The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1889-01-24
Ot1iO SMALLPOX.
Important Circular Issued to Boards Of
Health-Other Capital City News.


COLUMBUS, o., January %.
The following circular has been issued by
the State Board of Health:
To the Health Officer and the Local Boards Of
Health:
GESrLrMEN:-We desire to call your at
tention to the present danger of smallpox
becoming widely prevalent in oar state.
AT this time there are known to us five
centers of infection in Ohio, and it is posi-
bic other cases exist which have not been
reported. Near New Washington, Craw-
ford county, there are five cases, and
two have died of the disease; there is one
case at New Holland, Pickaway county,
che at North Solon, Cuyahoga county, one
at Oberlin, Lorain county, and one at Ash
tabula, Ashtabula county.
At Obcrlin, before the disease was recog-
lied, over twelve hundred students in the
; theological seminary were at Il lecture 1T
tended by the patients, and at Ashtd5ula,
children from the patients house attended
school several days before the facts were
known to the Board OF Health.
Every precaution is being taken to pre-
vent the disease spreading from these cases,
but, from the number of persons exposed,
other cases may be expected Smallpox
is also present in adjoining states greatly
increasing in danger, and we call upon
you to take immediate action to enforce
proper measures to protect the pubic health.
Vaccination and revaccination will give
almost complete immunity from smallpox,
and you should endcavor to secure
vaccination of ali unprotected persons with
in your jurisdiction.
Section 2l35 of the revised statutes pro-
vides that ''Thc Board OF Health may take
measures and supply agents. and afford in
ducements and facilities for gratuitous vac
cination." You should at once secure a
supply of fresh, reliable vaccine virus, and
offer free vaccination to all who are unable
to pay for it. We also call your attention
to the following law:
"rhe SCHOOL Board of each district may
make and enforce such rules and regula-
ito to secure the vaccination of. and to
prevent the spread of smallpox among the
pupils attending or eligible TO attend the
schools of the district. AS i'll its opinion the
safety and the interest of the public re-
Quire: and the Boards OF Health anu
Councils OF municipal corporations, anJ
the trustees Of townships. shall, on applica-
tion of The Board Of Education of the dis
trict, provide at the public expense. with
out delay, the means OF vaccination to such
pupils as are not provided Herewith by
their parents or guardians" (Scction $685.
X. 81
A conference with your board of cduca-
ton should be requested, and they should
be asked to adopt a rule requiring ali chill
dren and teachers in your pubic schools to
be vaccinatel within as short a time as
possible.
A building, remA. from Others. should
be secured and ti,fed up as pest house,
and ell arrangements m&ie to assume im-
mediate charge of smallpox should it Oc-
cur within your corporate limits.
Constant watclfulness should be main
tained, and all suspicious cases carefully
isolated until the nature of the disease is
determined. This Office siioul be immc-
diately notified by telegram of the first
appearance of the disease; charges will be
paid here.
We do not furnish vaccine virus, but We
aim to keep constantly on hand small
supply of fresh virus, which will be sent
Immediately, if requested, for the purpose
of vaccinating persons who have been di-
rectly exposed to smallpox. We would
suggest, in the vaccination of school chill
dren, that it would be well to make reg
istration of the virus used, giving first,
kind of virus used (humanized or bovine);
%, when the bovine. by whom propagatcd:
Sd, whether primary or secondary vaccin-
alton, and 4th, the results. This informa-
ton woulI he of great value in arriving at
the comparative value of different kinds of
virus.
We have prepared pamphlet on "The
Prevention and Restriction of Smallpox"
and can send you copies for distribution if
desired. Please inform uss at an early date
of the action you have taken i'll this mat
ter. as we wish to know how far the public
has been pr, tccted by vaccination. Very
respectfully, c. o. PRoBsT, Sec'y.