Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE A’ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
G-O.MANN
&noulNopI-
Honorable George ':'!. Cox, t5.D.
State Health Offloer
Austin, Texae
Dear Sir:
Your request ior opinion ha
oareiully oonsidered by this d
requestas r0ii0ttfst
Willyou pl*aae
the fallowbgt
and quaraatin
ml that three quaran-
llslmd to oam for
roughout the State and
B arisen vhbther any
the legal right to
reolate an early ntllng on this
ains to our National Defense
Artiale &.l8d, Vernon*e Annotated Term Civil Stat
utas, referring to the dutiee of the Stats Health offloer,
&&ads In pert as followfdr
" He shall hare the 2ower, with the
appro&*oI the State Board of Elealth, to pre-
scribe and promulgate suoh admlnletrative rules
and rogolationa, not inoondmtont with any law of
the State, a8 m%y be domed nmmwary tar the OS-
feotlve peziornunoe Of the duties 5qessd by this
or any other law upon t&m State Departuunt of
Health and it% several offiarra and d$vi%iona.*
Artiolb 44l9, Vemon’a Annotated Tans Olvll stat-
utea, reed8 *II Sollorar
*The State Board of Ilsalthahall hate geaeal
supervisionand 00ntrOl Of %ll mtters pertainlag
to the health of.oltisens of th;tsState, as pm-
vidod herein. It shall make a stu6ly or the eauaos
and preve3Mon 0? inieotion 0f oonta lour diruwa
affootlzgthe live8 of oi t;isene rith & this State ”
4.‘
.~, _.’
f,
,.:
?I.
I
Article 4427, Vernon’s Annotated Texas Ulvil Stat-
utes, reada aa folla*t
'Ea%h %ounty bBalt& OffiO6T &all perform
%uoh duties as have bean nquircrd of oounty PhJI
sioians, with Felatlon to Oaring ?or the priaoa-
er(1 in oounty jalle and in saririg for @he iiuaater
of county paor fame, hoepitalm, dlsoharglng du-
tie% of aounty quanuitina, and other suoh,dublos
as m%g be lawfully requized 02 the Oou%ty phy%i-
oian by the oamiaaioxuma oourt and other oiriaers
or the oounty and shall disehargs ang addltio%%l
duties wbloh it say b% proper for oouaty author&-
ties under the present laws tc require of oounty
pbyeloians; and in addition thereto, be sh%U. die-
oharge suoh dutk %g %hhal.lbe presor2brd $9~ him
under the rulea, regulatIo%% and reqUiwmat8 of
the Texas State Board ot Health, or tk% preotdeat
Honorable George W. gear, Y, 'Dr., Page 3
thereof, and is s~~parsrsd and authorized to sa-
tablish, minteia and aaforeo quamntine withes Y
his county. He shall else be required to aid and
assist the Stat& Beard of IIoalth In *all orattere
of looal quarantlue, inspection, dlseaso prenn-
tion and suppression, vital end mortuary statle-
tics and Reneral sanitation within his oouuty;
ehd he shell at all times report to said State
board, in suoh maser aad form as it s&all plr-
aorlbe, the preaenoe ot all contagious, lnreotloua
and dangerous epidaaio dfeeasee within his juris-
diotioa; and hs shall make sach other and furthsr
reports 11: suoh manner and f-urm and at suoh times
as said State board shall direot; touohing on
euoh mtters ae may be proper for said State board
to direot; and he shall aid said State board at
all tiates in the enforoement of ita proper rules,
regulations, rsquircnamte and ordinanoss, and in
the enforocnent ot all sanitary laws and quaran-
tine regulations within hi8 jurisdiotion.*
Artialr 4430, Vernon's Annotated Texas Cltil Stat-
utes, urea& as follows:
Vaeh o1t.y health offioer shall perform such
duties a8 may be required of bin by general W#
land olty ordinanoer~with regard to the general
health and sasltation of towns and aitles, and
perform suoh other duties a6 shall be legally r~-
quired of hti by the mayor, govering body or the
ordinanoes of his oity or town, He shall diaohargb
amI perforn auoh duties as nwy be presorlbed for
him under the dimotlons, miles, rsgulations and
sequiremnts of the State Board of Health and Ghe
president thereof. He ohall be required to aid
and aesfet the State Board of Health in all nat-
ters of quarantine, vital and xcortuary etatfstios,
inspection, disease prevention and suppression and
sanitation within his juriediotion. Ne shall at
all tinas report to the St&e Board of Health in
such mmner end Oow aa rsaid board r8ay presor i be,
the preeenoe of all auntaglow, iufootious and
dangerous e?idemio diseases within hia jurisdio-
tion, am% shall make auoh other and ktrther re-
ports in such mamer ahd form aundat such times
as saiit State board ehfU.1 direot, touahiag all
%morabls George %:. C@x, M. D., Page 4
such nzatters a8 my be proper for said board tc
direot, and ha shall aid said State board at all
times in the enforoeaent of pwper rules, regu-
lations and require5ents In the euforoesmt of
all sanitary laws, quarantine regulations aud
vital statistics oolleation, and perfonn suoh
other duties as said State board shall direat.”
