The New York herald., 1870-01-22
SMALLPOX.
vANl0LA, vARIOLOD AND vAccIAlA.
Tho Diseases As They We're, hcurable;
IA They Are Now, Curable-The
Treatment-The Epidemic As 1t
Is To-Day In This City
Boundaries Of the In
fected District.

DVunook ACS VI lAc AGs
fected District.
Much has been said and written about the preva-
Jsnce OF smallpox In this city. Some people look
Npen ~ existence - one OF tnose terrible curses
which Eugeue Sue made the deathless companion OF
Nhe Wandering Jew. Let rs take q calm and aecu-
rate survey Of this loathsome pesence which medi-
col authorities pronounce to be at once an epidemic
and contagon, and see II the dangers apprehended
~ too susceptible persons are grounded upon
reasonable anticipations
Smallpox has always a1IIcted tnts community.
Yhere has not says so eminent sanitary authority
a. DR.. Harris tconcurred In by DR.. Norris, been
week In the last ten years when this evil has not
prevailed IN one stage another. It is not, how.
ever, always for the public to know that such ls the
fact and the reasons are as numerous O. they are
palpably sensible. In the first place the profession
looks upon smallpox as q disease IN Us virulence,
N its fatality and In Its obstnacy to medical
ment that has had us day. And now any physician
who has attended smallpox patients since
the disease has passed almost completely under
medical control will state thar its vlrulence u mea-
sured by Its loathsomeness: that ts fatality is az
rare as In cases OF most any organic disease typical
Of these ATTITUDES and THAI the Obstinacy has yielded
70 the concentrated experience Of the medical pro-
the ailment was unknown, when Its symptoms were
but mperfecty understood ana when Its treatment
was violent and unsatisfactory In view OF these
facts which admit Of no doubt whatever, the
reader ID asked 70 consider smallpox ~ II is.
SMALLPOX AS 1T is.
TheGymptoms generally introduce themselves In
The form OF fever OF the typhoid characteristics
Then the victim deteriQrates into prostrauon. His
stomach rejects food, his system throws or the
ordinary articles consumed. and to Iced ana sylmu-
late him becomes matter OF medical science.
Formerly at this stage OF the disease 1t was Gus
tomary to keep the patient confined, to surround
him with heated temperature and to
shas augment an already dangerous sickness or
sNHrse such mode of procedure Invariably resulted
n death, and the subject who recovered was a mar
vel BUT valuable experience in pubic hospitals
Tor here alone have the strange caprlces OF the
disease peex observed and almost completely baf-
ned-did mucE to disclose the absurdlty Of adding
fevered medicines lever ITSELF and the learned
doctors, having made thus discovery. got down on
their professional ha Vds ana knees and tumbled o
very clumsy somersault, and commenced to treat
smallpox in a diametricalN opposite manner.
1t was about this time ,Sat all the undertakers
must have failed, as relateu by no less cistin-
aaiSned authority than AuncL%uSen, VINO declared
that the physicians Of the world lNVing nesn nVted
to dine in q BALLOON, decompos0S ia'o sueAi
natural and elemental sendenS'es' anu "ehs on
on q spree through space. leu -,a-,a
without their wondrous wisdom. Once In the $'""us
they doubtless improved the opportunity and storeu
away much ethereal wisdom. However this may be,
OF late years it is true that the medical authorities
of this city have accomplished much toward the
OF the disease. Instead OF heating and smother
Ing patient. they try to sootne him by cooling
drinks; they try to purify him and give him fresh
cir, and not TO make him inhaie the products OF
his own contagon, increasing, as II naturally would,
the activity OF the poison. and inocuiatlng even
what llttle might remain uncontaminated.
Then It Ia the work OF the physician to stimulate,
and by gentle remedies 10 bald up the system,
broken down and shattered by terrible fevers. The
pustuies are not such great evils In themselves,
except or course, as destroyers OF beauty; and 20
this degree they are frequently the very extreme in
their action Us every one knows. II Ia. perhaps,
one OF the most curious facts connected with prosti-
are havs em
their outward charms, and have therefore driven
give out their excretions then begins the greatest
physical debility. The actual consumption OF parts
OF the body the invasion Of muscles membranes
mons slate OF the stomach Level tho victim TO the
confines Of the grave II ne is not treated with tho
science which experience has developed 90 neces-
sary. The subject is cooled AZ stated his susccpt
pihties are discovered and his weakness is con-
uuered, II possible. Two weeks remove him from
danger or seal his fate DEATH II he dies 1t is rom
exhaustion. parent VINO recovers has his body
overspread by the eruptlons which assume their
This about the eighth ninth Gay. 1t Is period
OF great danger, superinduccd Dy weakness, BY the
general eneCts Of tho disease and IL indeed erti-
cal moment.
But q short time eIap,es and there are fresh eyt
% Sic.n's life jsopardized, ne goes into decline and
the disease terminates his life Usually the eighth
Or ninth day after the pustules nave ceased 70 now
II this evolution In performed successfully iifa u
safe In all the phases OF this infection :. II not pos
acp % ED L aHd many
Ins Is Oil that gives smallpox such hideouS aspect
consumption and various constitutional disorders
only generic The short time wnicn is occupied by
ITS ravages renders coolness OF Judgment accuracy
% and ,spay whePea
mistakes are inevitable; yet from what mas been been
said it win be evident that It u not more serious
than many other regular diseases a1llctlng MANKIND
Tne terror OF smallpox u contained In one word-lt
N foul Cleanliness essential a. matter Of
course.
SMALLPOX AND TIE BOARD OF EEALrH.
The Board OF Health hes boldly grappled with the
ton. have watched il with seepless eyes they know
every occurring In the city and follow through
all It's varying changes Dr. Harris mas sole cnnrge
OF the epidemic and practically, he 10 the Board Of
Health. No distinction il made betwoen the disease
IN Its worst forms and vartoloid-ts mildest typo;
and IN the statistics given tnis snouia % reiAem-
cercd
HISTORY OF rHB PRESENT coNTAGrox
In the fall OF 1858 Dr. Harris addressed c0mnu-
uication to the Board OF Health predicting the cpl
demic as now prevails in this city. San Francisco
was tnen suffering from the scourRe, and lce evils
were also loosed on transatsntlc shores Gradually
II began TO travel eastward, and from
Europe westward. 1t seemed inevitable. Dr;
Harris feared from both directions. ana
his fears were umely and the sequel SHOWS,
founded BY acute discrimination. soon vessels
came over the bar and emigrants brought with them
gifts OF misery-a stock OF contagion not the boon
Ehey sought In western homes but the doom they
found in western graves. The pablo became
agitated ana tue Board acted the doctors rec
mended. over 900 posters plastered the public
places Of the city inviting The poor places where
free vaccination could be enjoyed at the hands Of
paid physiclans. me public scnoois were looked
physicians and 70 all classes the OF preyen-
tion was weighed out and where necessary tho
pound Of cure.
In the month Of May 1909. the Board appointed
corna Of sixty DOCTORS whose duty II W az made to