Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-06-29
6 M ALLPO%.
The Terrible Disease Continues to Spread
-betro1ts CARELESS Hfalth officials.

-Detro1ts CARELESS HSalth officials.
Since the smallpox became epidemic
in Chicago-where there were over
|. $50 cases-the disease has been creep
ing into various towns and cities in
Michigan and number OF deaths have
resulted.
Detroit has suffered more than any
other locality owing TO the neglect of
her health commissioner To make
prompt diagnosis of suspicious cases.
The first case in Detroit was colorcd
woman employed as cook in cheap
restaurant who came in contact with
some infected person from Chicago.
The second case was brought TO the
notice of the citizens by the death of
Miss Leonard, n waiter girl in the
Merchants Lotel, n lodging house
and hotel This case was pro-
nounced TO be measles by prominent
physician and Health Commissioner
Mcleod refused To make an cXamina-
ton although informed that it was IA
very suspicious case. Yet after the
girl 5 death he was induced to look at
her and at once pronounced il a case
Of smallpox. a large number of peo-
pie had been exposed for some time
/ and many of them made good their
escape before the place was finally
quarantined. The citizens of Detroit
were very much wrought up over the
dilatoriness of the health commissioner
and when, within Il short time, five
new eases were discovered in one day
/ and all traced directly To the Mer-
| chants hotel case, the feeling became
! decidedly warm and the health com
missioner was urged to resign, but re-
! fused. To cap the climax he absentcd
| himself from his office and one man
with we'll developed case of smallpox
was waiting for four hours in the cor.
ridor of the Municipal building tn
see Mcleod. The next day five
more cases were discovered and then
the health board and Mayor Pingrce
| took it upon themselves to fire Mcleod
from office and appoint temporary
successor. During all this time the
| patients were CHARTERED in the heart
of the city within half "A block of n
school aud a half dozen houses in vari-
Gus parts of the city quarantined and
their inmates imprisoned. Two more
cases were found the day Mcleod was
fred and several hundred people have
/ been exposed.
A brother Of the Leonard girl re-
turned to his home at Newport, Mon
roe county, and was soon confined
with the disease, and in Il short time
there were four eases in that town
and no telling how many were eX-
posed. Sheriff Kirchgessncr went out
and caused the churches, creamery,
Adolph Menard's saloon and several
other places TO be closed, and put on a
force of eight deputies to see that none
who are known To have been exposed
| 70 OIL
Joseph Laduke, who lives in the heart
of the village, is the latest victim. She
was i'll several days before it was an
nounced that she had smallpox, and a
relative who lived at the same house
is said TO have been peddling meat
about the village at the time. Her
husband, who is constable, took four
tramps to Jail at Monroe from New
port.
Npsilanti's first case of smallpox was
discovered by DIR. Batwcll. The vic
tim is John Harris, Negro from Wa
terfori. Batwell met Harris on the
street and noticed symptoms of the di-
seasc. The patient is now quarantined
in brick tenement occupied by Ne
groes.
In the village Of Clarencev lie, Oak
land county, Il miles from Detroit, u
ease of smallpox was discovered by
Health Officer Best, of Pennington.
The case is that of man who peddlcs
fish from Detroit. who had been lying
in barn for two days. The health
officer quarantined the village, put a
fence around the house and placed toll
bars across the road guarded to pre-
vent people from going ont and com
ing in.
a case of varioloid has appeared at
Lenox. Grant Bailey, drug clerk is
the victim. The health board has
isolated the case. the character of
which is unquestioned.
The state board of health report
dated June 30 gives a total of 81 cases
in Michigan since January 1 with II
deaths.