Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/655

 A MODEL MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT. II.

II. INSPECTION AND CARE OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.

THE work of this division is carried on by several different bureaus, all under the general direction of the chief of the division.

District medical inspection, For this purpose, as in the case of sanitary inspection, the whole city is divided into districts, with a medical inspector, who must always, of course, be a physician, in charge of each district. It is the duty of each medical inspector to visit every case of contagious or infectious disease within his district which has been reported to the department, and to make such visit on the day when he first receives notice of the case. Usually he interferes as little as possible with the work of the private physician, and accepts the latter's diagnosis ; but should there be any doubt in the case of diphtheria, typhoid, and malarial fever, or other communicable disease, he must take a so-called culture. This culture is then forwarded the same day to the diagnosis laboratory of the department, and the result reported the following morning to the medical inspector. In the case of infectious diseases, such as smallpox, measles, chicken pox, etc., the inspector may call into consultation one of the department's special diagnosticians. Then, if the result of the culture and diagnosis reveals a case of contagious or communicable disease, the inspector immediately notifies the family in whose care the patient resides, places a warning placard on the front door of the house or apartment, giving the name of the disease, and takes all necessary measures to secure proper isolation until the patient is pronounced well and the house has been thoroughly disinfected by a regular officer of the department. * Or, where the proper isolation is impossible, the inspector may so notify the diagnostician, and the latter has full power to order every

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