The Washington times., 1894-11-26
COST IN LIVES AND MONEY
Record of the Smallpox Epidemic,
Now Believed to Be Over.
FIVE OUT OF FIFTEEN DIED
officer to Prevent the Spread of the Dis
ease and Fully $40, 900 More Was Ez-
pended by the Government and Citizens.

Confidence and feeling of security have
followed the widespread uneasiness caused
by the breaking out of smallpox in this city,
and all danger of the threatened epidemic
may now be considered past. Unless new
case develops before tomorrow. Health
| officer Woodward believes that every germ of
the dreaded disease will be dead, and then
| the extraordinary precautions taken to pre-
vent the spread of the malady will be relaxed
! to the conventional methods used in ordinary
| times.
The last cases were those of the Williams
! girls on East Capitol street, who are i'll with
yaroioid. and the period OF incubation for
other cases to break out from this source will
expire Tuesday. But no further contamina-
| tion is feared, and the danger, in all proba-
bility, is thought to be quite past.
| In the sunshine and balmy weather that
| prevailed during the early hours of yesterday
afternoon the remaining patients confined in
the smallpox hospital took advantage OF the
! opportunity to stroll about the surrounding
| grounds. All are nearly recovered, and in a
| few days the hospital will be deserted Those
now in the building iii a convalescent state
are Judge Rucker, Judge Parker, Mr.. Ander-
/ run, anu AlI UllIItiliIo. anu
Mary Brown and Mary Thomas, the two last
! named colored.
The patients are eager and anxious to get
| out into the city again. but they declared to
! Dr. Woodward. who paid them a visit yester-
| day, their intention to wait till all danger is
past. DR.. hewitt has not suffered much i'm
pairment from the great nervous strain to
which he was subjected during the most crit
| ical period, but Will take short and needed
rest after his services ara no longer required.
| Then, and most interesting of all, the mar
riage Of the young physician will be eel
ebrated.
4 There were fifteen cases of the disease, and
five proved fatal. Now that the scare is over.
| estimates of the amount of money spent to
prevent the spread of the disease are being
made in various quarters. Health Officer
! Woodward has already begun the prepara-
tion, and will finish as rapidly as the other
manifold duties OF mis- office will permit. an
| exhaustive report of the department in sup
pressing the threatened epidemic. 1t is be-
lived by those in position to know that ut
least Sl5, 600 or $50, ,009 has been spent pub
lIcly and privately to ward of the disease.
DR.. Woodward stated yesterday to re-
| porter that Sl5,e00 would be conservative
| estimate of the amount of money used out OF
the emergency fund, and spent in hundred
different ways. He was quite proud Of the
| fact that the disease had been placed under
| COulTOl anu eluLlpCu Oul w SUCI dll eCUuOIEl-
cal outlay, considering the fact it was neces-
sary to provide all suitable eonveniences and
| q complet outfit The health officer has taken
! great care that the utmost economy consis-
tent with prudence and the knowledge that
no half way methods would avail should be
observed.
About $1,000 was expended alone for the
purchase OF vaccine points. Items OF expense
to be considered outside OF the amount spent
by the health department are the fees received
| by physicians for vaccinating people, ranging
| from 81 to so cents, although hundreds were
| given the precautionary prick on the arm by
| physicians for the poor and at hospitals with
out charge; the expense to the Government
in the ciosing of the Inter-ocean building, the
extra leave granted to groups OF clerks, fu-
! migatiOn etc.
Reports have been requested from all de-
pots for the sale of vaccine points to find out
how many were sold, and these will give a
! comparatively competent estimate OF the num-
Der Of people who carried sore arms. That ii
| will amount into the tens Of thousands is Ger
tain.
Dr. Woodward is certain that the total cost
| of the unusual precautionary measures will
not much exceed S15,000 as stated if. indeed
it reaches that figure. DR.. Nevitt's compen-
sation has not been fixed upon but he will
probably be paid S15 for each day he was or
duty. The smallpox epidemic OF 1898 il
Muncie, Nd, cost the city 1892
| Sympathy has been excited by the death OF
| Mrs. Margaret Pemberton, who volunteered
as a nurse. Her husband was employed at
the hospital. but it was not necessary to her
to do the work OF a nurse. She had never
had the disease in any form, and vaccination
| always failed to take. 1t was because o
the latter fact that she felt sure Of immu
nifty from the disease and fearlessly cared fol
the patients until herself stricken down.