Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-14
THE PESTHOUSE
Regarded by DIR, G.. b. Thornton as a
Good Distributing Point for
Smallpox.
An Interview in Which the Doctor
Points Out the Defects and the
Remedies.

Night before last two cases of smallpox
were sent to the pesthouse. One of these wa:
a telegraph operator named Thomas Meal
lister, who was taken sick two or three days
previous and sent to his room on Second
| street, near the Greenlaw Operahouse. He
| finally developed case of smallpox, and
was taken to the pesthouse by the authorities
Mr.. Z. Howard, superintendent of the West
ern Union, had some comforts sent to him
The other case was that of negro, who was
aboard the Golden Crown passing up the
river. The captain of the boat met Officer
John Jenny about midnight and informed
him that there was a case of smallpox
ABOARD THE BOAT,
and asked the officer if he could get anybody
to haul the victim from the steamer to the
pesthouse. The boat had large number OF
passengers aboard. Officer Jenny went with
the captain TO the house of a negro and rap
ped him up, and asked him if he was the
man who hauled smallpox patients to the
pesthouse.
"No," he said, "he's just stepped out. How
much does you pay, boss?"
Give dollars"
'l'se de man you'se lookin' fur" He &C
companied the captain to the boat and took
the case to the smallpox hospital, and the
boat continued ner trip.
OUR PENTHOUSE.
Dr. Thornton to ascertain his views on the
pesthouse as a. distributing point for small
pox.
What does the pesthouse need?" asked
the reporter.
SIT ought to have a laundry TO which can
be added two bathrooms, one for males and
one for females, and proper furnace with
kettles for boiling. There should be two
bathrooms with stoves in each of them. A
hath Will OH iS olu oil
because a convalescent might, in a cold room,
get a severe case of pneumonia and die"
"What would it all cost?"
"Not more than $500. / think it could be
done for much less. At the last session OF
the County Court DR.. Brown sent to the
magistrates communication showing them
the
NEEDS OF THE PEsTHoUsE,
but nothing has been done about it. A negro
goes TO the hospital and either dies or gets
wellp If the latter, then he goes out without
taking bath and with the same clothes he
had on when he entered. He probably goes
back to his old haunts, where he may give
two or three negroes the disease. Thus il
spreads, and may become epidemic if the
County Court don't provide the hospital
with the necessary arrangements. The ply
stefan in charge should be furnished with
plenty OF cheap coarse underclothing-sh
and drawers for the men and coarse, heavy
gowns for the females They should be m ade
to don these when they enter treatment, and
their old clothing should be boiled in the
kettles. The boiling point of heat Is the
only thing that kills the smallpox germs"
A POPULAR FALLACY.
SIS there any possibility of an epidemic
of smallpox during the warm weather
Doctor?"
"Of course there is. 1t is popular idea
that warm weather kills smallpox, but that
is all nonsense. The reason why smallpox
is rarer in summer than in winter, is because
in warm weather a man opens his house
almost lives in the air, and doesn't wear
wooden clothing, which is one of the CHIEF
, vehicles of the disease. Yellow-fsver germs
are killed at the frost point, but smallpox
germs are killed by nothing but boiling, and
that would kill a man. Because warm
weather is approaching is no reason why We
should let up in our exertions."
At this point the tdoctor having pro-
nounced the reporters vaccination dry
enough, the interview ceased. Presiden
Hadden and Dr. Thornton, as instructed by
the council, communicated with Judge G. E
Smith, chairman of the County Court, in re
gard to the pesthouse, and the judge saiC
the court
WOULD DO ANYTHING
that was asked. That, however, is no
enough. The court may not meet for some
months and delays are unwholesome. Judge
Smith should interest himself personally ant
strain point to have the wants supplied
| 1t is understood that Esquire Elan, who Ii
superintendent of the smallpox hospital
doesn't go there often enough to appreciate
the gravity of the situation. He, too, should
| personally interest himself. A step ever
further than DR.. Thornton suggests shoulG
be taken. Clothing of patients should b,
burned and new ones supplied, SO as to pre-
vent the rest of the people from having new
suits of smallpox.