliiMl by each individual dealer is constantly watclieil. As soon as it appea^•s (hat on (he roiile of any milk-dealer infectious disease exists, an immediate investi}>ation is made into evei'y detail of his business, source of supply and conditions existinj' there; when, if justilication aj)pears to (‘xist or ev(*n ;i doubt, his route is suspended until it can be made absolute that his is mjt the source of danj^er. Furthermore, the dealers are not allowed to leave at, or remove from an infected household any milk receptacle, iieither can a milk-dealer till a milk bottle on his waj;on. The feature of milk-dealers’ routes and contaj^ious disease supervision cannot be too strone;ly commended. It has demonstrated its importance several times in Jbitfalo in ascer- taining and determining that to lx* the source of infection, and made ])0ssible the arr(*st of several raj»idl\ sj)reading epidemics, notably of scarlet fever and typhoid. Jn addition to (he above, each placard(‘d household is furnished with a circular printed in their own language, setting forth tin* nature of the <lisease in (piestion, laws ])ertaining to quarantine and instructions for the cai'(! of the sick, disinf(*ction of excreta, and detailed instructions to prevent further spread of the disease. The feature of municipal placarding is tin* om* mostly complained of on the ]>art of the inf(*cted household and one which in many cases detei'- mines dishonesty on the part of t in* at tending physician and is a frequent source of much ti'oubh* to those* concernecl. The (*xternal (*vid(*nce of internal infection is thoi'onghly aiqereciateel by those for whom benefit is intended, and almost as (horonghly objected to by those* within. More ])articularly is this feature* in evidence when jdacarding inter- feres with business as when it occurs in connection with a stm-e, or where otlier children in a house*hold have* to suspend the*ir sclnxel life* ami practically be quarantine*el within. These are cogent reasons to the aver- age family and when the* moral sense e>f the ])hysician is e*lastie- anel the* interests of the householel itself maele supreme*, e*once*alme*nt is atleTupted, often successfully, and the objects e>f sanitation de*fe*ate*el. So much injury e»r loss to small stores has occurred, see much resent- ment at interruj)tion of reentine* householel woi'k has be*en occasioned, that in certain sections of the city it was, at e)m* time, eepiivalent to loss of practice for a medical man to diagnose* and anneeunce eliphtheria. Thus unfortunate conflict be*twe*e'n interest and a se*nse* e)f duty has been in evidence in house ])lacareling fe)i‘ all e-ontagious diseases and it is to be regretted that the-re aiqx*ars to be* no feasible way. at jere'sent, to exact ofheial action in interdicting it. In many cases of this e-haraefer. the Tfealth Departme*nt has been able to eletect and ])unish m court such violations of law. vhiough complaint or information furnished by an inte*reste*d neighborhood. This is not, howe*ver, to be constrm*d as evielence* of a high sense of duty, but rather as an illustration of the dependence upon the (piestion of “Whose* ox is being gored. The features eif bacteriological laboratory assistance, house* placarding, expert sanitary house inspections and investigations, surveillance of milk routes aiid supjilies. are of su])reme importance and eniciency.$