Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-10-29
SMALL POX.
an Official Statement Reidtige 10 tie
Disease at Mdr02ette.

we give below the copy OF let
ter from the Secretary of the State
Board of Health to the editor of the
Sanitary Ne,oS, of Chicago, in which
are stated the facts in reference to
smallpox at Marinett. The history
of this outbreak shows not only the
danger to which any community is
at times liable, but also and in an
instructive way what can be accom-
phshed for the prevention of disease
by intelligent sanitary work. There
is little reason to doubt that neglect
to control the first case Of smallpox
at Marinette would have been fol-
lowed by an epidemic as destructi, e
of life and of the business interests
of that place, az has been the fearful
experience of Montreal.
The State Board of Health has
repeatedly urged the necessity of
vaccination upon the people and
especially urges this Holo as the only
preventive of one of the most loath-
some and fatal Of diseases.
WISCONSIN STATE BOARD or HEALTH.
Orr1cE OF THE SECRETARY.
Appleton, Wis, Oct. 18th, 1855.
Editor Sanitary Ne,os-DEAR SIR
Your letter inquiring "ls it true that
there are twenty cases of small poX
at Marinette?' might be answered
simply in the negative, but il being
a fact that small poy does exist there
give you the following brief his
tory of this outbreak as containing
some facts OF general interest
The origin of this disease at Mar
inette was as follows: 4 French
Canadian at work at that place sent
to Canada for his family. They
came-a mother and six children
directly from Montreal, one Of the
children being sick when they left
that city, doubtless with the initial
symptoms of small pox, but, this
being before the present excellent
inspection service was established,
they met with no detention en- route,
which was via Port Huron aud Chi
cago through the states of Michigan,
northern Illinois and eastern Wis
consin to their destination at Mari
nette, a place of eight to ten thous
and inhabitants, situated on thel
northeast border of the state and
separated from Michigan only byI
the Menominee river. This family
OF eight persons went directly to the
residence Of some relatives where
three families consisting Of nine
teen persons were crowded into one
small house which in some mysteri-
Gus way was made to hold in add
tion, the newly arrived family Of
eight, thus making twenty.seyen (27) |
occupants of a house not large
enough for six Two days after the
arrival of this family, a yariolous
eruption appeared on the already
spoken of sick child, (the family
about this time moving into another
house,) but no physician was called
until the sixth day thereafter, and |
then only because a neighbor, whose
suspicious were aroused as to the
nature Of the sickness, asked the
health officer to examine it. This
health officer, DR.. }. J. sherman, at
once recognized the disease as small
pox, and comprehending the situa
tion he on the same day removed the
entire family 10 comfortable pest
house of which Mariuette is happily
possessed. On the same day also
the State Board Of Health was noti-
fed of the facts and a supply of
vaccine virus was telegraphed for
and as soon as possible all persons
who had been exposed to the con
tagion were vacclnated and thence
forward kept under surveillance
until it was known that there could
be no danger from them--but expos
ure from the overcrowding and from
unrestricted intercourse prior to this
time among a people very few Of
whom had ever been vaccinated, |
resulted, as it could not possibly !
otherwise have done, in an eXtention
Of the disease through the families
of the relatives already referred to,
and through two families occupying
closely adjacent houses.
Among the families thus exposed |
there have been eighteen cases Of
small pox, and Of these, four, a. all
of them unvaccinated children, have |
died. The disease has not gone be |
yond these families, and there have |
been no new cases since September
24tn, except one Of varioloid in the
person Of a lady who was in the
home of the last named case and /
who was confined there for precau-
tion's sake With the exception Of |
this case, were it not that they would |
,,of La a paurca of dauorap "a ofhare 4