Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-10
THE SMALLPOX SCARE.
what Health Officer T0wnshcnd Has
to Say.

AS considerable anxiety has been felt iE our
community for the past few days concerning the
ravages of smallpox In Baltimore, and as many
fears have been expressed lest it might pay US
VISIT, STAR reporter called on Health Officer
Townshend this morning to obtain the views Of
that official relative to the situation.
The doctor was found at his Office on AZ
street. and stated that the existence of small
poX i'm Baltimore was not news to him, although
great many people in Washington seemed to
be just realizing the fact that the scourge is in
such close proximity
1T prevailed" said the doctor. call last
winter. increasing i'm the spring. hung on all
summer, and now, when the closed doors weather
comes on. it is naturally spreading Pnila-
delphia and Pittsburg have both suffered ex-
tremeIy from the disease during the past two
years, and its progress in all three Of the cities
named has been carefully noted by us.
well. don't You think we are in danger of
having it introduced among us here DOCTOR"
asked the reporter.
I'VE may have case or cases any day,
brought to US. but there is no cause for alarm
Our experience with smallpox has given Us
entire confidence; We can take care of cases if
they crop out aud prevent its spread from one
to another. have asked the Commissioners to
place funds at my disposal for use in a case OF
emergency. and have TO doubt they will comply
with the request. The hospital building although
far from beng suitable structure for the care
OF contagious diseases. yet is in such condition
that we can care and provide for sporadic or
imported cases. think the spread of smallpox
in most cities can be accounted for by the fact
that municipal authorities are slow in placing
adequate means at the command of the health
officials. and thus the disease gets a fOothold.
We find councils and assemblies ready enough
to appropriate money where the alarm has be-
come general. and then it takes much to accom-
plish what triiie would have done in the first
place
1t would be hard to estimate the loss which
must necessarily fall upon the city of Baltimore
from this incursiOn of the dread disease
Seventy-nine deaths are reported i'm the NOR
tally sheet for last week, and this does not in
Guide those dying at the smallpox hospital,
which is located outside the corporate limits.
Take this large loss of population Qrom a
purely preventable disease). reckon the misery
entailed upon hundreds Of families, together
with the widespread effect upon the business
interests OF the city. and you will find that an
appropriation, even of 100000, would have
been one of the best investments Baltimore
could have made had that amount been placed
at the disposal of the health authorities and
war of determination begun from the outset"
Can smallpox be controlled and stamped
OUT? inquired the reporter
Yes" said the doctor; ''proper regulations
and the rigid enforcement thereof are ali that is
required. l have given my views at some
length on this subject in my report for 1882, now
In the hands Of the printer. l regret that it is
not near me now. asserted in that report that
health organization with means at its COM
mand which failed to control and stamp out this
disease within a reasonable length of time must
place upon itself the stamp of ine1licency
Vaccination takes fuel from the flame. and isO-
htiOn and dsinfectiOn will soon accom- plish the
rest. In our outbreak of last winter we had
forty-One cases. thirty-seven of which were
promptly removed to hospital. and in no in
stance was the disease permitted to extend be-
yOnd the premises where found. We had sew
eral cases in one house, but we succeeded in
combining the contagion in every instance and
in graduating it in short space of time
''Tlen you do not think doctor, that there is
any grave cause for alarm?'
IL see no need of panic. All persons should
be careful. of course Those adults who are not
protected by recent successful vaccination should
be re-vaccinated. and parents should see to it
that children are all vaccinated.''