Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-06-29
SMALLPOX.

this place, was passenger on the Prince
alfred the last trip up, and after remain.
Ing niue days in quarantine at Victoria,
was permitted to return home. He arrived
here by the North Pacific. Wednesday
morning, feeling i'll, but without and sus.
picions that he had contracted the fell
disease. In a few hours, however, the
nature Of his illness became apparent, and
he was Immediately removed to Capt. Per-
cival's house, on the west side of the bay,
which has been fitted up for pcst-house
during the prevalence of the epidemic, if
such it should prove to be. Mrs. Breck-
enfield accompanied her husband in his
retirement, and medical and other attend.
ance has been provided by the town au-
thorities. 1t is hoped that prompt action,
in connection with the sanitary measures
adopted, will stay the progress of the
loathsomc disease.
We are glad to announce that vaccna-
ton has been very generally resorted to as
a preventive, as we'll as a means of nit
igatiug the severity of the disease, should
it have been contracted by exposure, or if
it should assume the from of an epidemic.
1t is hoped that all will avail themselves
Of this effective yet harmless prccaution.
There is really no cause for serious alarm,
if proper care is maintained in guarding
public intercourse with those who are nee.
essarily subject to the contagion. We
have the authority Of DR.. Hugh Campbell,
an eminent physician of Unioutown, Pa,
for saying that there is no disease to which
flesh is heir that can be more completely
isolated and confined within certain limits
than smallpox, if proper precautionary
measures are adopted. He says:
These measures are the most simple that you
can imagine, merely to avoid all actual contact
with the sick, or any article of clothing or
other thing that has been in contact with the
sick. If this rule is rightly adhered to, will
guarantee that the disease shall not spread be-
yond the persons to whom it is already COM
municated. The physician or any other person
may enter the sick room without danger of
contracting the disease, by leaving out of the
house for the time of visit all outer garments,
avoiding touching door laches, stair rails,
chairs, bedcothes, or, in a word, any article
in the room, by your clothes, your hands or
your feet. The Doctor must feel the pulse,
but on leaving the room let him have his own
wash basin and towel, and wash his hands
well, and he is safe. Nurses should be provd-
ed with suitable dresses to be used during the
sickness of patient, and when through with
their nursing dispose of their clothes by fire if
they can afford it, or if they cannot afford to
warm water and soap by washing in two or
three changes of water. taking care to bury
the water deep in the ground. 1t is all to no
purpose to wear amulets, sulphur, camphor,
assafGtida, carbolc acid, or anything else as
a preventive, because the disease is never car
ried in the air, or by any other me lium, ex-
cept actual contact as above stated, notwith-
standing the strong odor arising from the
person of the sick, and where there is the con-
tact all your lprevenrves are valueless. I
have been asked how long before it would be
safe to use articles having been in contact with
the sick, and not properly cleaned. This
question CaHuot Uc ueuhiteIy HuSWcTcoi ~
might be in three months, or as many years.
The only security is perfect cleansing or de-
stroying. There is great cruelty or want OF
Christian faith in the doctor or any other per-
son refusing to give the proper attention to the
sick, through fear of losing practice or con-
veying the disease to others. By attending to
the proper precautions, the physician may see
his smallpox patient and then go to another
patient without the least danger of carrying
the disease. The physician advertises himself
to attend the sick, and even at the risk of los
ing custom through fear, he has no right to
decline attendance on smallpox. If vaccina.
ton were enforced, and rightly performed on
every individual and repeated until the sus-
ceptibuity was exhausted, smallpox would
soon lie eradica!ed One principal reason why
so many have smallpox after being said to
have been vaccinated, is the ignorant or care
less manner of vaccination. Every physician
who inserts the vaccine virus is bound to see
the disease runs its course rightly, and it is his
duty to see his patti ent, at least, three times
from the incipient siege of the disease to the
formation of the crust or scab. Less than this
is failure of duty, and he is entitled to no
compensation, nor can he honestly say that
his patient has been vaccinated. Again, the
thing seems so simple that many ignor.' mt per,
sons think they can do it themselves, the part
becomes sore--there ia much fever and they
conclude all is right-neverthelcss, the disease
is spurious and there is no protection, the vac.
cination is discredited.