Prevention and restriction of small-pox.

  • Michigan. State Board of Health
Date:
[1882]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Prevention and restriction of small-pox. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    by the cold, dry air and by tlio more abundant ozone in winter, the sore throat supplyi.ig a phice wliere small-pox may easily bo inoculated ; it is known also that in a warm, moist air vaccino virus decomposes more readily than in a cold, dry air, and tiie same is probably true of small-pox virus. This greater lia- bility to small-pox in winter makes it important that one should not wait till •winter and its dangers have come before being vaccinated, and also that he should not suffer the winter to pass without being vaccinated. 20. Small-pox not spontaneoiislv generated.—It is believed that neither small- pox nor any other strictly contagious disease is originated in Michigan, and that small-pox may in great part bo kept out of the State if proper measures are taken, such as the systematic inspection of immigrants and travelers and the isolation and disinfection of all infected material. 21. Premises.—Privies, cesspools, watei'closets, drains, gutters, and all other such places liable to receive the contagium of a disease should be frequently and liberally treated with the copperas solution mentioned in paragraph 9, page 9. 22. Rags.—No person should handle old clothing or rags without taking pre- cautions to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Children should not be allowed to go near a rag-gatherer's collection, nor into the rag-rooms in paper-mills or store-houses. KESTEICTION OF SMALL-POX. When small-pox appears in a place it is generally possible to restrict it to the first case or set of cases. Five things should immediately be done, and several other things should without fail be done in their proper order, some- ■what as follows:— 1. Notice to the local board of health.—The house-holder within whose family a case of small-pox occurs, and the physician called to treat a case of small- pox should at once give notice thereof to the health officer (or to the local board of health), as required in townships by sections 1734 and 1735 of the compiled laws of 1871, and in cities and villages by section 1740 of the com- piled laws of 1871, as amended in 1879. Sections 1734 and 1735 (sections 43 and 44 of chapter 46), compiled laws of Michigan, 1871, are as follows:— (1734.) Sec. 43. Whenever any householder shall know that any person within his Houseliolders to family is taken sick with the small-pox, or any other disease dangerous to the public Ej'*'® not'ce of }iealt}i,ho shall immediately give notice thereof to the Board of Health, or to the for neglect. ^ Health Officer of the township [city, or village*! in which he resides; and if he shall refuse or neglect to give such notice, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars. (1735.) Sec. 44. Whenever any physician shall know that any person whom he is pej,a](y qq ^jjy called to visit is infected with the small-pox, or any other disease dangerous to the eician neglectiu public healthy such physician shall immediately give notice thereof to the Board of to glvo notice. Health, or Health Officer of the township [city, or village*] in which such diseased person may be; and every physician who shall refuse or neglect to give such notice, shall forfeit, for each offense, a sum not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars. Section 1740, as amended by Act No. 145, laws of 1879, is as follows:— (1740.) SEC. 49. The mayor and aldermen of each incorporated city, and the presi- Board of Health dent and council, or trustees of each incorporated village in this State, in which no j cities and vil- board of health is organized under its charter, shall have and exercise all the pow- constitute. ers and perform all the duties of a board of health as provided in this chapter, within the limits ef the cities or villages, respectively, of which they are such officers. The provisions of this chapter, and the amendments thereto, shall, as far *See section (1740) Sec. 49, as amended by Act No. 145, Laws of 1879, on this and following page.