New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-30
GUARDING AGAINST SMALLPOX.
ACTION IN THE CITY AND AT QUARAN line
THE DISEASE UNUSUALLY FATAL THIS fEAh-Nh"
RI,IES BY HEALTH OFFICER SMITH.

family suffering from smallpox at No. 500
Bleecker-st., Old-tashlonGd dWelInP T Hn sh
Leen turned into a tenement house and Is hlled WIN
LADDERS 4 physician living IN the ncighborh0od
mad reported to the Board OF Health his 3elel .naV
there was SMALLPOX III the house. Dr McO Eesnoa'
nuon investigating the report i0nnu Charles roiIcS
his wife and four children, III different Stages VI o
disease. They were ali removed To me a9
Hospital, and the house was IhorouEihS ,i
No uhysiciAn had attended the family. Oh' ol Ino
children had caught the COntagon III some uuhno"n
manner two weeks ago and communicated ~ 10
every other member OF the family. Not one OF 'nq
children had been varcInated. Another case III
smalIbox was found at No. -Gl SecOnd-St "heio
bohemian undertaken recently cohceaIru senciaf
cases for weeks and, III consequence IoSI WV Va
his chi lrcn Three suspicious cases were aiSO IT,
norrd ami inspectors were sent 10 IhVes IHtlo LII
The record. of the Vaccination bureau sHsN li'at
the disease this year has been exceedingly iaiaI III
tins city OF little over 200 cases OF s.naiP"T
ro,ortci 40 have resulted in death "A mortality OF
3G prr cent. Nevertheless the health olhcerS Iane
n huprtul view OF the situation lheN ma Co'4II
in the fact that they are able 10 stamp oHtl me
scourge when it is discovered IN mouse Dci"rr ~
las attacked more than few VlcliHS. Is sllSML'
foo that i'm propprt on 10 It's population. New l3Th
has really less smallpox nj preseh! IMAM h'oSV o'
cities in the United states. ~, -,
II was reported Yesterday that more than three
cases of smallpox had been Developed among tno
passengers of the steamship lhchahla, Ni'ci ar
rived on sunday, and waS detained al puiIa'uno
sengeis and Tor fumiCIuon. Health Oihcer Snuh
denied the rumor and called attention TO me neceS
sitv OF being severe in the quarantine r'guatlohS.
Al find" he said. that the officers OF theSe
passenger steamships nave strong temptation nov
TO tell the exact truth One oil lne laeesC anu
finest steamships which enters this port arrived
recently with OF smallpox on BOARD lhv
doctor reported that the case had been NlscoIGie9
really before it developed and that the patient nad
hecn absolutely isolated Not beng satlshcu tuiC
thi, was the case, / personally qucsti8heu tle
patient through an interpreier ana ioHh1 Una. ,ne
doctor's statements were absolutely false. Now
what is the result of thsf The vessels are au sea
too short time for smallpox 10 develop before lhe
nassenGcrs are sent forward to their destinations,
holia a
fhe country for every that has developed before
arrival. Under these circumstances could li'tIS
he held to blame for strictly observing QUARANTINE
even though it should prove VeXatiols ana eNPen,
sive TO the steamship companies Some OF these
officers feel that should protect the NesseI AT ihc
eX npnsc Of the health of The country. ,
For the last two years have urged the Steam
shin lines to make their hospitals in parts oil the
vessel remote from the stecrage quarters ana III
two or three instances the hospitals have uetn
Dlaccd on the upper Geek. The trouble IL thal inc
Sick bay is too frequently a part OF the Storage
and the patients simply breathe Nlllalcu an
poiSoped by hundreds of persons lnnaling ana eN-
bang it without being renewed. few days ago
disco. cred that doctor had built COOP or salI
slat box in the middle of the steerage dech' "hc'e
there were 500 rsand in tins he had laehl
demonstrated with HIM. when he tod me lhdt ne
had freely sprinkled carDOlc ACID ana chloride OF
lime abont. / told him that this would NOT DESTROY
Infection when he began to argue " ia me- gave
him to understand that If 1t occurred again W"ud
subject the vessel and everyone on BOARD u inc
strIctest quarantine. These people have no excuse
Tor this indifference excepting TO save expense. e..
