OCR Text |
Show Prevention of Epidemics Serious epidemics of measles, scarlet scar-let fever and other contagious diseases dis-eases have occurred in Utah this winter. win-ter. Numerous complaints were heard regarding the quarantine regulations regu-lations imposed by the health authorities. author-ities. Many complained that they were enforced too strictly or without with-out proper discrimination. Others said that they were not maintained strictly enough and thus permitted a spread of the infections. Some objected ob-jected to any kind of quarantine, declaring de-claring it unnecessary and tyrannical. tyranni-cal. Health officers have complained complain-ed that the people in many cases refused re-fused their co-operation and ignored or evaded the regulations. Most of the trouble was probably due to thoughtlessness. The majority major-ity of us believe in the strict enforcement enforce-ment of the law, but when it begins to cramp our own activities our zeal weakens. Any quarantine will seriously seri-ously inconvenience many and work great injustice to some persons. This is regrettable but inevitable. Public welfare must ever take precedence over private need. "The greatest good for the greatest number" ought to be the motto of every citizen as well as every health officer. Modern science has proven to the satisfaction of every well informed reasonable person that those diseases which occur in epidemics are carried from person to person and cannot occur in any other way. In almost every case it Ib possible, if the search Is thorough enough, to trace the Infection In-fection to some other human being. It is evident, therefore, that every case of such sickness is a source of danger to the entire community and every means possible should be taken tak-en to prevent that person from Infecting In-fecting others. The person who will for the sake of personal convenience or because of stubbornness permit this infection to be carried to another person is an enemy of society and should not escape the indignation of his neighbors. Some people make the excuse that measles, whooping cough, etc, are natural to children and are harmless or at least necessary. Such persons should know the facts. Measles kill on an average of 10,000 children each year in the United States and many thousands are left with impaired impair-ed eye-sight and other serious aftereffects. after-effects. Whooping cough Is perhaps even more dangerous. Mumps and German measles often have serious consequences. In view of these facts, familiar to every physician and well informed layman, the people should demand the rigid enforcement of quarantine regulations and should co-operate in every way possible with their health officers to make these regulations effective. ef-fective. Utah Public Health Association. |