RULES AND REGULATIONS 
OF THE 
BOARD of HEALTH 
OP THE 
CITY OF FITCHBURG 
CONCERNING 
Contagious Diseases. 
Revised and Arranged for the Use of 
Teachers in the Pubeic Schools. 
1894. RULES AND REGULATIONS 
OF THE 
BOARD of HEALTH 
OF THE 
CITY OF FITCHBURG 
CONCERNING 
Contagious Diseases. 
Revised and Arranged for the Use of 
Teachers in the Public Schools. 
1894. Printed "by 
Blanchard & Brown, 
Fitchburg. PREFACE. 
Believing that a definite knowledge regarding 
the rules and regulations of the Board of Health 
relative to contagious diseases will be of service 
to all those connected in any way Avith our public 
schools, this little pamphlet is issued. 
It is the desire and aim of the Board of Health 
to protect as fully as possible the individual and 
collective interests of all school children. By 
means of a ready reference to what is prescribed, 
both by statute law and by the rules of the local 
Board of Health, teachers will be better able to 
help enforce these provisions and will be saved 
much trouble and annoyance in regard to any 
doubtful case. 
To properly enforce such rules the authority of 
the Board of Health should in every case be 
recognized, and certificates from them and not 
from physicians in general should be accepted. 
Clarence W. Spring, M. D., 
Chairman Board of Health. 
September I, 1894. DISEASES DANGEROUS TO PUBLIC 
HEALTH. 
Rui<E i. The Board of Health considers the 
following diseases as dangerous to public health 
within the meaning of the statute : Asiatic chol- 
era, yellow fever, small-pox, varioloid, diphtheria, 
membranous croup, scarlet fever, measles, typhoid 
fever, typhus fever, and epidemic cerebro-spinal 
meningitis. 
Rule 2. Householders as well as attending 
physicians must immediately notify in writing the 
Board of Health of the occurrence of any of the 
above-named diseases of which they may have 
knowledge. 
Immediately upon being notified that a conta- 
gious disease exists in any household, the follow- 
ing notice is sent by the Board of Health to the 
Superintendent of Schools, as provided for in 
Chapt. 98, § 3, of the Public Statutes : 
“The boards of health shall give 
the school committee immediate information of 
all cases of contagious diseases reported to 
them.” [Form of Notice sent to the Superintendent of Schools.] 
Office of the BOARD OF HEALTH, 
Fitchburg, Mass., iB<) 
To the Bupt. of Schools: 
Dear Sir: 
A case of. 
is reported at No St. 
Family of.. 
Patient's name is 
Age 
Members of the family are said to attend the following schools: 
. A gent. QUARANTINE. 
Rule 3. Every house in which a case of 
Asiatic cholera, yellow fever, small-pox, varioloid, 
diphtheria, membranous croup, scarlet fever, 
typhus fever, or measles, shall occur, shall be 
placarded with the name of the disease in such 
form and manner as may be determined by the 
Board of Health, which placard shall not be re- 
moved except by a duly authorized agent of the 
Board. 
Rule 4. All rules and regulations relating to 
contagious diseases shall be in full force until the 
Board of Health removes from the premises the 
placards which notify the public of the existence 
of the disease. 
RULE 5. No person shall remove or permit to 
be removed from any house any clothing or other 
property that may have been exposed to infectious 
or contagious disease, without permission of the 
Board of Health, nor shall any occupant take up a 
residence elsewhere without the consent of the 
Board of Health. DISINFECTION. 
Rulk 6. Upon the death, recovery or removal 
of any person sick of any disease dangerous to 
the public health, the Board of Health shall re- 
quire such disinfection of the rooms of the house 
where such sickness has occurred, and such of the 
articles therein contained as may be deemed by 
them advisable, and such disinfection if done by 
the householder shall be performed in a manner 
satisfactory to the Board of Health. 
In case books from the public schools are found 
in any household where contagious disease exists, 
they will be taken by the agent of the Board of 
Health and will be destroyed under their direction. 
An inventory of the same will be sent to the 
teacher of the school to which the books belong 
and also to the Superintendent of Schools. 
Any books or other school property which have 
been in the exclusive use, in the schools, of 
any child who has become sick of any of the 
diseases mentioned in Rule 7, of the Rules and 
Regulations of the Board of Health, and who is 
thereby debarred from school attendance, should 
be at once separated from all other books or school 
property and delivered to the agent of the Board 
of Health. Such disposal will be made of the same as is deemed by them necessary for the pro- 
tection of the other scholars. In case such books 
or property are destroyed an inventory of the same 
will be given to the teacher of the school to which 
they belong, and also to the Superintendent of 
Schools. 
