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Jailing, glickpit, detober, 1S73. \ 
To the Physicians of Michigan: 
Doctors:—Your careful attention is respectfully called to the subject of Section 1735, Compiled Laws 
of 1871, which reads as follows: “Whenever any physician shall know that any person whom he is called to 
visit is infected with the small-pox, or any other disease dangerous to the public health, such physician shall 
immediately give notice thereof to the Board of Health or health officer of the township in which such 
diseased person may be; and every physician who shall refuse or neglect to give such notice, shall forfeit, for 
■each offense, a sum not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars.” * 
By referring to the following statement of the deaths from certain contagious or infectious diseases in this 
State during the years 1869-70 you will be able to judge approximately as to the relative “danger to the 
public health” connected with these several diseases. 
Number of Deaths in Michigan from certain “Diseases dangerous to the Public Health.” 
YEAR. 
DISEASES. 
1870. 
1869. 
Small-pox 
9 
42 
Scarlet Fever.- 
852 
252 
Typhoid Fever. 
574 
437 
Measles 
56 
147 
Whooping Cough ... 
119 
158 
Total 
1,610 
1,036 
It will be seen that some other diseases are at present attended with very much more danger to life, as well as 
to health, than is small-pox. It is believed that very many of the deaths here recorded might have been prevented 
* Section 1734 provides that all householders shall give a similar notice, or “forfeit a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars." by the same means (excepting vaccination) which were generally employed in the case of small-pox. In other 
words, with the exception of vaccination, the same methods now employed in cases of small-pox, if applied to 
the prevention of these other diseases, should reduce the deaths from scarlatina, for instance, from 852 down more 
nearly to the number from small-pox, thus saving in each year the lives of perhaps several hundred children. 
In order that the State Board of Health may study to good advantage these “diseases dangerous to the public 
health ” it will be necessary for the local Boards of Health to report the facts concerning them ; and this they will 
be able to do if the physicians throughout the State will be as particular to report these diseases to the local Boards- 
of Health as they have heretofore been to report cases of small-pox. Without doubt this will sometimes be quite 
a tax upon the time of the physician, but even during epidemics of these diseases each physician can, by using 
postal cards, or some such method of notification, quite easily give to the local Boards of Health a knowledge of 
every case of “ disease dangerous to the public health ” occurring in his practice. If it is proper and desirable 
that a fee should be paid to the physician for each case reported for record, a law should be passed providing 
therefor; but the provisions of the present law are imperative, and are also important to the interests of the people,, 
and should be faithfully executed, for a central Board can undoubtedly make the knowledge obtained in this manner 
of use in preventing sickness and deaths. 
This Board desires to have a professional correspondent in every part of the State, and will, at any time,, 
thankfully receive accurate and positive information concerning diseases or deaths from removable causes among 
the people of this State. 
The State Board of Health having been created in consequence of the efforts of members of the medical 
profession, it desires and expects the earnest co-operation of the physicians of Michigan, whose sole professional 
business in life is the relief of human suffering, and who, more than any other class of people, are noted for their 
philanthropy and benevolence. It is therefore unnecessary to do more than to point out to them the fact that the 
knowledge which they will be able, directly and indirectiy, to furnish to this Board, will eventually be of great 
value to the people, as it will form a part of the stock which this Board expects to collect and utilize for the pre- 
vention of diseases and deaths. Inasmuch as this knowledge is expected to be useful to the people, and costs more 
or less of professional time and effort, it is hoped and believed that the people will soon gladly make provision for 
recompensing such labor. Indeed it is hoped that the relations between the physicians and the people will eventu- 
ally be so changed that instead of being paid wholly for efforts to prevent the death of diseased people, physicians, 
will be largely employed and paid for efforts for the prevention of sickness. In the meantime, it is assumed that 
every physician will be prompted to do even more than the law requires, and will cheerfully and promptly comply 
with its provisions. 
Herewith please find copies of a sample blank for your use in notifying the clerks of your local Boards of 
Health. The law simply requires that you “ immediately give notice ” etc., but if you will add the other items, 
suggested, it is believed you will advance the interests of public health, and merit the gratitude of the people. 
direction of the State Board of Health. 