Artiole l&&5, Venton’a Annotated Texas Civil Stat-
utes, reads as follows:
YSyphilis, gonorrhea end ohahoroid, hereinarter
designsted venereal diseases, are hereby deolared
to be oontagious, itdeotious, oommunioable, and dan-
gerous to the pub110 health1
“Seu. 1. anJr pkya1ois.n or other parson who
5akes a diaghosia In, or treats, a ease or syphi-
lie, gonorrhea or ohahoroid and every superlntedd-
ent or 5auager of a hospitai dirpeasary or ehari-
table or peztal Institution, in which theX 18 a
ease of venereal disease, shall report auoh ease
inmediately, In writing, to th6 looal health offi-
oer, stating the nasm and eddreso or the orfloe
rmnber, age, sex, oolor, and oowpation 0r the dis-
eased person, and the date or the onset of the dia-
ease, and the probable smtr~o of infeotion, pro-
vided that the na.m and address OS the diseaOod
person need not be stated, aoept aa hereinarter
speciffoally required ia Section 3, and provided,
further, that all infonaation and reports consemi-
Ing perttonshaving venereal dlaeaso shall be held
seoret In aooordauoe with pr09leiona in Section 8.
The report shall be enolosod in a erealed envelop6
and eent to the local health offloer who 6hall re-
port weekly on the prescribed for5 to the State
hoard of health, all cases reported to hI.5. The
physIoIarm and others residing in ofties having no
oity health officer, shell awakereports required
in this seotion direot co the aousty hsalth orrioer,
where there is a Oounty health OffIOer Ih the ooun-
ty in which they reside, and where there Is no ooun-
ty health orfloer, all such reports shall bs smde
direot to the State Board of Health.
Honorable George W. Cox, M. D., Page 5
"990. 2. It ehall be the duty of ersry phyai-
olam end 0re9erg oth0r pOrs0n uho examines or
treats a parson having aypbilim, gonorrhea or chan-
oroid, to inetruot him in inea8urea for preventing
the spread of such dieease, and of the neoessitp
for treatment until oured, and to hand him a oopy
of the oiroular of Information obtainable for this
purpose from the State Board or KOaLth.
YJeo, 3. All city, county, or other health
ofrioere shall use rrery arailable means to asuer-
tain themexIstenoe of, and to imOstigate all OasOs
of syphilis, gonorrhea, and ohanoroid within their
sereral territorial jurIsdIotIoae, and- tc asass-
tain the souroes or suoh Infeotlons. Loeal heal&
offlorrf~ are hereby aapowered and direoted to Ilsko
euoh examInatIona Of pereans rsaaonably suspeotod
of harlng syphilis, gonmrhea Or ahanoroid as fsmy
M&~;~~ttary ror oarrying out the pro9ItaIon~1 of
OIittgto the preralenoe Of 8uOh dI!worrs
smong pxktitutes and persons assooiated with them,
all suoh persons are to be oonsidemd within thr
abore olass.
Wee. b. Upon reoeipt of a report of a caB*
or venereal dltxxiae, the looal health orfloer ahall
Institute mmsur06 for proteotion 0r other per8ona
from InfOOtion by suOh vOn0reall.y diseased perttonl
“1. Local health orflows are authorized and
directed to quarantine persona who have, or ara
nasonably auspeoted or having; syghilia, gonorrhea,
or ohanoroid, whenever, in th0 opinion of said lo-
eal offioer, or the State Board of Wealth, or iQe
exeoutive orrioer, quarantine ie neoeaoary ror the
Protection of the pub110 health. In establishing
quarantinethe looal health offioer shall desIgnat
and d%fIne the limits of the a- in whioh the per-
eon known to have, or reasonably #uepented of hav-
ing syphilis, gonorrhea, or ohaneroid, and his im-
mediate attendant, are to be quarantined, end no
other person other than the attending physloian,
shall enter or leave th,e area of quarantine With-
out the permission or the local health orricer.