DR. smith also states that there II InuCh alarm I'D
the West i'm relation to smallpox, and that ne ana
lis deputies exceeding watchiuI To guaru thls
city and interior communities ffoin the SWeld oI
the disease. He adds that II Is fact known 10 Jew
that Port Huron. the second port oil entry III me
United States, far rs numbers arc concerned mas
no medical inspector Of immigrants and calculates
that 20 less than 10000 aliens passed INTO me
West aud Northwest through Port Huron IN looO'
DR. Smith has compiled series Of rules to he o =
served by officers of steamships entering ms port
Blls of health will he required by the Quarantine
officials: all immigrants upon arrival VIII he SUD
iected TO examination as regards their protection
from smallpox; their examination by ihe heulcaI
officers of vessels within twentY-0ur hours aileT
leaving port, and the vaccination OF those WI" give
evidence of Insufficient protection through previous
examination, will, II considered by the Quarantine
officials to have been faithfully and intclliecntly
! performed exempt immigrants from such examine
| lion at Quarantine may be necessary 10 ucltT,
| mine whether or not such passengers are projected
from the effect of the cOntaglOn OF smallpox, cH-
cept where allpoX exists or mas eAs'td on ppaI'i
the vessel on the passage to this port certificate
| or card held by each PASSENGER WIN lie WoIi
Protected written printed thereon, anu signed
bv the medical officer of the steamsh p, VIII be I'M
deTst0od as sufficient guarantee that each passeh-
ger is protected" and all passengers not haVina
| exposed or unprotected; the medical officers ol
| passenger steamships will be required 20 verify
under oath the number OF persons considered pro
tected by vaccination and smallpox; all persons
not protected" Will lie vacclnated or VIII be sub
jccted 10 a quarantine OF observation
| These rules will be enlOiDed upon all medlca
officers of steamships and the carrying OF them out
1t is thought will not only contribute to the pro
lection OF the public health and security, but wal
promote the interests of passenger lines DY Saving
time and expense ut Quarantine. Alter an IhltI
view with the managers of the various steamship
lines in June last to consider the adoption OF rcgu
| latlons or measures that would insure projection
against the introduction and propagation OF coHta
| gOus and infectious diseases, the managers OF tL
lines held a meeting and adopted resolutions 10 TINT
effect that they would cooperate with the Nationa
and State health authorities IN carrying out slcl
recommendations TO effect the purpose as might ID
iii IN At.tTfI hat a. n
manners, following their meeting was spcedlll
evident in the increased vigilance OF the ocefs o
steamships, and the marked dlmnntiQn OF snall
box among immigrants arriving 1t tins port. II
the first seven months OF the present year thlrty
| four vessels entered this port with smallpox
Since that time only five have been detected
| If the owners and managers of passenger lines WI
earnestly cooperate with the health authorlllch II
carrying out the rules cited. and II they VIII pre-
vide suitable hospital accOnlno latlOn LOT the lsoIa
tiOn of the contagious patients, DR. Smith declare
that they will contribute greatly to the arrest o
the introduction and propagation Of tins drea'
disease. 40.
since January l. 1891. there have been 40
cases of smallpox in Brooklyn of which 100 ter
minated fatally. linus lar ms mohth IhIrly-nl,n
tons for smallpox patients at the Comfy ioSp.ta
is strongly urged. The Board OF Health IS doing al
that is possible by vaccination to prevent an epl
dcmic. An increase OF the disease is expected ol
account Of the removal of the bodies of two person
who died of this disease IN unsealed collins iron
New-LOts through tho city. There are now MIN
eases of the Iii east in East NewNOrk, the prlncpa
village of the town of New-LOts.
Much complaint IS made Of tho failure OF tn
Board of Health of the Town Of New Lots, l.. /.
which has over 1900 inhabitants, TO take pronp
and decisive measures to suppress the sprtad
! smallpox which Is III danger OF becoming epldeml
| in East Ncw-YoTk. One physician says that ther
| are over thirty cases TO his knowledge and ina
families where it is not isolated nor are step
taken TO prevent its spread. he Board of lIcalt
recently appointed DR., Wemmel Health Officer; bu
he Is not recognized by the other physicians, AM
the case of for failure 10 comply with the la'
is now before the Grand Jury. There is "A stron
feeling against the removal of patients 80 the dllaI
dated smallpox hospital at Flatbush, and recently
when the police tried to remove the sick children q
| n Pole the father stood in the doorway braudlsmh
an axe and threatening 10 BRAIN the hrst pOucelna
who tried TO enter. AS the police force MAINTAIN
that il is employed TO preserve order, ana not l
care for the sick, the policemen withdrew at III
|