Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-05-22
THE PRISON PEST.
Elk CASES or vAKlOLOlD KEfOhiED
rns noard of Health VIII Consider It -
The Prison Inmates All Vaccinsted-
rnuhle FeareO

The Board Of Health VIII Consider 1e-
The Prison Inmates All Vaccinsted-
No Trouble Feared.
For some time the newspaper reporters
and other well-informed persons of the
CITY have known that a modified form OF
smallpox had appeared in the prison, but
in Difference to the wishes Of the man
aeement and ont of q desire to prevent
any undue popular excitement over the
matter, a full publication Of the state OF
the case has been withheld. Az exag-
gerated reports thereof are now in free
circulation it is proper that the public be
reliably informed as to the actual condI-
ton of affairs there, which in brief is,
that:
1. One inmate Of the prison, man
named Mohu, died recently Of small Pox.
and not vaIiOlOid, as was reported.
g. There are ROW in the prison five men
and one girl affected by variOloid, OF va
rying degree, the case of the girl being
most dangerous.
3. Besides these there are humber OF
other persons who have shown some Ot
the preliminary symptoms of varioloid.
A. These patients are isolated from the
rest of tho prison inmates, but must be
kept in the main building, as there is no
other place for them. Disnfectants in
large quantities are freely used visiting
at the prison is not allowed aud all the
prisoners are vaccIDated.
The prison authorities complain that
some of the members Of the board of in
spectors who are opposed to Pris;
Keeper Burkholder aud PrisOn Physician
Shirk have circulated exaggerated state
ments and sensational reports OF the num-
4 a. IL, nt<a pf
case. But the above summary of facts
was obi aimed in an interview with DR.. j.
X Shirk, the prison physician himself and
one of the underkeepers, and there is no
reason to question its accuracy.
The management of the prison is utterly
at loss to account for the introduction Of
the disease unless through carpet rags
brought to the Jail. When Of the two
cases which appeared some time ago, one
proved fatal, the fact was communicated
to the board of health, with the assurance
that the prison authorities felt confident
that they could prevent the. spread OF the
pest Since Then these cases vi varlOlOd
have appeared, and DIR. j. A e. Reed,
one of tho members of the board, will
visit the prison &" day to report to his col
leagues this evening the actual condition
of affairs, and at special meeting then to
be held. they will determine what is best
to be done, and probably make an an
nouncement to tic public of what is neces-
sary for ample protection.
Besides DIR. Reed the board consists OF
DIR. Levergood, NJ. H. Steigerwalt, Il. H.
Fulton, president, aud DIR. G. II. Brown,
secretary.
DR.. Shirk reports number of cases oi
chills among the inmates, which he has
reason to apprehend are the preliminary
symptoms of variOloid. Nothing worse
than this form of the disease, he says, can
ensuc, as all of the 106 inmates have been
vaccinatcd, and val iO!oid is not fatal. The
sick are put into separate cells, in pairs,
away from all others and disinfectants are
lavishly used, but there can be no removal
of them from tho main building, as there
is no other place of confinement within the
prison and inmates of it cannot lawfully be
taken elsewhere. No visitors, not even
policemen, are admitted within the prison
doors, but the authorities cannot prevent
persons whose terms have expired from
leaving the Jail and going out into the
community. 1t remains to be seen what
the board of health can do about it.