Eonorabls George ;;. Cox, %. D., Page 6
‘1Jo one but the local health ofrioer shall
terminate said quarantine, and this shall not be
done rrntll the quarantined person has become Iton-
infeotioua, as deterzined by the local health of-
ricer or his authorized deputy through olinlcal
excrrtlInatIou and all neoeseary laboratory tests,
or until pemIssIon has been given him to do 80
;;otp State iioard or liealth or Its exeoutive of-
.
"2. The looal health orfioer shall inform
all persons who are about to be released rrom
quarantine for venereal dlseaae, In case they are
not oured, what further treatment should be taken
to coJ&eto their cure. Any person not cured,
before released from quamntlne, shall be required
to sign the following stat-ant after the blank
spaoes have been filled to the mtisraotion of the
health orrioor:
“‘I rcssldlng at hereby
aaknowledgs the iaot that X am et this tfme in-
feotad with ; and agree to plaoe myself
under the aedioal oare of
siolan or olinio) ~---Ta-&',l~~ phy-
hours andthat will remain under thr
treati!m~ of se 1d physician or cllnio until re-
leased by the health offleer of or until
my ease Is transferred, with the approval of wId
hsaltt orfioer, to another regular lioensed phy-
aioian or an approved olinia.
"*I hereby agree to report to the health of-
fioer within four days after beginning treatment
as above agreed, and wIl1 briog with me a state-
ment rr0a? the a098 physician or olInI 0r the
medical treatment ayplied in my ease, and there-
after will report as ofte;; as *nay be demanded of
me by the health offIoer.
**I agree further, th.t I wIl1 take all pre-
oautlons reco;:&ended by the hafilth dfiosr to pre-
vent the spread or ths above disease to other per-
sous and that I will not perforn'any aotwhiah
will expose other persons to the above dieease.
**I agree, until finally released by the
health officer, to notify him of any ahsnge of
ac'dress and to obtain his consent before nrorin,g
my abode outside ot his jurlsdiation.
Signature.
Date
*All suah agreements shall be filed with the
health officer and kept ineaoese1ble to the pub-
lia.
*The cmmisaiomrs cwts or the various aoun-
tiea and the overning body oi al.1 imorporated
towns and ait f ee are hereby empauered and dimeted
to provide suitable plaaes raa! the detention or
persons who amy be subjeat to q?aarantine and uho
should be s%((re#ated for the exeaution or tJ%epro-
visions or this law; and suah ammissionsrs aourts
and gave~ning bodice or inaorpomted aitiee arzd
fcwns are he,rsbyautliorizedto inaur, on behalf
or their said aounties, aiti%s or towns, th% es-
pe~5e8me4mm-y cc th0 ~r0r4~t or this km.
*Sea. 5. 1. %"hena pemoon applies to a pby-
slaian or other person for the diagnosis or traat-
sent of syphilis, gonorrhea OP ohanaroid, it &all
be the duty 0r the physician or pereon so aon8ult-
ed to inquire of, and asaertaln from, the pertioa
seeking such diagnasia or treeatmat, wðer mah
pereon has heretorore consulted with, 01‘ hee been
treated by, eny other physiaism or ~Q;EOL~,a@ ii
sa, to ascertain the mu& and addreaa or the phy-
siaian ox pexnon leet consulted. It shall be the
duty of the physician or other person who% the ap-
plicant oonsulta to notify the pbysioian or other
person last aonsulted of the change of advisers.
Should the phyaiaian or person previously consulted
fail to receive such notice within ten days after
the last date upan which the pa'tisnt was instz'uated
by hti to appctar, it shsll be the duty of suah phy-
siaian or pgreon to report to the loo&l, health of-
fleer the mm% md address of suah voneretrlly dis-
eased persan.
hanarable George V. Cox, 56. 0.) Page 8
“2. If an attending physiolan or other psr-
son kncws cr hae good raaaona to suspeot that a
person hsoing syphilis, gonorrhea, or ahanoroid
18 80 aonduating himselr or herselr as to expose
other persona to inraation, or is about so to oon-
duet him#Nt or heraelf, ha shall notily the local
hsalth offiaer of the nams and address or the dis-
eased poreon and the essential faots in the ease.