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE. 
Rule 7. No child from a family in which there 
shall occur a case of Asiatic cholera, yellow fever, 
small-pox, varioloid, diphtheria, membranous 
croup, scarlet fever, typhus fever, or measles, shall 
attend any school, public or private, in the city 
during the continuance of the disease, or for a 
period of two weeks after the death, recovery, or 
removal, of the person or persons sick. 
Rule 8. No pupil who, by reason of the fore- 
going rule, has been debarred from school atten- 
dance, shall be readmitted to any school in the 
city without a written permit from the Board of 
Health. Such permit may be issued when the 
attending physician has certified in writing to the 
Board of Health that in his opinion the child may 
attend school without danger of communicating 
any contagious disease. 
RULE 9. No pupil while affected with whoop- 
ing cough, chicken-pox, or purulent ophthalmia, 
shall attend any school in the city. Rules 7 and 8 are based upon the provisions of 
the Public Statutes, Chapt. 198, $ 1, Acts of 1885. 
Rule g is a new rule adopted by the Board of 
Health this year, and it is especially desirous that 
teachers observe it. 
The diseases mentioned, though not serious in 
themselves, are capable of transmission, and by 
their results cause much trouble among those who 
are not of strong and robust health. In cases of 
whooping cough the child will not be considered 
free from danger of transmitting the disease until 
at least six weeks from the commencement of 
whooping, provided the characteristic spasmodic 
cough and the whooping have ceased. They may 
be admitted earlier if all cough has entirely passed 
away. 
Contagious ophthalmia is especially to be 
guarded against in primar}' schools. It finds a 
ready means of transmission in the common use of 
wash bowls and towels. While these diseases are 
singled out as examples, it may be said that in any 
doubtful case the authority of the Board of Health 
should be consulted, as with them rests the power 
of causing any child to remain out of school so 
long as it might be a source of danger to the other 
scholars. 
The contagious diseases which are of most 
common occurrence and whose early recognition 
is of the utmost importance, so far as isolating 
the child affected is concerned, are measles, 
scarlet fever, and diphtheria. Farey Symptoms of Measees, Scareet 
Fever, and Diphtheria : 
The early symptoms of these diseases may 
often be recognized by teachers in the schools 
and in any case a physician’s opinion should at 
once be demanded when suspicion is aroused. 
In the case of MEASEES the early symptoms 
would be as follows : some cough, suffusion of the 
eyes, running at the nose, feverishness and lassi- 
tude. The eruption generally occurs first about 
the forehead, neck and face, and is of a reddish 
color and of a circular or semi-circular form. 
In ScareET Fever : general lassitude, feverish- 
ness, headache, sore throat, vomiting, and a fine 
red eruption about the ears, neck and shoulders 
are the first symptoms. 
In Diphtheria : general symptoms resembling 
a cold, with some rise of pulse and temperature 
and sore throat are first observed, and should 
arouse suspicion. 
In fact in any case of sore throat found in 
the schools, a physician’s examination should most 
properly be asked. 
These general facts if borne in mind might in 
some cases lead to the detection of a disease which 
would be a source of great danger to the school 
at large if allowed to progress until the child was 
actually sick enough to be obliged to stay out of 
school. If the foregoing rules and regulations are care- 
fully observed the closing of the public schools 
for epidemic diseases will seldom, if ever, become 
necessary. 
With the greatest of care it is often hard to say 
how soon a patient may with safety return to 
school after once having been sick of contagious 
disease, and it becomes all the more necessary 
that the judgment in such cases should not rest 
with too many but should come from the Board 
of Health alone. 
After any child has once been debarred from 
school attendance it shall not be readmitted until 
it shall have first presented the teacher with 
the following certificate. This certificate will in 
all cases be issued by the Board of Health and 
should alone be recognized. [Form of Certificate for Readmission to School.] 
CITY Or FITCHBURG 
Office of the 
BOARD OF HEALTH 
Fitchburg, Mass., iSq 
This is to certify that 
is entitled to be readjnitted to the schools of Fitchburg, the pro- 
visions of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Heatlh 
having been cojnplied with. 
For Board of Health. 
