The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-24
NEW CASES OF SMALLPOX.
Eleven More Prisoners at the County Jail
Taken Down Yesterday.

Smallpox continues TO spread among the pris-
oners in the ''vag" department of the county
jail, and there is well-grounded apprehension
that all the inmates of that building will be af-
fected by the contagion. When the disease first
manifested itself in the person of William John
son the symptoms were mistaken by DIR. Button
the dispensary physician, and johnson was al
lowed to remain sick in the jail for about week
before the nature of his malady was disclosed.
The other prisoners-about 125 in number-were
Immediately vaccinated, but the virus
used was not good, and did
not have the desired effect. These facts
fully account for the dissemination of the dis
ease, and it is evident that somebody is to blame
for it.
eight more prisoners were suffering from the
disease, and they were Immediately sent to the
pest-house. Their names are Thomas Lee,
Thomas Leach, Thomas Little, William Davis,
James Sullivan, Frank c. Smith, James Doug
lass, and James Higgins-all of whom are minor
offenders, four being in for drunkenness, and
four for vagrancy. Last night the jail officers
reported that three more men were sick and
would be sent to the pest-house this morning,
and 1t is understood that several others are com
planning All of these cases are from one quar-
ter of the Jail.
Habitues of the courthouse complain that
pcrSOuS 1FOm the jail are enJ1fely 100 careless
about spreading the contagion, and that they
come directly from the prison to the courthouse
and freely associate with the people there. A
more vigorous and effective quarantine should
be established at once.
The vaccination of all the prisoners who have
fallen victims to the disease since its outbreak
has been unsuccessful, and it is claimed by the
health officers, that the dispensary physician
who did the Matchmaking is in measure culpable.
The vaccine virus which was used was of an in
nj of
DIR. Elder that it would probably prove ineffect-
i've, was used in the vaccination of a very
large number of the prisoners, all of whom
are now susceptible to the disease The gov
eminent prisoners were vaccinated by DR.. Pur-
man, and fresh virus, obtained in Chicago, was
used. 1t has taken effect satisfactorily, and Dr.
Elder thinks that there is little danger that any
of the federal prisoners will have the disease.
In speaking of the possibilities of an epidemic
DR.. Elder says that he does not think
there will be any wide spread of the disease
1.-The quarantine has been as rigid
as it could be made" he says, land the Health
Board has taken every precaution to prevent its
spreading We have visited the Jail every day
since the appearance of the first case and have
done all we could to enforce strict observance
of the quarantine. But, after all, there is no
telling what the result will be. Yesterday l
found two women conversing with the prisoners
from inside the courthouse yard, breathing the
pestllential air coming up from the cells. If the
quarantine is not enforced more strictly there is
no telling what may be expected. The
action of the city dispensary physicians in send
ing man sick with the smallpox through the
streets of the city to find the health officers in
stead of sending him direct to the pesthouse
was very foolish thing. I shall report the
matter to the Council at the next meeting l
think, however, that we will be able to prevent
the spread of the disease outside the jail 1t is
not as bad as it has been in times past, and we
have always been able to control it."
All prisoners taken to the police station are
tod opda how hon civ NV
lice surgeon Hodges to promptly report all
cases of illness, whether they are supposed to
be smallpox or not. There are now ffty-six
prisoners in the police station.