*ileo. 6, All local and Stats haalth ofiyoara
ara direoted to oo-operate with properoifiaiala
whose duty it IS to anforae laws diraoted qainst
prostitution, and otherwise to use every propar
w)nm r0r the reprssalon 0r prostitution.
%3eo. 7. Phyeloians,haalth ofllaers and
all other parsons ara prohibited rrasi lest&g oar-
tiriaates or rreadoa from venereal disease, pro-
vidad this aeotion shall not prevent tha ineuanoe
or statements or rreedors rrom inieatiourr disaaeer
written in suah rorn, or given under su6h sare-
guards, that thair use for eolioitation for sexual
intsraourse would be imposaibla.
“Seu. 8. All information and reporta oonaarn-
* persons inreated
with vanarea diseases ehall
be lnaosessibleto the publia exoept in sa rap a8
publioity my attend tha parformanoe af the duties
imposad by the, laws or the State,
“Sea. 9. Anyheath orfioer or other physi-
0i~n whoshall wfiruliy rail t0 prr0w the &tie8
required or him in this article shall, in addition
to ths finas imposed by law, forfeit his ri&ht and
lloense to praotiae madioine within this state;
and tha distriot aourta of the state shall have
juriadistion or suite for the rorrsiture 0r auoh
liasnse in suah aasss, and the suit may be XileU
by any oitizen of the State in a oourt having juria-
diotlon, under the ordinary rules or vanue, and it
shall be the duty of the county and district attor-
neys to represent the petitioners In such suit+w
Article b/+51, Vonaon*a Annotated Texas Civil Stat-
utes, reads aa follower
Vhanevar quarantine is deolared by the Gover-
nor or by any aonnty or corporate Wthoritiss in
Bonerable George W. Cox, M. I)., Page 9
the State, suoh authoritiss shall aetablieh a
quaraxitine 8tation or stations where any person
map be detained for auah length 4f time as, in
tha disomtioa 0r the quarantine orrioers, the
pub110 safety my demandi provided, that all ao?m-
ty and suu&loipal quaraatins shell be subordinate,
eubjaot to and regulated by suah rules and regula-
tions as may be presaribed by the Governor or
Texas State Board of Health.”
Sestion C or Rule 5 or the Sfknltar~ Cods, (Arti-
ale 4777, Vernon’s Annotated Texas Civil Statuten), relating
to the quarautine or oertafn named aontagious dieeases (not
inalluding the venereal diseases) provides, among other thiags,
that if in the oplnioo or the looal hsalth arrthoxlty the pa-
tient oan not be treated, with reasonable safety to the pub-
lio, at home, maid &!atient my be removed ta a aontagioue
dl8eaee hospital or pest hmue.
31 Taoaa ~urisprwleaaa, pages 514 and $15, reads
in part a8 r0u4w
.--Unties the pollee power the
y authorize the establishmeat of
quarantine regulations ror tha proteotlon or the
publio against aontagion froaa Uose pezwonnwhose
aonditionn Is suoh es to spreab dAdease, and aa
fnofdent thereto msy authoriae the arreet and de-
tention or euoh persohe. i . .
Vhan the statute pezlaits,, a health otiloer
may ieeue a warrant by virtue Or whioh a lawful
arrest may be 138310without affording a prvlkainary
.haarIng to the person arreoted. The person de-
tained may ohallauga the ri ht to aon8inue the de-
tention by having its legal !I!ty inquired ints la a
habeas oorpus propeding.
