Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-16
The Disease Gets Here About Every
Decade and Is Due Now.
PAST WORK OF THE DESTROYER.
Over Four Thousand Persons Vaccinated
Within a Month.
NO GREAT DANGER OF AN EPIDEMIC

month there have been from 4, 600 to 4, 800
people going about wearing upon their arms,
in some cases their legs, the Pasteur badge
"a vaccinate. In fact, health officers in all
the large population centers in the country
have been on the alert for months, fearing
an outbreak of the loathsome disease for
which incubation is the only sure prevent
i've.
1t is not that the sanitary conditions in
this or other cities are conducive to the dis
ease for the Pittsburg health officials de-
clare this city was never before so well pro-
tected and generally healthful as now, but
there is a fear that history will repeat it,
self In order to carry out that maxim a
smallpox epidemic should make its appear
arce during the next year.
Smallpox Due Every Decade.
Every ten or eleven years, according to
the records, the American continent has suf-
fered from a scourge of this dread malady,
and Pittsburg has always had her share of
it The last epidemic was in 1881. Ten
wears before that the worst general epi-
demic of the disease on record occurred. In
1870 the Legislature passed the first regis
tration act in this State, compelling a re-
port of every case of contagious disease, and
there are complete records of such diseases
for the years succeeding, but not prior to
that time in this city.
In 1871, when smallpox swept the country
from ocean 10 ocean, with a population of
%, 900 Pittsburg had a total of over 1900
cases, and AL were fatal Few other cities
suffered so greatly. A temporary city hos
pital was erected and 116 patients were
treated there, of whom 2S died. the other
cases being treated at their homes or the
other hospitals. In 1872 the disease contin-
ued for few months, there being 10 deaths
recorded, but for the succeeding eight years
there was only an average of about four
cases year.
The Last EpidemIc in Pittsburc.
In August, 1881, the next epidemic ap-
peared. BY the end of the following Janu-
srv 1873 cases had been reported, 4SS of
which were fatal AS the clty's population
had increased to 165, 900, the death rate was
not as large as ten years before. During |
the first six months of 1882 over !, 100 cases |
were reported and there were 235 deaths, the |
years record being J, ,lS6 cases and 800 deaths |
In 1883 there were signs of 4 return of the |
epidemic, nut it was stamped out with a |
record of 81 cases and Il deaths. In 1884 |
1ere-AS cases and u deaths. Since |
ne until within the past two years |
have been or 4 cases a year. |
liz .;ear there were cases, 2 of which |
were fatal, and thus far this year there have |
been g. !, that of a Pole John Chorcowitz. |
proving fatal on April %. Two cases are |
now under treatment at the city hospital, |
but both are rapidly recovering. |
The three fatal cases were all of the |
har o cir which is rely cnred |
The case of Malella Kingright, the Southern |
girl now under treatment at the city |
hospital was at first diagnosed in that class, |
but has developed into a less dangerous type !
and her recovery is about assured. The |
Iemorrhagic form never attacks a person |
who has been vaccinated- |
The Vaccination Had Worn Out
Even if only vaccinated in childhood an |
adult is safe from this any other deadly |
form of the disease, though the varioloid |
form takes hold sometimes in such cases. |
The case Of George Chadwick, now at the |
hospital illustrates this. He was vaccinated |
,hen a child and his attack is of the mildest |
kind. OF the deaths at the city hospital in |
the epidemic of lS7l72, the record states that |
ouIy in one case had there ever been a |
vaccination.
The local health authorities, while reason
ably confident of their ability to prevent as
serious an epidemic as that of 1881, owing to
the excellent sanitary regulations under the |
present administration OF the Public Safety |
cine virus il being distributed all over the
CITY IN generous quantities and Il physician
in each OF the SO wards of the city is charged |
with the work OF vaccinating every person |
unable to pay for the service in his district. |
Vaccination has been required ever since |
the registration law was passed, and school |
teachers and principals are charged with |
the responsibility, under a heavy fine, of |
personally seeing that every pupil in their |
care has been vaccinated. OF late years this |
law had been indifferently observed, except |
last year.
Matching the Pupils in Public Schools.
Chief Brown began to prepare for the ex-
pected epidemic by notifying school teach |
ers and others to whom the law applies, |
that it must be followed to the letter. The |
sanitary police served the notices person, /
ally. and they had a good effect, but lately |
evidences of forgetfulness have heen reap |
pearing and more notices will be served |
this time with more emphasis, and those |
who neglect 10 obey may have trouble. |
From now until August. the month when |
bEe disease usually breaks out. extra pre- |
cautions will be taken at every point pos |
sible.
Vaccine virus is furnished to anyone by |
the Bureau OF Health. To the physicians |
appoiu ted to do the work for the city known |
as vaccine physicians, it is sold at 10 cents |
OeT Quill. and to druggists, citizens other |
physicians at 10 cents. The vaccine physi-
clans are required to use one quill to each
person. Two scarifcations are required,
half the quill being used on each, and in |
cases where the person Yaccinated is unit
bic to pay the city pays the doctors so cents
for each scarificatiOn. The local authorities !
are trying to manage that all vaccinations /
should be free, hoping thereby to make the
practice more general and beneficial, |
but thus far il has not been done. The vac
cine physician before receiving pay for his
work Is required to make affidavit that he |
has followed all the above regulations, has
made subsequent examination to ascer-
tain ii the virus applied took effect and |
whether one or both scarihcations were ef-
fective
The City Buying Virus in Bulk.
The city buys about $500 worth of virus
year, but this year it will reach s., ,090 Last |
month 1000 quills were issued 1t is esti-
mated that 500 persons were vaccinated
with that number, as many were issued to
outside physicians who frequently use one
Quill for four or five persons. The previous
months record was nearly as large as last,
and the present month will exceed either
A fresh supply of vaccine virus Is bought
every two weeks. 1t comes from a farm
furnishing the best quality in the country.
The virus is put up in quills about two inch
es long, which are sent through the mails in
gum cases, five quilis to a case. There are
two vaccine farms, they are called, in
this State, but their product Is not in favor
with the local health officers. Although
science has done much in the proven ton of
smallpox, but little improvements has been
made in the treatment OF the disease, except
in preventing the peculiar disagreeable
markihgs on Its victims. The hemorrhagic
and continent forms generally fatal, as
in both the pores of the skin are completely
closed up and death results from non-per-