Stricter Quarantine Regulations For Measles Outbreaks In New York State, 1908-1951

During the first half of the twentieth century the New York State Health Bureau made some interesting and significant changes in the quarantining of measles patients. One of the most stringent local rules was adopted by a Scarsdale health officer in 1933. Despite more lax quarantining elsewhere in Westchester County, the Scarsdale official called for the closing of the Edgewood School for at least two weeks. Placing the blame on parents of students who were permitted to attend school while sick, the Scarsdale health department promptly quarantined forty pupils. In nearby Yonkers brothers and sisters of students who were ill with measles, were nevertheless permitted to attend classes. The disparity between Scarsdale and Yonkers, is only one of the disparities I've found in my research on quarantining. Most stunningly, perhaps, is that cases of mumps weren't even recorded by the Yonkers health dept.