The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-20
TO PREVENT A SPREAD
Mayors Cabinet Meets to Consider
the Danger of Epidemic.
Special Council Meeting for an ApprO-
priation for a Temporary Pest
Building-Smallpo Patients.

Measures were adopted last night by the
Board of Health for the prevention OF
spread of smallpox. Owing to the urgent
necessity Of immediate action in the mat
ter the Board of Health yesterday request
ed the other departments Of the city govern
ment TO meet it last night and devise means
for caring for the two cases already devel-
oped and the prevention Of a spread. Pres
ident Taylor and Secretary Metcalf, of the
State Board Of Health were there to offer
suggestions and give their experience in
fighting the disease in other parts of the
State.
The subject Of providing shelter for the
patients was discussed. DR.. Ferguson, OF
the City Hospital said that on Thursday
night the storm almost blew down the tents
in which the patients are now quartered,
and that it was only with the greatest diff
Guilty that DR.. Poucher and the nurse sue
ceeded in keeping them on the ground. He
also reported that DR.. Poucher had been
suffering with rheumatism on account of
having to walk and stand on the bare
ground. The different departments were
called upon by Dr. Hays for an expression
TO the ACCESSIBILITY of erecting a tenn
porary building similar to the ones used
at Muncie during the epidemic there. DR..
Stillson spoke Of the necessity Of some kind
OF building for the sake of humanity.
The Board of Health passed a resolution,
with the concurrence Of the cabinet, ask
ing the controller to recommend an appro-
priation Of 5000 for the use of the Board
Of Health in stamping out the disease and
erecting such temporary buildings as the
Health Board might deem necessary; also,
that the Mayor be asked to call special
me f1fin ms nf he
the recommendations.
superintendent Powell stated that as
smallpox to a large extent carried over
the country by tramps the city would be in
imminent danger again as soon as the
quarantine was raised at the station house
unless the bum room at the station
house, where from ten to twenty tramps
sleep every night, was abolished and other
provision made for their care. He recon-
mended that a house be built or room
rented in which tramps could be sheltered
for night, and also that a detention hos
pital for any. suspected cases OF contagious
diseases be built on the present hospital
grounds. The board passed resolution EN-
bodytng these recommendations and asking
the proper city departments TO take such
action as was necessary to carry out the
plan
DR.. Taylor spoke of the danger of using
false theories of economy before the dis
ease had spread much. He said:
1T has been the history of all epidemics
that the danger was not appreciated at
allowed 1t 10 spread where appropriations
have usually been cut down so low as to
make the Board of Health practically pow
smallpox not easily telegraphed all
over the country. so that people outside of
those connected with the boards of health
do not know the extent Of smallpox in
this country. At the present time il is
prevalent in fifteen States, on the seas and
been SO bad throughout the world. In two
days of this week there was reported in
| dred points Of Infection. The Cook County
! Hospital admitted ten cases which were
snpn,'d to be haTmleHs cases 5d but nnJv They fS
hospital, with over four hundred people In
| It, is quarantined. AT least a dozen points
several Western States also. With the
| great number of people now passing
through this State en- route route to Washing
| and l would advise that you take the most
stringent measures here mot not only My. to pre-
| vent its further introduction"
Dr. Metcalf stated that smallpox cost
| Muncie 600. besides 5000 which the
| Gus cases in the State, which ranged
| from 800 to $1,000 a case. The plans. as
| discussed last night for new building, are
| TO have an architect draw up the specifica-
/ tons for il this morning early to be pre-
| scented to the Board of Works during the
| day. The Council will probably be called to
! meet tonight to take action in regard &c
/ the necessary appropriations. If that is
| done and the appropriation ordinances are
| passed under suspended rules, the Board
| of Works will begin the erection of the
| temporary buildings on Saturday morning
| In regard to the burning of the old pest
| house, DIR. Hays stated that there was
| no loss to the city in that the health
| board would not have permitted them tC
| be used again for sanitary reasons 1t Is
1 the opinion of DIR. Hays that both of these
/ cases of smallpox came here from TenneS-
| see. Both of the negroes came here from
| the southern part of the State and both OF
| them have talked in such a way as to lead
the doctors TO think they came from Nash.
i Vile.
DIR. Ferguson, of the City Hospital, wants
| to hire a male nurse who has had the small
| poX to assist in the care of the two pa
| tients now under DIR. Pouchers charge.
| These two cases of smallpox have caused
| some inquiry to be made as to the cost OF
| contagious diseases i'm this city in the past
| Among the appropriations of 1892 was one
| OF ST. 500 for the prevention of contag iou:
| diseases. During that year there were nc
| contagious diseases except measles diph
| iberia and the like, yet the Board of Health
paid out in October just before the cleo
! OF this amount $3.50 paid for a stow,
| and pipe for the pesthouse and 50 for white
| washing the peSthouSe. w. III. Carey,
| sanitary inspector, received $50 and the bal
| ance was paid in sums from so to $50
| For seven months after this w. II. Cary
| was kept on the rolls. receiving from this
| fund from $50 to $3.50 month. Then HI
was placed on the regular pay roll of tn,
| Board OF Health as sanitary inspector
and Edwin Burns was paid as sanitary Off
| Ger during June, July and August from
| the contagious disease fund. He received
| In June and August $50 70 and in July So. 80
| And all this time there was no smallpox IL