Rule 7. No child from a family in which there shall occur a 
case of Asiatic cholera, yellow fever, small-pox, varioloid, diph- 
theria, membranous croup, scarlet fever, typhus fever, or measles, 
shall attend any school, public or private, in the city during the 
continuance of the disease, or for the period of two weeks after the 
death, recovery, or removal, of the person or persons sick. 
Rules of the Board of Health. 
Rule 8. No pupil who, by reason of the foregoing rule, has 
been debarred from school attendance, shall be readmitted to any 
school in the city without a written permit from the Board of 
Health. Such permit may be issued when the attending physician 
has certified in writing to the Board of Health that in his opinion 
the child may attend school without danger of communicating any 
contagious disease. 
Rule 9. No pupil while affected with whooping cough, 
chicken-pox, or purulent ophthalmia, shall attend any school in 
the city. VACCINATION. 
Rule io. No child shall be admitted to the 
public schools in this city unless it shall have 
first presented to the teacher of the school it 
desires to attend a certificate of vaccination or 
exemption from vaccination from the Board of 
Health. Such certificates will be issued by the 
Board upon the satisfactory evidence of any re- 
putable physician in accordance with the pro- 
visions of the statutes. 
These certificates may be obtained from the 
Board of Health without expense, and, to be valid, 
must be signed by a member of the Board or its 
duly authorized agent. 
Following is the form of certificate required : Vaccination Certificate. 
Office of the 
Board of Health, 
Fitchburg, Mass., iBq 
In accordance with the Public Statutes and the Rules and 
Regulations of the Board of Health regarding vaccination, 
is entitled to attend the Public Schools. 
For Board of Health. 
Public Statutes. 
Chapt. 47, § 9. The school committee shall not allow a child 
who has not been duly vaccinated to be admitted to or connected 
with the public schools. 
Chapt. 515, §2. All children who shall present a certificate, 
signed by a regular practising physician, that they are unfit subjects 
for vaccination shall not be subject to the provisions of section 
nine of chapter forty-seven of the Public Statutes excluding un- 
vaccinated children from the public schools. 
Rules of Board of Health. 
Rule 10. No child shall be admitted to the public schools in 
this city unless it shall have first presented the teacher of the school 
it desires to attend, a certificate of vaccination or exemption from 
vaccination from the Board of Health. Such certificates will be 
issued by the Board upon the satisfactory evidence of any repu- 
table physician in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes. USE OF PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
Ruee ii. No person from a family wherein 
a case of Asiatic cholera, yellow fever, small-pox, 
varioloid, diphtheria, membranous croup, or scarlet 
fever exists, shall take any book to or from the 
public library. 
The Board will inform the librarian of all cases 
of the above-mentioned diseases, and will take 
charge of all books and cards found in such cases 
and return them to the library after they have 
been disinfected. Until the librarian is notified 
that all danger of contagion is passed he shall 
deliver no books or magazines to any member of 
said family. 
While it may be doubtful if library books often 
carry contagion, the course adopted by the Board 
seems in every way a wise one. Every library 
book, as well as cards and slips, found in families 
where there is any contagious disease are taken by 
the Agent of the Board. The paper covers of the 
books, and the cards and slips, after the numbers 
have been recorded, are burned up in the house, 
while the books are put into a tin box and locked 
up and taken to the Board of Health office, where 
they are disinfected by a high temperature and 
after a proper time returned to the librar}^. 
The librarian is informed when the danger of 
contagion has passed in each case, and may then 
issue duplicate cards and deliver books as before. With every notification of any contagious disease 
which the Board of Health receives, the following 
notice is at once sent to the Librarian of the Public 
Library ; 
Office of the BOARD OF HEALTH. 
Fitchburg, Mass., lBq 
TO THE 
Librarian of the Public Library : 
Dear Sir : 
A case of. 
is reported at No Si. 
Family of.. 
All library books and library cards now in possession of said 
family will be taken by the Agent of the Board of Health and dis- 
infected and returned by him to the library. Please deliver no 
books to saidfamily until further notice from the Board of Health. 
Agent. UNDERTAKERS. 
Rule 12. Any undertaker or other person 
having in his care or possession the body of any 
person who has died of a disease dangerous to the 
public health, shall give immediate notice to the 
Board of Health, and shall prepare the body and 
conduct the funeral and interment strictly in ac- 
cordance with the instructions given him from the 
Board of Health. 
FITCHBURG BOARD OF HEALTH. 
Clarence W. Spring, M. D,, Chairman. 
A. P. Mason, M. D., Clei'-k. 
E. N. Choate. 
C. L. Lincoln, Agent.