, 1881-11-06

deaths. from smallpox in 1885, but that Was
thought something terrible in those days. IN
After that The scourge died OUT, so to speak and
sporadic cases occurred occasionally Until 1sos',
during. the War, when ne mort; mortality ae scpofi5
was iu the lutter part OF 1st'3 that II was iouho
necessary 10 again open the Fcst-Housc doofS'
which bud been closed Tor SO ionE a rErlofa' f,r
y Cheney ,sos appointed City Physician, aud it
was stipulated that 4 portion Of hls q dutles
was to consist in experimenting the Sulall-fo
i1,mntui. The records show o47 deaths from
snluil-pox in lS{ equal 10 Que iu euch eiEht ulld
half OF the persons attacked by tne dsease. se:
In the summer Of 1855 the disease had almost
wholly disappeared, but the entire year record
showed 80 victims. In the two years following a*
there was respite tr"!n the niscase' ano oo1n
years rive total uf Sixry-sx deaths.
Again. looking back over the tncAgre recorns
obtanable for thut purpose. it is found thnt. III
1s6: tnerc were total Of :* cases o. sm1 I%',
eight c.lscs. 1t was i'll th1t year that nerois
measures were takcn. The city W,.s a.
1na 1%fo twen9ysx enc physicians ~crc appointed
~ Sanitnry inspectors, under 1ne supervision
and direction oi Dr. j. H.. ll!uch Us suntarx '[
Through vaccination. not only OF tne neoP!s ;
at large, but also Of children iu the public and
private schools, was per50rmsd ny te ,..r
examined, and j,0U0 gratul1ous vaccinations per-
formed amongst thctn.
Again, il, the early pnrt OF lees, small pox
victor. for the thorough system OF vaccinatlon
then established prevented tho disease IRON
spreading, and i'll tho latter part Of tue 'I'r year
that yc,ar there were 1O,ooo children examined
and yaccinated in private, nnd near
y ha't ox5 as m na'y .r,t II, ,rains ths ca2q
over 10.000 passengers were Inspected ny the
medical officers, aud forty-cight oil the new
Songrs removed fron % to deno1 TO .nG +; their
house tt. house visitattons, found nearIy 11'Ouo
wuu uad never been vnccinated. This extrnor, ',
dinary work kept down the disease unt1i l9:: ~
when it u.iin became conspicuous. anu "
deaths occurred. Thelarge number OF people
who ca.nc to Chicago from al! parts OF tue cout-
diatcly after the great fire, afforded most OF
the conditions necessary Tor nn epidemic There
81 denths from s:nsll,nox y 1S;S- H Sanitary
superin1cntent recognized the fact thnt tn the
usal cu..rsc OF vaccinatin$ ;s. only IL IN .ars tne
infected districts was ~, insunSen5i 10 f5at
ns 1ssf hes enourS So0d for eo01 lie 's1 and
Health Commissioner to review me pds1 ranIr IN
In s,jtc Of the statements made that the disease
Is 1clug checked and held, it is aH the lung
crossing tue present aicSea ee.,i oouo ~sccinaton
Thai the disease can be rooted out. N la!4 =
twelve extra physicians were employed. wno
tion TheH. ,verc over 1,0W persons cxnmtned
by the Medical Inspectors, and over
7tQO vaccinafGd. There were eHatninca anu
vaccInnted ut the County Agents ouicS
Aid Society and the disptnshre5 over l3UAo+
There were 33:,00y children in the schools ex,
uuipcd. of whom one in sixteen was re1ccteo
as having been improperly yacc!nuted. since
them until the present year, tnica"o aHs oeGtl
comparatively free from the disease. Put the
record for 1881 is scarcely credit to Ch1ca:o.
The dcatns bv months this ycur were Is iolo"s
from sfnuIl- pox ulone: January, i5; tebfuatS+
Il: March, ~; April 81: May, ~; June. y; july
81 August ~: scptemoes; mS fSar S'ctone
Is being blo1ted out? There Is now httle
iettinV-up bur tho disease will soon appear
worse than ever, unless more EeneIa. E!1
and Uniform system of compulsory racctnatlon
nniv - pen1e.iy. When smallpox has heretofore
or;S.td here the mortality has always 1ceh tue
erre,fest in the mouths Of january, Feoruary+
..,nd March aud unless some furt4'er Precaut! tou
ury measures nrc taken the tflsease Will cou@'"oo
1o ncrcu$e- and not dlm1uish. h- u.
hooks OF the Department Of Health, 9u. 70
cases of smallpox we're reported, VT t9e Goa
r"te tt.rure5 are IT,. In the record OF sltnthr
en,dcu,iCs in Chicago the deaths were equai ~ ~
7,,e in cirht OF the cases occurrane ~
to this there are ut present IN tue c!.s si ~, IN
ehoCr lint there occurred 1T least 1-3'6 cases ot
Smallpox iu the city last nlon1n, Set tae ociMs ~
rcnorts show but l2S. Who IS responsloit tot 1 tu
hit1nv Of the cases: tan II hc poss'o!c Gt:i ~
1S)D cases nf undiscovered s!hnl-P az -; ~ ~.
.;c1, in this city: The records answer ~ H. t6e n
nt;rn,oti1e In q conversation had with Df: Ue
Wolt on the subject yesterday. ne satu r.1rs rt
oiCht-rcnrbs Of the cases occurring IN ne Io
tecnth Ward were never reported 4htla ceit t't.
cate OF death made i necessary 'd ID h"se ,sbo
ara Working with him. that they are not ~ -
.i,n fnr Ills state Of facts. They tab0r4 anu