To prevent the introduction of contagious disorders, the warden shall cause every person sentenced to the penitentiary to be washed, cleansed and kept entirely apart from the other inmates until it is certified by the physician that the inmate may be permitted to join them in labor without danger to their health.
Code 1858, § 5501 (deriv. Acts 1829, ch. 38, § 34); Shan., § 7519; Code 1932, § 12116; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 41-209.