Omaha daily bee., 1885-01-12
DEATH OF Lowell ESS.
The Small PoX Patient Cannot Nov
Tell The StOTV Of Hunger and
Meal CT.
A Shame TO Council Z luTs.

THE BEE has very freely and frankly
set forth the peculiar manner in which
smallpox patients have been handled
here, and all Investigations thus far seem
to corroborate the statement that there
has been gross miSmanagement and neg
lect. 1t seems difficult to locate the
blame, but while city authorities have
ouarreled with county authorities, as to
which shall take charge of such cases,
while the attorneys have differed as to
the law, Will the inanciers disputed
about how the expenses shall be borne,
while the city physician and the county
phyeician have been clsshing, and differ
emit officials excusing themselves by say
ing the duties belong to others, the re.
eult has been the same-patients have
been left to suffer, and to die.
But a short time a girl was taken to
the pest house, wau reported as getting
along well, but suddenly died. 1t wao
claimed that in her feveresh restlesanesa
she was not watched sufficiently close
by her nurses who were being paid So
a day and board, and that she got out of
doors, the cold naturally causing death
to speedily follow. The poor girls treat-
ment and her death caused a little talk
among the officials, but no thorough In
v~estigation or action was taken.
Now appears another case, that Of
| Mr., Loveless In Streetsville. The
facts, as THE BEE gets them are that he
was taken i'll a little less than two
weeks CO., but 1t was not until q week
ago last Friday night that it appeared
clear that it was the small pox. The
family with whom he was boarding at
once moved out, leaving him alone. The
officials were notified the next morning,
Saturday, but it was not until Sunday
afternoon that a nurse was provided for
him. For about thirty-six hours he was
left alone without care, without food,
cruelty neglected every way, The
special policeman who was standing as
quarantine guard told THE BEE man that
Sunday morning he took the man som
milk and bread, and to use his own
words, cit just broke me all up to see
the shape things were in there" The
officer did not. dare enter the house, but
putting the food on the doorstep he called
out for the man to come to the door and
get it. The poor fellow said he could
not, for the moment he raised his head
from the pillow he vas so dizzy. AS he
said himself, "I've got the blind stag.
gers" He urged the officer to come in,
but the latter did not dare expose him
self, and SO suggested to the poor fellow
to put a quilt OF something over his
shoulders, 50 as not to catch cold, and see
if he could not crawl to the door. The
officer, standing a little away from the
door, finally cav the sick man crawl to
the door, but with nothing on him, clutch
the food, and crawlin again. Such is the
picture as it was drawn by the officer.
During the past week there has been
some dispute as to what physician shall
attend him. DR.. Bellinger was in at
tendance, but the board of health, which
has been scoring him lately, and who has
let the contract for such cases to DR..
Seybert, ordered him to desist, and
gave orders to the guard not to let him
pass into the house. DIR. Bellinger
| claimed that he was employed by the
man himself, and would look to him for
his pay, and not to the public funds, the
man having been treated by him before
for other sickness, and that the board of
health had no right to prevent a man
from employing, at his W expense,
whatever physician ha chose. DR., Bel
linger stated to the BEE man Thursday
night that no food had been supplied the
sick man for thirty-six hours, except .
little rice. In view of all the facts, as
they can now be learned, it seems that
there shall be not only an end to all this
foolish management, or lack of manage
ment, but that the case should be thor.
oughly investigated, and no negligence
on the part of any one concerned shall
be overlooked. The board of health now
have such cases In Its control, the county
officers having decided not to interfere or
assume any further responsibility. The
board of health is therefore looked to for
some explanation of the past, and some
different sort of management of the cases
in the future.