The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-07-19
An Epidemic of Measles.

Plainfield, N. j., is suffering from an
epidemic of measles of very severe
type. The disease seems to be sweep
ing through New Jersey from north to
south. A short time ago 1t was preva-
lent in Elizabeth to an alarming extent,
and then it made its appearance in Son.
erville, scarcely house in that town es-
Gaping its visitation. Its spread is be-
lieved to be due to the removing of par
ties from ON infected district into one
which has not been infected. In Plain
field it was first discovered, it is said, in
the public school on West Fourth street.
This building accommodates between
eight hundred and a thousand pupils.
Many of the scholars had caught the
contagion before the fact was discover
ed. As soon as the cases developed them
selves those suffering from it were quar-
antined, but the city was in for a siege,
and all efforts to check the disease prov
ed unavailing. For about two months
past cases of measles have been frequent
in the city, but within the past two or
three weeks there has been q regular
epidemic. From the public school 1t
has spread to the different private
schools, and all classes are infected by
it. The disease is not confined to chill
dren, but has attacked a large number
of adults. There are about fifteen reg
ularly practicing physicians in Plain
field, and they have been kept busy day
and night attending to sick-calls. One
doctor has had between one hundred
and fifty and two hundred cases among
his patients, and another physician has
had like number. The other medical
practitioners have had from seventy
five to twenty cases each.
There are different estimates of the
total number of cases within the past
few weeks. One authority yesterday
said that there had been not less than
from nine hundred to one thousand
cases. By another the number was fix
ed at five hundred. One of the singu-
lar features of the epidemic is that those
children who have had the disease be-
fore have not escaped having it a second
time. In fact, in many cases when
children have had it before the return of
the disease is characterized by far more
serious symptoms than on the first at
tack In many instances the trouble
assumes the appearance of what is called
black measles-a malignant type of the
disease.
There have been some six or eight
deaths so far. Two of these occurred
in the Children's Home, charitable
institution for destitute children, situated
on Hillsdale avenue, in the southeastern
part of this city. The disease, after
circulating around in North Plainfeld
and Plainfield, swept down upon the
home, which at the time had within its
walls twenty-five little ones. 1t spread
among the children with startling rap
idity until twenty-four of the twenty
five were on the sick list. The only one
who escaped was a little girl who had
been i'll all winter with other forms of
disease. Strange to say that while her
playmates, one by one, caught the con-
tagion, she went through it safely.
Among those who died was the 10
months-old child of the Mayor, L. V.
F. Randolph. 1t was acting as IL ill on
Wednesday night, but nothing serious
was feared. On Thursday morning the
child was worse. The family physician
was summoned, but the little one was
beyond medical control. 1t died that
same night. Four children of the May
or have been sufferers from the disease
the child who died, one who is recov-
ering fast, and two who are still con-
fined to their beds. The mortality
cCOAAAo W hnNO OCOh AOobAAObCo W bhC
children, but many of the adult cases
have been very malignant.
One of the most serious was that of
the Rev. A. V. V. Richmond, pastor of
the Trinity Reformed Church. On last
Sunday week he preached two sermons.
While delivering his afternoon discourse
he felt troubled with his throat. He
went TO his physician and told him about
it. "Why," replied the doctor, "you
have the measles" Nonsensel" was
the reply. Last night, however, the
clergyman had the disease in down.
right earnest. 1t was so severe that the
skin became dark purple in color.
The pastor, after a weeks illness, is,
however, fully recovered. There is
difference of opinion among the physi-
clans as to whether the disease has
reached its height or not. BY some it is
said that the cases are diminishing and
that Plainfield Is about to be rid of it.
Yet others say that there are no signs oi
a falling off in the number of cases, but
that they are as numerous as at any
time since the epidemic began. As
Plainfield has a population of about ten
thousand, or with North Plainfield
twelve thousand, and as the number OF
cases is placed at one thousand by
some, it may well be imagined that the
citv Ia thorouohly alarmed over the mat