Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1897 — Some Board of Heath Rules. [ARTICLE]

Some Board of Heath Rules.

Very Important At This Time. SCHOOLS. Rule 1. with any cowmunicable disease dangerous to the public health shall be admitted into any public, private or parochial school. Rule 2. No person shall be admitted into any public, private or parochial school from any house or building infected with any communicable disease dangerous to the public health, or who may recently have been—affected with yellow fever, small-pox, cholera, diphtheria, membraneous croup, scarlet fever, whooping cough, measles or typhus fever until first presenting a certificate signed by a reputable physican stating that all danger of communicating such disease is past, and said certificate is approved and endorsed by the Health Officer in whose jurisdiction the person may reside.

DISEASES' DANGEROUS TO PUBLIC HEALTH. Rule 4. Whenever any parent, guardian or other person having charge of the sick in his or her family or having charge of any one residing temporarily therein, shall know 7 or suspect that such person or persons are affected with cholera, typhus fever, yellow fever, small-pox, diphtheria, membraneous croup, scarlet fever, measles or other communicable diseases dangerous to the public health, the person having supervision of the sick shall immediately give notice to the Health Officer w’ithin whose jurisdiction he or she may reside. Rule 5. When any physician shall know or suspect that any person whom he is called upon to visit has cholera, typhus fever, yellow fever, diphtheria, membraneous croup, scarlet fever, measles, or any other communicable diseases dangerous to the public health, such physician shall immediately give notice (together with the locality and description of the case) to the Board of Health within whose jurisdiction he may reside. Rule 6. No parent, guardian or other person having control of any child or children shall allow or permit any such child or children to go from any house or building infected with cholera, typhus fever, yellow fever, diphtheria, membraneous croup, scarlet fever, measles or other communicable disease dangerous to the public health, to attend any church, Sunday-school, or public gathering, or to travel in any street car or public vehicle, vessel or steamer, or to travel or to appear on any highway or street without first procuring a permit from the Board of Health or its proper officer.

Rule 7. It shall be unlawful for any person to enter or leave any house or building infected with cholera, typhus fever, yellow fever small-pox, diphtheria, membraneous croup, scarlet fever, or any communicable disease dangerous to the public health, to attend any church, public meeting or place of amusement or to travel on any street car or public vehicle, vessel Or steamer, or travel or appear on any public street or highway without first making a complete change of clothing and procuring a permit from the Board of Health exercising jurisdiction. Rule 8. 'No person who is, or has been recently, affected with cholera, typhus fever, yellow fever, diphtheria, membraneous croup, small-pox, scarlet fever, or any communicable disease dangerous to public health, shall be permitted to travel or appear upon the public streets or highway, or to appear in any public place or gathering, or to travel in any public vehicle or vessel until a certificate is made by the attending physician to the Board of Health with’ in whose jurisdiction the case occurs, stating that all danger from the contagion by reason of such disease is passed, and such certificate is approved and endorsed bv said Board of Health. Rule 9. Whenever the Board of Health or its proper officer shall know or suspect the existence of any communicable disease dangerous to the public health and there be no physician in attendance, or should any physician, while in attendance, fail or refuse to immediately report such case to the Board of Health, it shall be the duty of said Board of Health, or its deputy, to examine such case or cases of alleged communicable disease dangerous to the public health, and act as required by the rules governing said Board of

Health in such cases of communicable diseases. Rule 11. Whenever a physician is called upon to attend a case of cholera, typhus fever, yellow fever, small-pox, diphtheria, membraneous croup or scarlet fever (if such case be outside of the corporate limits of any city or town and where there is no organized Board Health,) it shall be his duty to placard the house in which such disease prevails by placing a flag or a card not less than less than 10 inches square in a conspicuous place on said house; the card or flag to be procured from the County Health Officer on application. When the disease has subsided and the house is disinfected the physician in charge shall cause the flag or card to be removed. When the above named diseases occur within the corporate limits of a city or town where there is an organized Board of Health, the Health Officer when duly notified shall cause said cards or flags to be properly placed and removed. No person shall remove or cause to be removed (except as already provided) any such card or flag, until a certificate is made by the attending physician satisfactory to the Health Officer in authority, that the disease has subsided and all danger of contagion by reason of such disease is passed, and that proper disinfection satifactory to the Heath Officer has been accomplished. Anv person causing the removal (except as provided) or mutilation of said card or flag before a proper certificate has been placed in the hands of the Health Officer in authority, upon conviction, shall be subject to the penalties provided in section 9 of an act passed Feb. 19, 1891. In cities and towns flags or cards shall be provided by city or town authorities, and outside the corporate limits of cities or towns by county authorities. Every physician attending a ease of small-pox, diphtheria, membraneous croup, scarlet fever, or other communicable disease dangerous to the public health, shall use every reasonable precaution to prevent communicating the disease to others. Rule 13. In all cases of death from cholera, typhus fever, yellow fever, small-pox, diphtheria, membraneous croup and scarlet fever the funeral shall be strictly private. No public, or church funeral shall be held. or any person permitted to enter the house containing the remains except the undertaker and his assistants unless by permission of the Board of Health. Rule 14. The room in which there has been a case of contagious disease dangerous to the public health must be iminediately disinfected following the recovery of the sick or the removal of the remains, as follows, to. wit:

All surfaces should be thoroughly washed with a solution of corrosive sublimate of the strength of 1 part in 1,000 parts of water. The walls and ceiling, if plastered, should be brushed over with this solution, after which they should be whitewashed with a lime wash. Especial care must be taken to wash away all dust from window ledges and other places where it may have settled, and to thoroughly cleanse crevices and out-of-the-way places. After this application of the disinfecting solution and an interval of twenty-four hours or longer for free ventilation, the floors and wood-work should be well scrubbed with soap and hot water, and this should be followed bv a second more prolonged exposure to fresh air, admitted through open doors and windows. School books or books from a circulating library shall not be taken into or removed from any house during the prevalence of any contagious disease dangerous to the public health, and if such books have been in such houses during the prevalence of said diseases, they must be destroyed by the owner or library authorities, or be properly disinfected before being returned to schools or put in circulation. Rule 23. It shall be duty of all health authorities, officers of State institution, police officers, sheriffs, constables and all officers and employes of the-State, or any county, city or town thereof, to assist in enforcing the foregoing orders, rules and regulations. PENALTIES. Rule. 31. Any person or persons failing or refusing to comply with either or any of the foregoing rules, shall be subject to the penalties provided in section 9, of an act establishing a State Board of Health, passed February 19, 1891. Douglas C. Ramsey, M. D., President. J. N. Hurty, M. D., Secretary.