*5inae the legislature my deolara that proe-
titution is a sourae or ccunnuniaable diseases and
that its auppresslon is a publio hsalth meutmre,
and may diraet that reasonable steps be taken to
supgrass it in the atuner ah& with the latitude
necressarilg aooorded to the anioWNIuent oi 6anitaI!y
and hssJ.th statutes, it may validly direot that per-
eohs showing upon axasination that they are arraot-
ed with a venereal. diseaaa may be pkaoed in quaran-
tine.-
& iioaorablo Qoor40 W. 00x, #. D.# Psgo 1.0
25 Asmaiean Juk~ntaonoo, pago 312, TO&B in part
88 follauar
I
"For Venomal Diooas~.--The ri@t of tho pub-
lit3 authoriti to p~vl(Lo for the quarantineand
troetmnt of Lsons infooted with a oontaglous
or oomaunleablm ronoroal diwaso has bosn upheld
ar a hoalth meeuro. Providona tor tlm dotontion
and phy8ioal oxamlnatlon of suspeate bare a%fao
been upheld. Tho oxoroiso of suoh pwr by looal
authoritio6 ie ~opandoat upon duo delegetlon oi
leglalatlve authority for auoh purpose end upon
the oxlstomm OS roasoneblo grounds fax euepiolon.
It hae also boon hold that 8uoh powor of exmnim-
tion oamot be oxoreissd without an aootmor.*
In the aaao of In Re Homo 109 Ken. 574, 185 P.
14, 8 A&R. 831, tho Court held that oortafnrubn of tho
stat. Bwrd of Health or Karmaa, eQopkd en4 pobifd0a pur-
want to tho etatuto, an6 palalan ot (L oity obinanoo
imama in aooomhnoa with the rulea ot Oh0 stat0 Board or
Eoelth uoro not uaroaaonablo booauro they ruthoriaed tho
laoletlon and treetiwntof anonintootedwith vanoroeld&a-
-80 .at en irmtltutlon protided by the abate for i8olatSon
an4 troatnlont 41 suoh diWa60**
It rrould mari that the panor to qrurnatino would
aleo gtvo the power to oxenin, en4 treat in2ootod pomono.
Soo Rook m. Carnoy, 226 Hioh. 280, 22 A.L.R.1179.~ Iiawovor,
in thla ease, a danago euit bmu4ht against a hoalth off&-
oor by a poraon dotairmd by suah oifloor, tho Court held
that it was a quontlon ior tho jury to dotewho whothor
tho rofuaal of the right of quarantine sf tho patient in
her own hoEnrand her ocmffnemont'ln tho hollpitalnors un-
roasoneblo eote not warranted by a monaoo to the pubI.
health.
We quote from the oese of 3% Pert. Hardoastle
I 208 S.W. 531 (Toxns Oourt of Orlmiaal Appeal@), at) iolfwre~
“This is a habeas oorpw proceeding in whloh
the relator is held utkilor au order OS the oity
health offfoar of San Antonfo, by rlrttuo of quaX'-
antino rogtiations established in aooor4 with
ahapter 85 o? the Aots of the Fourth Oal.lod .%a-
slon of tho Thirty-IWth Legislature uador e
r
~nmeblo Osorgo 3. 00x, M. D., wo U
statement of’ the order of errest that, aooordfag
tc tho information of the health off’lcer, relatar
is afieoted with gonorrhea.
n. . .
“The Legislature, under the polloo powor,
has authority to authorize the ost~blluhmont of
quarantine wgulatlons ior the prctootlon or the
pub110 against contagion from those porsoaa uhooo
ooudltlon 1s suoh es tc 6proad dlsoe~o, and, in-
oidont thoroto, to authorize the erroat end dotou-
tloa of such poreonei end suoh, we uedorstead, Is
th4 purpose of the statute In quotition. Under its
terms, the propor hoelth offloer may issue e war-
rent by vlrtus of whioh a lawful arroet may bo
aedo without prsllmfnery thereto efrordlng the
poroon ef?ooted e hoaria; but If, after arre,st,
euoh person chellengos the rl&ht of the edhorl-
tloo to oontieus the dotontloa, the fundommtal
law eeoorda him tho right to hare the logellty of
hls dofontlon inqulrod Into bra proper ccurt In
e habeas oorpus proooodlng. The law denies to no
one restrained of his liberty wlthcut a h%erlng
the right to prove In some tribune1 that tho hots
justlfylng his xoatrelnt do not oxlst. Ruling
Case Law, vol. 6, p. 435, 8 449. The hoalth au*
thorltleo oeuuing the arrest of relator dorlvo.
their parror to do 80 front the Uiogod sxlstoaoo
of the faot that the relator la effooted with tho
disoame montlonod, aed that bar dote&Ion Is roe
qulrod in the pub110 lntoroet to prevent conte&ion.
