The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-17
HEALTH OF INDIANAPOLIS.
Secretary Elder Makes an Interesting State
ment Regarding the Smallpox Scare.

docs the smallpox prevail in indianapolis to
such an extent as to justify the alarm which has
been manifested by some of the neighborine
towns" inquired journal reporter o. Dr. E. 5
Elder, secretary and executive officer of the
State Board of Health.
There is smallpox in indianapolis" the Sec
rotary answered, but not enough to occasion
any uneasiness or alarm among persons coming
in here, The cases are nearly all among the
lower classes, and, having spread from the out
break in the jail confined almost wholly to
the outskirts of the city"
''Is the prevalence of the disease here any
greater than it has been in other citiesl7
ut is no greater than it has been at Cincinnati
and Louisville for year. Smallpox nearly al
ways prevails in the large cities more or less.
Only sixteen deaths have occurred here since the
outbreak of the disease 1t is not an alarming
epidemic. Its prevalence, proportionately, is not
near SO great as it has been at Louisville, Cir
cinpati and Evansville during the last eighteen
months"
HAS not the public been kept fully informed
regarding the spread of the disease herel"
THE worst has been known. Every case that
pers. Nothing has been suppressed but the
truth has been more than exaggerated. Several
cases have been reported through the
newspapers smallpox that have afterward
proved to be measles, blood poisoning or some
thing of that kind The Board of Health has
gone on the theory that the safest course has
been to keep the people fully advised, and in
stead of anything being suppressed, there has
rather been an exaggeration of the real condi-
ton There is not the slightest danger of catch
H.
the cases are ali in the pest-house or are on the
outskirts. The disease, far as it prevails,
exists among persons who have refused or neg
lected to vaccinate themselves during the last
few years.
do you oppose the quarantine measures
against Indianapolis which have been talked of
by some panicky peopleF
There is no sense in quarantining against In
dianapohs There is no necessity for it, because
there is not the slightest danger of a spread of
the disease through the business social inter
course of the people. There is no more danger
than there is in most any other city. The alb
surdity of quarantining against indianapolis is
apparent when the truth is known that only one
case Of smallpox has developedin the city during
the last three days, and that was a colored boy
whose mother was sent to the smallpox hospital
two weeks ago. Quarantine restrictions have
been enforced in such a way to prevent any
spread of the disease from this case, This
epidemic here you may say, is peculiar in one
way. 1t does not spread generally over the city,
hut the disease exists only in isolated cases,
showing that it started from central exposure
There is no infected locality in the city-no in
fected buildings. One or two buildings are I'M
der quarantine, but they are harmless"
How does the heathfuness of indianapolis
compare with other citiesl"
Indianapolis is the healthiest city in the
United States There is not another city with a
population of 100, 900 that shows, according to
the official reports, as low death rate In Gin
cinnat the death rate is 16 -; in st. Louis it is
90 Detroit IS, and Chicago, 1872, while in In
dianapolis it is only 49,"