National Republican., 1883-01-10
Terrible Ravagos Of the Loathsome Disease in
Baltimore.
Seyenty-Nine Deaths Last Week, Not
Counting Those in the Pest House.
Prompt Action to be Taken TO Prevent Tho Spread Of
The Plague 10 tho Capital
An Interesting Interview with Health
officer ToVymshcnd.


ington had been singularly free from such
atiliction. At the time that article was writ
ten diphtheria was raging in Philadelphia to
such an extent thati in some sections of the
city the schools were closed, and the long
prevalence of smallpox in Baltimore was also
referred TO- The diphtheria has now disap-
pearcd, or almost So in Philadelphia but in
Baltimore the smallpox has largely increased
in virulcncc. During last week
sEvENTY-NGNE DEATHS
from that loathsome disease were reported rs
having taken placo in Baltimore, and this
does not include those at the smallpox hospi.
tai, which is outside the city limits Ia the
winter of 1o10-s0 thcre was some consider
able smallpox in this city, and again last
winter no little alarm was felt on account Of
several cases which existed here, but the
energetic action of the health authorities
prevented q general epidemic. That action
included the isolation of the cases so soon as
they were discovered or their immediate re-
moval to the smallpox hospital, and an cX-
tended employment of vaccination, In his
report upon the
SMALLPOX IN THIS DISTRICT
DIR. Townshcnd the health officer, details
with great minutcncss the measures taken
TO arrest and prevent the spread of the disease
upon both the occasions above referred to
the inability of the commissioners at that time
to respond to his request for funds to carry
out the smallpox service that was necessary,
and tho ready assistance furnished by the
national board of health at his requests of the
labor performed by the force which he or
ganised for service during the prevalence OF
the disease, and concludes rs follows:
1t is with much satisfaction and n pardon
able degree Of pride that / point to the salts
factory results attendant upon our labors both
last winter and during the outbreak of
1S79-'s0. Last winter, with the disease de-
clared epidemic in the United States, number
ing its victims by the tens, and hundreds in
cities near by, and communicating with us
daily, we succeeded in holding the rcins of
absolute control over every spot where it
found n resting place and stamped IL out thor
oughly when but tOrty-one cases had occurred.
"Our experience with the disease has estab-
lished in my mind the firm conviction that a
health organization, with means at its COM
mand, which fails to confino the ravagos of
smallpox, or does not eradicate it from a COM
munity within n limited period, must place
upon itself the stamp of ineticiency. 1t only
requires vigilance, prompt action, and the
use OF the means which modern sanitary
science has placed at our disposal to accom-
plish the ends desired. Fuel is first taken
from the flames by securing general vaccin-
alton of the unprotected isolation, disin-
lection, and care in handling will speedily
accomplish the rest.
TO PREVENT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE
DISEASE
into a community of course quarantine must
be resOrted 40. Until such n step is deemed
necessary the vigilance of the health authori-
ties, together with the intelligent corporation
of the medical profession, will have to be de-
pended upon. With quarantine established
and onslaught from foreign quarters pre-
vented, an efficient health department should
stamp out the disease within, Mt the farthest,
four times its inCubatOry period. Our first
movement, when the disease made its appear
ance, was toward securing Il general yaccina-
ti0n among the poorer classes. To this end
a letter was addressed to the two supCrintend-
ents of schools white and cOlorcd) stating that
the physicians to the poor had been directed
to call at the schools and vaccinatc such
pupils as were found to need il. The super-
intendent of the COlOrcd schools (Alr. Cook
responded promptly, assuring us of his hearty
cooperation and support but the superin-
tendent of the white schools (NIr. WILSON, re-
piled that he had no right to allow this action
on the part of the health officer without first
consulting the board of trustees. This. OF
course, caused delay, which was the one thing
20 he avoided in such an emergency. To
quote the language of DIR. Wight, health oili-
Ger of Detroit, used on an occasion similar Ia
this:
II would be altogether more profitable to the
public II the board Of education and the board OI
health would vie with each other in seeking ways
of being mutually helpful rather than in sea fch
ing out points Of difference and Of possible an.
tagonism.
The delay extended even farther than the
period intervening between the date of my
letter aud that of the meeting of the board Ol
trustees. The plan of vaccinating at the
scnocls was disapprovcd of by the board, and
pupils were directed TO call at the offices o
the physicians to the poor in the various dis
tricts and there he vaccinated The worl;
opald have been performed much more rapidly
and results secured more easily by taking the
pupils of each school when gathered together
INTERVIEW WITH THE HEALTH OFFICER.
A reporter of The REPUBLICAN called on
Health Officer Townshend last evening to gel
his views on the subject of the smallpox scare
The doctorwas found at his officeon Four-and
A-half street, and when the epidemic in Bati
more was mentioned, he replied that smallpox
IN Baltimore was not of recent origin. "ltpre
vailed" he said "to considerable extent
last winter increasing toward spring. hung
on steadily all summer, and, now that the
season has come when doors and windows
have to be closed, it is naturally spreading
what is the danger of its cropping out here
doctor?" asked the reporter.
"Oh, we must naturally get some cases hero
and it is well for all persons to he ON Their
guard. | am confident of an ability to take
care of it though, and you can rest assured
nothing will be left undOne to prevent it,
gaining a toOthold here. The commissioner,
have complied with my request for funds and
q service will be inaugurated at once to pro-
vide for the prevention of the introduction
and spread of the disease"
"How do you account for the disease get,
ting so far
AHEAD OF THE AUTHORITIES IN DALTE
MoREY
DWELL there are several reasons | sllppOse
j am not familiar with all the facts surround
ing the history of the rise and spread of the
disease in Baltimore. Councils and assemblies
are slow to act in support of health official,
until they become alarmed by the ravages OF
disease, Whom the enemy is upon them they
usually respond, and then il takes large sums
TO accomplish what could have been done with
tritle at the beginning, would be hard %
estimate the loss which Baltimore must sus
tain from the present epidemic. Seventy.
nine deaths resulted from smallpox last week
aud this, ] am Informed, does not include the
mortality Of the quarantine hospital which
is located outside the corporate limits
When you consider the loss Of population
the misery cntailcd upon hundreds of Glmi
lies and the widespread effect upon busnes,
interests, II Is easy TO see that an appropra
tOn of u hundred thousand dollars would
have been a profitable investment for the
city. Had that amount have been placed in
the hands Of the health authorities for tn,
purpose OF inauguatlng
10 A WAR or DIFFERENTIATION
from the outset, what would have been al
a. IL.