If those faots do not exist, tho offloor has no
jurlodlotlon to oontlnue the rostrelnt and the
oourt in the habeas oorpus proouodirg has authnr-
lty to lnauire wbothor the feota osesntlel tc ju-
rladiotlon exist. Ex perte Dogonor, 30 Tex. Aipip.
566, 17 9. w. llll.
1)
.but the pcwor to estebllsh quereutlno,
es oxl&:nt under OUT Constitution, is en lnoldont
of the pollee power vested in the Le&sleturo WA-
a4r the general power to pass laws. Our statute
do44 not deolare that the initial order of arrost
Ronorible George 'h'. COX, Id. IL, Pago 12
shall be oonoluelve; nor doss it 4o8lgnato any
tribunal to whom one detained under an or4e.rof
arrest issued by the haalth offloer may appoal
for a hearing. The Pair aad rmoonable lntar-
pretatlor, of the statute u&$r whioh relator is
held, we think, is that whioh aooorde the health
otfioer the pomr to order the 6rreat arid d&an-
tlon, leaving to the porclon detained the right to
lnvok4 the d4olsfon Of the ostebllehod judicial.
trlbumls of tha atate on queetione raised, either
of faot or law, involving the validity of the de-
tention.
We ~~ualudo that under the act of the Lsgl#-
lature in queatlon the relator Cad the right to a
hearing an writ of habeetr oorpus, and therein to
prove the nonexiatenoe of the taota nooesbery to
authorize her aontlaued Uitentlon and thereby ob-
Win releeao. Paots essential to dotenalno whether
she crhould or should not be held not bslng erell-
able ia this ocmrt, it lr ordorsd thet the writ or
habeas oorpus prayed for be granted a& that it
be roferrmd for hearing to Bon. R. 8. S&&or, Judge
of the Fifty-Seventh #adfolal dhutrlot bf TOXR&~
w4 quota mm th4 4460 0s 1sr~palrto fh00k4,. 2x2 6. w.
956, (T4xaa Cowt or Crlmlnal Appmle) as t'ol1c~s1
"This la en original applloatlon for writ of
habeas oorpue sued out by' the rsletor, Oraoe Brooks,
who IS dotalnad by Searoy Bakes, ohid oi po~%oo
at Rouston, br rmatson of an order lsmed bye'.io hn
Ea. Holt, U. S. P. B. S., dlreotor of sanitation,
and chief h4alth ofrioer of eald alty or Eoustan,
whlOh Order directs that the reletar be oonflned
at the aft? faw until dleahe~go4 by aeld health
0fTiaer. A oopy of' aaid Ord4y is attaotQd to tho
epplloatlon, and it la eubatantially atat4d thoro-
in that relator hse bsoa eramiaed and is lnl’eotcd
with syphilis, and Is ordered into quarantine at
the said lnun~clpeltam, there to be detainmd until
released by order of sal,d health offloor.
n
. . .
*The fourth oontentlon la that thora have been
nutmrous testa given relator elnoo her oonfitiament,
Honorable George W. Cox, I& D., Page 13
and that som of the same ahmed positive and. 00~
negative reeults, hothing fs thus presented for
our deoieion. IS relator is Sree from syphilis
or gonorrhea she may present her applloation Sor
writ oS habeas oorpus to the looal oourts under
the authority of ex Parte haardoastle, deolded by
us at this tena, and it Sree therefrom may be dls-
charged. The oourts will understand that the health
orfloers have no right or power to hold In quaran-
tine oiriaens who do not show the presence OS some
or the diseaaee named in ohapter 85 or the Aots or
the Fourth Called 5ession oS the Thirty-FlSth Legla-
lature.
*. . .
3% have Oarefully oacamlmd all OS the oon-
tautions OS the relator, and hold them wlthcut
bids any suapaot, or persons detained, Sroffi perfeot
r2tdi05 or treatment by any reputable physiokn
while in the auetody OS the orfioials chargea with
the eniorcanent or the law; and nothing which de-
prives any persona so conlined for treatment of a
speedy hear%@ at the hands or the court if thare
be oppression or detention without a oauae. The
objeot oS the law ia not punlahment Sor the un-
rortunatee who are aSSlioted with these maladies,
so easily trensmltted and 80 SearSul in results,
but the well-being of these aud the remainder or
the people.
