New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-11
PREVENTION OF SMALLPOX,


ACTIVE WORK OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
THE METHODS OF TRR ovERsEERs OF ihh pan
CONDITION OF THE CITY -DlfficULTIEs IN PER-
.r.n,so prRsoNs TO BE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ruy v,prs ~ oBrAINED-nIDING SICK FRIENDS
--rHE HOSPITALS.
The work of the Health Department in sup
resenr small and IN preventing the spread VI TINS
disease has many interesting features. Dr. James d.
svlor the head OF the Vaccination Bureau was fohno
at Police Headquarters day last week busiy engsgeu
with the duties OF his position Two attendants were az
a,detabe cutting Qus charged with VACCINE
q. pointsn and another was filling the orders OF physi
clans and others who called One OF the ASSISTANT phy
eiciahs was vaccinntDg the tiny red arm OF uoo
IN Its mothers lap ian operation which 1t did not very
much lke). and several stawart negroes Win 'ner
sleeves rolled up. stood by awaiting tner turn'
"wc arc very busy Just now" said Dr. iaS'or ftoi"
ov 10 100 persons como each day to be vacc'naed
MANY ubyscans In the city their vaccine virus from
NJ and orders are received all of the counry
in addition we supply oil Of the hospitals dspensares
and charitable institutions In this city,
What Is the method OF the department 10 preventive
spread or the disease :"
ITO 70 back TO the beginning of the system bill was
passed in 1s7475 authorizing the Board OF Health 10
establish separate department Tor tue suppTeSsi" "
smallpox. Before this men were employed az uneS "
vaccinate the people, but there were no systeat' CHI
cienc efforts prevent the spread OF the dsease
When the was organized In October 1SI0we
were IN the midst of smallpox epidemic. The corps
was set work vaccinating people living IN tenement
houses workshops and factories aud the children III the
schools the OF afew months as aresu the as
ease entirely disappeared We began at once system oi
visiting certain quarters of the clty-a system unnKe
that of any other place. There twelve physicians
who are engaged In making visits during the entre
ye0r Whether there are any cases OF smsPoA Ut ho'
they 20 to each least twice year Tor the pur
pose Of vaccnatng those OF the inmates VINO requre
ia from
$4,000 Two assistants are engaged IN vaccnatnR the
children in schools who under system are better
protected than any other class The Inmates or the
peuentiary and other institutions the islands are
looked after twice year.
10 times Of an epidemic special work has to be done.
to which Of the members OF the are detailed
All cases reported by physicians policemen and Others
are at once inquired into and either isolated removed
to the hospital Houses 10 infected neghborhoods are
Thoroughly searched although cases may have been
reported to be In them. II the patient Is In private
house. or one containing only three families he s
usually removed to the top foor and put In
charge of single nurse attendant. This has been
found mprachcable In hotels flats and boardinghouses
for as soon as known that there is case OF
smallpox in the house there's a general hegira'
LIFE AT THE HOSPITAL
"When patients are removed they are taken TO the
reception hospital at the foot OF East Sxteenth-st,
whence they are taken to the Riverside Hospital II they
are able to up they conveyed In coupe but not
they taken In closed ambulance In cases OF very
young children we always insist upon the mother or
nurse accompanying them to the hospital and remaining
there with them their recovery Vaccnate them
the ay they enter hospital and they incur no risk at
at all Of taking disease. There mas not yet been
single case Of Infection under these circumstances We
allow wife 20 with her husband or husband with
Those desiring private apartments allowed TO have
them; many Of the better class OF people avail them
selves Of this privilege. Friends communicate with
those at the hospital day and send food or any,
thing to increase their comfort Patients are confined
at the hospital from week 70 tDree ohths accoropg
to the form OF the disease
the aS ae5 p ~ inc hosp In most ene
inent houses there several families. usually OF one
nature Of The disease is known-and in many it is
not-Often little precautOn is taken against 1t. and
stricken Gown. The house s disniected and close
watch kept upon 1t for new cases for three or four
taken in baud One of the principal OF The spread
OF smallpox in neghborhood Is the number OF light
cases that occur The disease may have 90 mid form
that il recognized, and yet Others may become m
eeted from It and have Se most e u
with small.pOx-in the second and third stages Ihs
faGs ts two
the disease has been taken INTO the systemt VIII save
@ tG% sps sne Of the disease viii mild form
Very young children have gone to the hospital with their
capped From our experience of smsP91 we are salts
Ned that ad be ayng ike @
epidemic In this city, As Is, sometimes not single
un winter there nave not been many cases-only
now and then Que.
THE DISEASE THIS WINTER.
1.-THE frs. cases this year appeared last October
among tie Italians, by whom the disease was evidently
brought from Italy; at the same time Il number OF
eoored persons having tue smallpox came from Phia-
delphia. II Is principally conhled TO these TWO
classes although TO some degree showing itself among
the Germans and other nationautles The mortality
steadily decreases. although the number of cases is
and
about twepy.three per OF the was fatal early
In January the per cent was as high twenty
eight twcnty-Dne Much harm often results from
do take the precautou to vaccnate those exposed
the disease, but assist the parents or friends IN CON
ceaing cases An instance of this KIND occurred not
lung ago. In which sxty-cight cases were developed
% Ba Been
would not have been than three or four, ana per
haps not This Is violation OF the sanitary Coue
but OF many which have been taken into the
courts we have failed to secure CONVICTION Id one
sECRETiNG CASES.
in making their visits the physicians meet with great
many difficulties. especially among itahans ana Bone
mians While they show violence they tax their
wits to the utmost to prevent the quick eye OF the
searcher from finding their sick friends.
Here is good example OF what we OFTEN meet witn
said Dr. Finn. Of the visiting physicians "The other
day went large Italian enementhouse In Crosby
at There were vessels Of disnfecting fluid setting
around and the faces of the tenants bore traces OF
anxiety about something which concluded
that there OF smallpox in the house Enter
ing room had to suspect, was told that
there had there, but that the mother OF the
stok child had taken 1t 10 another street Tns was
likely story but continued my search. Just as was
drspaifng occurred to look again under the bed
First two trunks pulled out and thentw or three
bundes This disclosed the dim outline OF man.
who convinced that he had been discovered by being
vigorously punched In the back with stick rolled out
from his hdiue place. He a big swarthy Italian,
and was holding child In bis arms which was wrapped
nm in a blanket, and with the smallpox
Another time went into large tenement house In
Baxterst The landady assured me that there were no
In he hons
and went out for officer TO assist me In the search
We unlocked a door but 1t was fastened on the inside
ana would NOT ope9 Finally woman admitted u.s. she
as I'm the third stage OF diseasen which the vescles
are drying and falling on On apotner uoor w MS Sa r