Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-25
THE FACTS.
faealsh OFFICER Hagan's State.
memt I'm Regard to Smal1P0x.

1
ment I'm Regard to smallpox.
Los ANGELES, January oath.
EDrToRs HERALD Articles pub
lisged in to-day's Times and Eapres
are so at variance with the facts ant
80 we'll calculated tocause ungroundet
fears in the minds Of residents ant
visitors regarding smallpox in this
city, that / consider it my duty to
give the exact facts. The statement
that there were two cases reported
yesterday Zone in Sonoratown and one
in Chinatown) is without shadow OF
truth. There were no new cases re-
ported to the Health Officer on that
day, and at the present writing the
health department has no knowledge
of single case in this city outside
the smallpox hospital. A true
statement of the course of the dis
ease thus far in this city is as follows:
On December 8th a Chinaman zen
days from San Francisco was discov-
cred broken out with the disease and
on the same day was removed to the
hospital. Two negroes, who lived in
the same vicinity and who visited the
sick Chinaman, were in due time
taken with the disease and they also
were Immediately sent to the hospital.
The mex case was in white family,
one member only contracting the dis
ease, the rest being protected by i'm
mediate vaccination. She was re-
moved to the hospital at once.
The next was direct i'm
poration from San Francisco and
was sent to the hospital before he had
taken quarters in this city. Two other
cases Of varioloid arrived from San
Francisco and were instantly dis
posed of. Two more cases complete
the list of eight in all, one of whom
came from San Francisco and was
5aken to the hospital as soon as dis
covered by the Health Department |
The other was found after having
been sick for nine days, during which |
lime he had been treated by prac-
;itioner of this city for pneumonia
Ind rheumatism. Information reached
he Health Office about 8 O'Clock
Sunday evening that the case was a |
suspicious one, when the Health
)aicer's assistant, DIR. Thompson,
visited the case and pronounced it |
smallpox. The ambulance was Or
Tered at once, but upon its arrival
he patient was found to be near the |
point of death, and was allowed to |
expire in his own house. He died
, Ln,,t fo,,, o,olooly =, Tho ,.,o,.:
ind was removed for buriel by the |
health officer before light. 1t has
low been about two months since the |
irst case was discovered in this city.
since which time the health officer
las been on the watch and has
picked up every case OF the disease as |
;oon as heard from and all have been |
emoved to the hospital with the sin
lie exception above referred to. My |
,olicy as Health Officer has been to
lllow no center of contagion to exist
n the city, and if this article in last
lights Express is true, then some
of this city have laid |
liable to heavy fines for
oncealing cases and will, most assur-
dly, be prosecuted. cannot, how
yer, believe that any reputable physi-
ian would be guilty OF the offense.
1easels are very prevalent and may
n some cases be mistaken for small
OK ,but,so far as known to the health
fficer, no cases of the latter enist in the
ity today, excepting those at hospi-
al, and no new cases have been re-
orted for the past two days and only
ne in the past week. The utmost
are is being taken to protect the city
.om invasion, and if the same policy
, continued there will be no epidemic.
o accommodate the Board of Health
have consented to serve as Health
'fficer until my successor is elected,
lough am anxious to be relieved
om the responsibilities of the office
lat may pay more attention to my
rivate business.
NJ. HAGAN, Health Officer.