The Wilmingtonian., 1883-05-12
SMALL POX.


The twenty-five new cases of SMALLPOX
reported to the Board of Health at its last
meeting may well excite the apprehensions
of this people in reference to what may be
in store for us in the near future.
If our memory serves us correctly only one
week ago the President of the Board of
Health in committing the acts of the Board
of Health to the people for their appreciation
stated that SMALLPOX had been virtually
wiped out of this city, yet in the short space
of one week from that official announce
ment we have the report of twenty five new
cases-as many cases, if not more, than
have been reported in any one week since
the plague first made its appearance
We are not alarmists, but we do state
that twenty-five new cases of SMALLPOX is
just twenty-five too many after such pleni-
potentiary powers had been granted to the
Health Board to circumvent this dreaded
| disease.
| We but reflect public sentiment when we
state that the Board of Health has in the
past proven its futilty to meet the exigen-
ces of the case-and the hope of our citi-
zens is now centred on DR.. A. H. Grimshaw
his positlveness and aggressiveness are known
of all and his thorough knowledge of Sani-
tary requirements and restrictions will give
great confidence in his actions.
DIR. Grimshaw in the very first meeting of
the Health officers gave the key note to the
stamping o.s4 o1 by his
declaring in favor of thorough and erhaus-
tiDe vaccination. DR.. Grimshaw's first
question was how many of those vaccinated
were followed by satisfactory results and
he was Mortified to learn that the only
question that apparently interested his pre-
decessors as how many have had there
arms scratchedP ? not how many are protected
by complete vaccination?
When we remember that SMALLPOX is
absolutely preUentable we must conclude that
the administration of the Health has not
been in harmony with its grave Importance
Il ioos in the po,Oer and 1t aOas the duty of the
Health Guardians of this city to have stamp
ed out effectually SMALLPOX in too weeks
after it first made its appearance.
The sickness, the suffering. the sorrow,
; and the deaths that have resulted from
SMALLPOX are attributable to either ignor
ance or to gross and objectionable misman
agement.
Although it is an established fact tina
SMALLPOX stands solitary and alone as tn
only disease that is absolutely preventable
yet six months after this horrid disease haC
made its appearance we find twenty-fiv
| new cases reported within few days; i
there had been no Board of Health it coult
t have scarcely been worse.
= The pertinent question of the hour is hoy
{ to arrest the further advancement of a dis
5 ease that if not soon controlled may para
i lyze our mercantile and industrial indus
( triesP
There is but one solution to this questio
: and that is an honest vaccination from care
t fully selected Bovine Virus. Unless vaccr
+ ations are carefully and closely followed u
= and the different stages of the vaccina care
h fully noted SMALLPOX will never receive it
final quietus.
s But, be it far from us to question til
r WORK of our vaccine Physicians, for we hor
# estly think that they did great deal MOI
: than they were entitled to do for the meag1
v compensation that was meted out to them
Il but we do question the false economy tha
asked reputable Physicians to vaccinate a
individual for five cents. Is it justP is it i
i the domain of coed judgment to demand
+ Physician after having his office Uttered u
, with the masses at cents per head to @
out and follow up carefully the results {
said vaccinations.
If the members of the Medical Professio
who composed the Health Board had d.
manded just remuneration for the servi ct
of the city vaccine Physicians, it w0ul
have been not only just recognition I
II those gentlemen for their services but
ID also would have justified thess gentlemen
closely watching the results of their worl