Montour American

TAKES ACTION

The local board of health has adopted radical measures in its efforts to cope with the unfortunate conditions relative to the prevalence of whooping cough in Danville, aiming to bring all the infected families under quarantine between the present and the opening of the schools next week.

During Friday Dr. Bouse visited different sections of the borough and satisfied himself that the reports relative to whooping cough were not exaggerated. What he actually saw was well described in his report to the board of health Friday evening. He saw children, he declared, that had whooping cough playing on the street, and when seized with an attack of coughing would cease playing and cling to a post or other support until the paroxysm was over. Under such conditions, he said, the disease would continue to spread until the epidemic is spent.

He strongly emphasized the gravity of the situation. Statistics show, he said, that more children each year die of measles and whooping cough than of the supposedly more dangerous diseases, diphtheria and scarlet fever. The State board of health, he said, does not assume control in an epidemic such as this. It devolves upon the local board of health to act in the premises, the State department of health sustaining merely the relation of an advisor.

Dr. Newbaker, president of the local board of health, explained how it has occurred that whooping cough has gained such a foothold in Danville. Most people, he said, believe that the disease is comparatively harmless and rather than suffer the inconveniences that might arise from having their houses placarded, they declined to employ a physician and undertook to treat the cases themselves. Thus it happened that only a small proportion of cases were reported.

In this connection Health Officer B. B. Brown explained that only seven houses, embracing some eighteen cases, are placarded in Danville.

Dr. Bouse then explained that the law requires every householder to report to the health authorities whooping cough or any other communicable disease and for failure to do so householders are liable to the same penalty that is provided for the physician that neglects to report communicable diseases. In Danville at present where whooping cough exists and physicians are not employed, the householders who have failed to report the disease stand in very great danger of being convicted in a summary proceeding before any justice of the peace.

On motion a resolution was passed by the board of health deciding to adopt the act of May 14, 1909, as its code. It was also decided to proceed to enforce its provisions relating to whooping cough immediately.

That no one might plead ignorance of the law nor of action taken by the local board of health in the premises it was ordered that two thousand copies of the act together with the above resolution of the board of health be printed in circular form and that a copy be delivered personally into the hands of every householder in town.