Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-02-21
SITUATION UNCHANGED.

Health Omcers Speak of the Need of
New Pest HOuse-BlOOd Poisoning Fol-
lowing Vaccination is Caused by Dirty
Instruments.
Regarding Peter Conroy. the smallpox
patient, Health Officer Robbins said this
afternoon:
THE young man is holding his own and
| think his condition is rather improved.
But as the sickness is up to the top notch
at this time l cannot say much about how
things may turn out. In about forty
eight hours from now we may be able to
tell something about it. The Conroy fam
lily and Mr. and Mrs Mccarthy, who
live down stairs, are good, clean peo
pie and we cannot assign any reason as to
why the place should be visited with such
a sickness"
When asked if he thought there was
danger of the sickness becoming epidemic
on account of the attending physicians
going among the people, the doctor said:
mo, not if the doctors properly protect
themselves as we always do, but if a doctor
was careless and did not use proper pre-
caution in these matters the disease would
be spread by him the same as anybody
else. remove every article of clothing
from me when l enter this mans ROOM
and cover myself with a suit prepared for
that purpose. | wear n cap that covers my
head and face leaving nothing exposed but
NV eyes Before leaving the house l give
myself thorough washing with a corrosive
solution so that there is no danger what
ever to tie people with whom l come in
contact.
In reference to the pest house the doctor
said: Il believe it to be the duty of the
town aid city to combine for the speedy
erection of a proper place for smallpox
patients and l am pleased to be afforded
an opportunity to say this to the public.
What would we do if the disease should
become epidemic and we had fifteen or
twenty cases in town? Where could We
put them? The old pest house would not
hold them and there is no other place l
know of. 1t would be Il wise move to take
| action on this matter at once"
Town Health Officer O'Hara does not
| think the present almshouSe a fit place to
send any patient. The first thing he
should do" he says, IF a smallpox pa
tient should be sent there would be to
order that every inmate of the almshouse
be vaccinated. He thought a new pest
| house should be built ut once at sufficient
| distance from the almshOuSe so that there
| would be no communication whatever be-
tween the inmates of the two places OF
| those having charge of them. The present
pest house is built on an eminence faI
above the new building and the wind
| blows from the side on which it is built il
the direction of the almshouse about three
fourths of the year" The doctor hoped
| that this matter would not be overlooked
when a new pest house is built, The pest
house should contain ante rooms
| separated from the apartments used by the
patients by long corridors so that doctors
and health officers might call there and
afterwards go among the people without
| any danger to the community. The house
| should be place where patient might be
sent with view to securing the best posi-
| bic treatmentand the surroundings form
no secondary part in these matters. Nc
one can say this of the present town pest
house. 1t IS more like a place where one
would be sent to die rather than with any
view of lettering his chances of recovery.
DR. Clarence w. Cooke of New Britain
makes reply to the statement concerning
vaccination made recently by DIR Mum OF
this city. He says:
Il have practIced medicine twenty year,
and during that time there has been sev
eral epidemics of smallpox, and there were
many persons of all conditions of life who
applied to physicians for the purpose O
| being protected by vaccination. | had {
share in the business of vaccinating and
have kept record of names and ages O
those | vaccinated. The number reached
two hundred and not one single instanc,
was there of any i'll effects manifested.
| have found that ninety nine per cent O
those cases of blood poisoning arising from
vaccination was caused, not by the vaccin,
virus. but by the physician or person VIII,
performed the operation. Dirty instru
ments are the principal cause of BLOOD
poisoning from vaccination. 10 person
other than Il physician should vaceinate
And no patent machinery should be used
The only instrument required is lancet
which should be bright and clean. Befor,
using the lancet for the purpose of yacci
nation it shoald be placed in pure alcoho
for a few minutes and then wiped clear
and dry with piece of flannel, When !
physician tells you lie has cases of BLOOD
poisoning from vaccination depend upor
it that his instruments are not kept clean.