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
Licence: Public Domain Mark
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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![llie more importaut quosUoii of liow to deal with the tubercular con- sumptive presents itself. The consumptive being dangerous, largely from his habits, to those who incur danger from ignorance or necessity in these directions, sana- tory knowledge is more cogently indicated. The personal element, the chronic nature of the malady; sentiment, social, religious, economic commercial bearing, all exercise an influence and create a public opinion that prohibits a course of procedure towards it that is directed towards other contagions. It, therefore, is left us to enforce what we can and thus far and in no mean degree bring about such good results as are possible. Keporting by })hysiciaus and registration by the Health Department of all consumptives, their residences and other facts is reasonable, proper and practical, and permits such action by the authorities, with the co- operation of the i»hysician, as can be exerted. ]{y this registration it is ])ossible to caus(‘ tlie dissemination of infor- mation of vital interest for the protection of the family and the public. It is needless to sjtecify; briefly, it should relate to the disposition of the sputa, disinfection, and should reach those for whom intended through the physicians in attendance, who can adapt, modify and secure the great- est elliciency with the least offense to the individual and household. It ])eiinits pro])er recording, and every Health Department should, from such registration, maintain a register of all homes, dwellings, etc., sub- ject to such infection, record its duration and date of satisfactory disin- fection. Such register should be available to the })ublic and those con- lemplating a change of house, for their guidance and ])rotection, and it should, by ordinance, be incumbent upon owner oi‘ lessee, to institute thorough disinfection under heavy ])enalty. The disgusting nuisance of indiscriminate expectoration, in street cars, streets and ])ublic places should bo ]>rohibited by law and made more efficient by creating public sentiment against it. The difficulty of enforcing such an ordinance is aj)parent, therefore, the necessity of a strong public co-operation. Hotels, boarding, tenement and lodging houses should have special in- formation and modes of ju'ocedurc* su])plied them, that will enable them to adopt the ])rinci])les of ])revention or minimizing the ])ossibility of infection to the peculiarities of their business. The street-car conductors should enfoi'ce the comj)anies' rules, regard- ing spitting upon the car floors, with vigor, and every car floor should be properly cleamnl with suitable disinfecting fluids. (hispidors in ])ublic ])laces should contain a disinfecting solution. Employes in crowded ])laces, as factories, work-sho])s and similar ])laces should be subject to ])hysicjil sui-veillance, aTid ofTending cases wetnled out. Sanatory i‘uh‘s, cubic aii' s]tac(', rules regulating exj)ecto- ration, all cogent in the extreme. If it is indicated to ]uevent the introduction into the State of tuber- culous cattle, so much mor(‘ is it important to (»xclude all ]M*rsons suffer- ing from tub(*rcuh)sis ])ulmonalis. To tins end, then, eutranc(‘ should be intei'dicted and uniformity of action in all sections of the country aimed at. 1 he emigration of tuluM-culous ])atients in the breaking down stage should he interdicted or discouraged, not only on account of the futility](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22335213_0083.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
