OCR Text |
Show STRINGFELLOW Off DIPHTHERIA. An Original Measure Proposed by a City Councilor and Smothered by the Committee. It will be remembered that some time ago Councilor George Stringfellow introduced, intro-duced, at a- session of the City Fathers, ! a paper setting forth this ideas as to the steps which the Council should take to prevent the spread of diphtheria and to bring patents under suitable quarantine regulations. The communication was referred at the time to appropriate committees com-mittees and has never been heard of since. Thinking that the bill had possibly possi-bly contained some severe censures or structures reflecting on the Council's disregard dis-regard of this vitally important subject, and that this might perhaps account for ?u Sgfellow being dropped from that body, a reporter took occasion to obtain ob-tain a copy of the singular document, for which favor the Democrat is indebted to Recorder Wells. We print the paper in full in order that no injustice or erroneous ideas may; attach to either the author or the committees,as might result if we were to offer a synopsis and comments instead Of the communication itself. -Hy Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Council: consequence of this calamitous ojphtheria, which is now so prevalent in ""a city, and the results of which are of sucu a devastating, character that it seems to me it should receive especial care and attention; and some additional measures adopted bv whinh if nnsaihio tn check the spread of this much dreaded disease by which so many once happy homes witii their family circle have been made sohtary cots, and joyful hearts made Bad by bemg Btnpped of their loved ones by the hand of death through this diphtheria which has been left almost to take its own course without molestation molesta-tion on our part. And as a member of this body, I feel it a duty to lay this matter mat-ter before this Council and urge the! adoption of some strict sanitary rules and regulations, which I trust will be effectual, and to this end I will make a few suggestions, or in other words will give you a few of my ideas upon this urgent ur-gent matter. First, I think it should be the duty of this Council to use every effort within its power to protect life and health, and to do this a board of health should hA9n. pointed, and as far as practicable, sanitary sani-tary rules adopted, and the dry night sod system established, and abolish the cess-pools, the odor of which does not only impregnate the air we breathe, but it befouls the water which people have to use for culinary purposes, by finding- its way into the water veins and wells. I will make mention of one other prominent pro-minent nuisance which no one can fail to not be cognizant of, and that is, pig pens, which should be strictly annihilated, and J '"" ' " grass .- I not one be allowed to be kept within the ' city. And in the quarantine regulations a strict observance should be kept by those in charge where this calamitous diphtheria should happen to fall ; and all persons residing in the same house should not be allowed to go to and fro and mingle with others that have -not been subjected to it. And in case one child in a family should be stricken down with this sore affliction great care should be at once taken with other children, chil-dren, and should without delay be taken into another part of the house where they can have ingress and egress, and be kept entirely away from the sick ones. Neither should the same nurses be allowed to go where tkey are, but they should be cared for apart from the others, and nothing should be used by them that has been in use by others that are sick, and preventative preventa-tive medicines should be given and every precaution taken. But as all people are not so situated that they have sufficient rooms to entirely separate their families in case of this kind of sickness, in my opinion a house should be provided by the City Council or the County Court, and kept in case of need, with good nurses, so that families thus afflicted could take their children that are well at once to this house, and have proper care and treatment; and instead of moving mov-ing the sick ones to a place of quarantine or hospital, and endangering their lives with others. I would move those that are well out of the way to a house kept for that purpose, so that they might be kept from the contagion; con-tagion; and this I think would stop the spreading of this so much dreaded disease. dis-ease. There is still another rule which seems to me should be adopted by the quarantine physicians and other doctors who attend on this class of cases. All should be compelled to wear a close-fitting rubber overcoat or wrapper, which will reach down to their ankles, while in attendance to this class of cases. Having said this much in relation to this much-needed action, I therefore move that this matter be referred to the Committee Com-mittee on Sanitary and Quarantine, with the Committee on Municipal Laws associated, asso-ciated, with instructions to report at an early day. |