“In the instant aaae relator is ehown to be
a married woman, nith a hard-working husband and
Honer4bleQe~rge'II. Uox, Y. D., Page ,U
four ohll4nn, the ;roungemtbeing 18 months old,
but the reoord di8olose8
that xhe deallnw to live
4th them, sttitlng thst ah* p*r*rr the iire or
the streets. Ehe 1.r ahbun to be a oommon prorti-
tutc and n street walker unrilllng to stay et
home and preferring to live by the profligate we
0r hex body. Teatfxony ma adduoed showing namer-
ous beetowels of oamal favor8 upon soldlerr and
Other persons, also t&et r*lrtor 186 artlloted
"The writ lr dismlswd an4 relator reminded
to the oust&y of the ohlei of police or the elty
or Houston, subjwt to the or&err or @he oiag
health ofricer Of said Olt&" Wn6er8oorlng0~~4)
The tendensy at Judlol~l en4 publlo opinion to
tranrlate the rarlm, aalur popull ruprema lexf the publlo
health 18 thr hi&eat law; end whenever a pol%o* ro@atlon
is reamoaably damonstmted to bs a prosioteror publio health,
all oonetltutlonallp6uaraa~tee4 rights umst give way, to bs
warlrloed, wlthout oompensetlonto the cevner~ -80 Tledesun,
State axI Fedeml Control or Pwmons end Property, t 3.69.
YOUhave lnrorxd PI that the mdoral CWrern&at
18 ocutexnplmting a health projeot whcrebjrthe Ir.der81 Oarevn-
me& will plea@ et the 4l#poml ai‘ the Texem Sbte Board of
Keelth three quarentlne etatione and/o* hospitals for the
purpossof detaining on4 treatily prortituteslnfmoted with
venereal dlseesor. These propormd quarantine strtioaa sad/or
hospitals w4rcsromer c C 0 ompo lowto in the 3tate or
Texas. xe tmdor4tandfurther that the Federal oOveri8ment Is
to pay all ~xpenserr of maintaining the hospltslr mab/yx pue-
rsntlns rtationre a8 -11 an all wpemer ai tr*nsportLngln-
rooted prortltutm to said quarantinestations laCL/orhospitals.
The %*te Board or Eealth hes brocldml4 Isnkla%
powerwith reepeat to public health umtters. ':?a think the
~onoreblo George PI.Cox, M. D., Paa@ 15
State Boar4 a? Eecrlthha8 authority to make rules, rogulotlono
aad omIo~8 prrnldin~ Tar the 8otobllohwnt of theae quoxontlne
ntotiona and/or bo*pltolo; preritlbg for the arrest eml r.xonl-
nation or ln?eetwI wostltuter upon OrUero oi the looal heoltb
ruthorltleoao uell a8 otete health authorities providing for
the foouanoa at ordom of ammitwnt by the fez-4
oue Oealth ou-
tborltles aomitting infeoted pxootltateo to ml& quarantine
statlone ma/or hospital Sor dotentianOS& treatmentt prorid-
lag outhorltjrror peooe otriearo to make ormotts and exeouh
erdor8 lenfdlly lacued by the rariouo heoltb oftioerol one
pmleing la general 011 reasonableand neoossary ruler ane
rogulrtlonarhleh the Ptote Board of Becllth doema neooarory
and odtloobleto sarr)r out tho doaired purposes ct eoollng
with the 8uppw~oloa ot temrbol eisoooe8.
It IS thororore our spialon that yaw quootlon 8houl.6
b a lA8WP.dinthe lrrirsmtir0, fi 8uah orrioorr lmro author-
hod to tako.owh lotlon br prepor rule8 aa0 regulotloaoof
the Stat0 Eoam% of iieolthad ma& offieorr wro fur~lahd with
propor rPrront8 and/or writton ordoro Soowd by the proper
health authorltiea under proper rulea and ngulotlono praml-
gatea by tho stati Board of Beolth.
Tho raamnablonoos and legtpfitlo? tho VoriotIo or-
dam detainin@ pe~sous at 8oib bompltols will be dotemlaed by
the pattloulrr iootcl iA 8aoh MI and my W inpuixod into by
habeas oorpur . (Sot br Porte Breoko and lk Parte Eorboo~tle,
supra . I
Yourr very truly
ATTOEI’YEY
Olk%XRAtOF TZKAS
Wm. 8. FannlPg[
Aosl8tant