Very respectfully, 
HENRY E. BAKER, M. D., 
Secretary. 
[This circular is sent to every person in the State who is known at this office to be a practitioner of medicine. Any person knowing of a 
physician who does not receive a copy, will confer a favor by sending the address of such physician to this office.] [ Form of Notice recommended by the State Board of Health for the use of Householders and Physicians, in complying with sections ITS# 
and 1785, Compiled Laws of 1871. See over.] 
To the Clerk of the* of County of. 
State of Michigan, as clerk of the Board of Health: 
Sir:—The following persons in your* have been taken sick with “diseases danger- 
ous to the public health.”+ 
FULL NAMES OF PERSONS. 
SEX. 
AGE 
LAST 
BIRTH- 
D A Y. 
NAME or DISEASE. 
TAKEN SICK. 
WHETHER 
DIED, 
LIVING, OR 
RECOVERED. 
DATE OF DEATH 
OR RECOVERY. 
MONTH. 
DAY. 
YEAR. 
MONTH. 
DAY. 
YEAR. 
So far as known, the source ... of the contagious or infectious cause... of the disease as follows : For case 
No. i, it was 
Dated at 
j87 
Furnished for record by 
* Insert the word township, city, or village. 
f Includes Small-pox, Cholera, Scarlet Fever, Typhoid Fever, Measles, Whooping Cough, etc. 
[Form of Notice recommended by the State Board of Health for the use of Householders and Physicians, in complying with sections 3TS-S 
and 1735, Compiled Laws of 1871. See over.] 
To the Clerk of the* of County of 
State of Michigan, as Clerk of the Board of Health : 
Sir:—The following persons in your* have been taken sick with “ diseases danger- 
ous to the public health.”+ 
FULL NAMES OF PERSONS 
SEX. 
AGE 
LAST 
BIRTH 
DAY. 
NAME of DISEASE. 
TAKEN SICK. 
WHETHER 
DIED, 
LIVING. OR 
RECOVERED. 
DATE OF DEATH 
OR REOOVERY. 
MONTH. 
DAY. 
YEAR. 
MONTH. 
DAY. 
TEAR. 
So far as known, the source... of the contagious or infectious cause ... of the disease 
as follows : For case 
No. 1, it was 
..187. 
Dated at 
Furnished for record by 
* Insert the word township, city, or village. 
t Includes Small-pox, Cholera, Scarlet Fever, Typhoid Fever, Measles, Whooping Cough, etc. Compliments of 
R. C. Kedzie, M. D., 
Member of the State Board of Health, 
LANSING, MICH Compliments of 
R- C. Kedzie, ,M. D., 
Member of the State Board of Health, 
LAJYSING, MICH. 
Sections 1734 and 1735, Compiled Laws of 1871, are as follows: 
(1734.) Sec. 43. Whenever any householder shall know that any person within his family is taken sick with > 
the small-pox, or any other disease dangerous to the public health, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Board 
of Health, or to the health officer of the township in which he resides; and if he shall refuse or neglect to give 
such notice, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars. 
(1735.) Sec. 44. Whenever any physician shall know that any person whom he is called to visit is infected 
with the small-pox, or any other disease dangerous to the public health, such physician shall immediately give notice > 
thereof to the Board of Health or health officer of the township in which such diseased person may be ; and every 
4 physician who shall refuse or neglect to give such notice, shall forfeit, for each offense, a sum not less than fifty nor 
more than one hundred dollars. 
Sections 1734, and 1735, Compiled Laws of 1871, are as follows: 
(1734.) Sec. 43. Whenever any householder shall know that any person within his family is taken sick with the 
small-pox, or any other disease dangerous to the public health, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Board of 
Health, or to the health officer of the township in which he resides; and if he shall refuse or neglect to give such 
notice, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars. 
(1735.) Sec. 44. Whenever any physician shall know that any person whom he is called to visit is infected with 
the small-pox, or any other disease dangerous to the public health, such physician shall immediately give notice thereof 
to the Board of Health or health officer of the township in which such diseased person may be ; and every physician 
who shall refuse or neglect to give such notice, shall forfeit, for each offense, a sum not less than fifty nor more than 
one hundred dollars.