The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-05-11
A PHYSICIAN SPEAKS.
The Contagious Character of Small Pox
Defined and Described.
lFOr the Democrat

Defined and Described.
lFor the Democrat
By request, and for the information OF
the public, l furnish for publication the
following facts acquired from personal
observation upon the cOntagiOusness OF
small pOX. Erroneous opinions are en-
tertalned by many on the subject, which
are calculated to lead to injudiciOus and
Improbable action, and to correct
them, prompts this article. My views
may differ from the views of other
especially do the Courts, how doctors
differ, and 'whO shall decide when doc
tors disagreep" Let every one Judge for
himself as he is given light.
My first contact with small pOX was in
| 1888. L was then a student at College.
A member of the family with whom /
boarded contracted the disease in Pitts
burgh. There were at least dozen
| students boarded and lodged in the
house, and although we frequently, out
of curiosity, looked into the room
where the patient was confined, not a
| single other case occurred in the house
or neighbOrhOOd.
In 1850, a bOarder of the American
House, Canal Fulton, few days after
his return from journey, was taken
down with small pOX. Several of the
younger children of the proprietor of
| the house had not been Yaccinated and
| they contracted it. The pOstOffice was
kept In the house, and, though the pub
! lie came and went as usual, one case
| only occurred outside. There were q
dozen dwellings within a hundred yards,
but not a single occupant took the
disease.
In 1868, small pOx was brought into
the Aldlnger family, residing near Mey-
ers' Lake. There were three or four
cases. Mrs. Aungst, neighbOr, visited
the family, communicated it to her
| children, and two of them died. No
other cases appeared in the neighbOr-
| hood, though there was considerable in
| tercOurse. In the Aldinger family, no
clothing or bedding was destroyed.
About ten years ago there were several
| cases in the Wilmer family, corner of
Fifth and Fulton streets. A relative re-
siding. in the eastern part of the city
visited the family, handled one of the
children while in the eruptive stage and
she contracted the disease, the only case
| that appeared outside the family.
During the rebellion we were seldom
free from 1t. 1t was either fresh recruit,
who had not been Yaccinated, or a ma
tive, for whom we cared. The sOldiery
were treated in tents, isolated from the
main camp, but there was no special re-
strictiOns about inteTcOuTse-nOne were
| necessary, as people are not inclined
voluntarily to rush into danger. There
was not an instance to my knowledge
where any one contracted the disease
from tent. On the arrival of the
army at Savannah, in Sherman's march
to the sea,w found La number of cases of
small pOX among the low whites and
negroes. 1t was my duty as medical
officer to provide quarters and assign
surgeons to attend them. inspected
their quarters weekly. Many of them
were in palatial residences in the heart
of the city; yet l did not learn of a sim
gle case occurring in neighbOring
house.
Ihave cited these instances in proof of
my belief that the disease is not carried
in the air to any great extent, as many
people believe, or have an idea. The
stories told of the disease being con-
tracted by persons who passed the house
or called at the door of the small pOx
patient, am inclined to regard as apOc-
ryphal. The virus may be conveyed in
clothing, or paper money, which were
on or about the person during the dis
ease. 1t may preserve it's activity for
months when not freely exposed to the
air. At what period in the course of the
disease the chances of taking it are
most likely, has not yet been accurately
determined. There is great danger in
carrying and handling corpse, as de-
composition Is rapid, and the emanatiOn
most pungent. Terrible results have fol-
lowed the careless handling and burial
of small pOx patient. The fOmites, or
materies mOrbi, is then more penetra-
ting.
lam often asked, "How do you protect
yOurself?" Having been vaccinated, and
having yaccinated myself to be as
sured that its protective power
has not been exhausted, l have no
convey it to Others through the medium
of fOmites, | cover myself with an i'm
perViOus and nOn-absOrbent garment. 1
have no occasion, nor is it necessary for
me to touch the patient. l learn from
the nurse all that is important for me to
know in order to prescribe. If | handle
anything in the room, l wash my hands
thoroughly and use disinfectant. 1
have yet to learn of single instance
where a physician carried small pOx
to another person, when he knew what
he was treating. There are other diseases
of malignant character communicated
by the physician, for the prevention of
which there is no known prOphylactic.
l do not wish to be understood as Op-
posing all proper precautions against
the spread of small pOx. desire simply
10 impress upon our people the TACT that
the disease is not contagious to the ex-
tent imagined by many persons. That
when it makes its appearance in a
neighborhoOd, there is no reason for
those living in close proximity to be-
come panic stricken and remove. If the
family are protected by vaccination,
they can continue in the even tenor of
their way without fear. For our people
to be continually agitating the subject,
can do no possible good, but may do
much harm, not only by keeping up a
constant fear, thereby increase the
liability to contract the disease, but
seriously disturb the business interests
of the city. LEW SLUSSER, NJ. d.