The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-06-16
DIR. JEPSON'S PAPER

read by Dr. s L, Jepson, WheelIng's
health officer. on the late smallpox cpl
dcmll In this city, In the preceding
chapters DR.. Jepson has given a his
torlcal sketch OF the epidemic and les
sons learned from his recent expert
ence. In the following he touches on
the etIoogy, diagnosis and prOgnOsis.
lie says:
Etlology-The peculiar views OF var
lola IL. OF course. the cause OF the dis
ease, without which no known c0mhi-
nation ~ circumstances can give rise to
Il, although II must at some time have
originated de nOvJ. This remark Is &C.
casloncd by the fact that have met
with many people who have apparent
~ aiiayed their fears Of smallpox By
diligently cleaning their premises, de-
luling themselves with the idea that
cleanliness has some such protective
influence as vaccination. The most per-
feet cleanliness NJ person And premises
cannot prevent the discnsc In an unprO-
tcctcd person who has been exposed to
IT, Filth IL doubtless potent In favor
Ing the spread Of smallpox By interfer-
Ing with germ destruction, but can
never originate II. Early age, want or
demic influence. popularity OF cOnstl-
tuition. as In the black races. have all
been named as prclIsposinG causes. As
with other diseases. some persons seem
to be naturally immune, while the
llghtest exposure may communicate thu
smallpox to others. II Is generally be-
lieved that one H. more susceptible 10
the Infection during an epidemic than at
other times The same IL true Of vnccl-
nation, the operation proving success
ml during the prevalence Of smallpox
In many persons who had before repeat
eddy resisted It's Influence.
One attack OF smallpox very gcrer-
ally protects during life. BOsquet says
that about one In n hundred are at
tackled second time Third, fourth
and even seventh attacks have been re-
ported. a second attack has occurred
here in the past year in three Instances.
All NJ these cases were very severe, one
proving fatal, having been malignant
from It's inception. II Is often taught
that each attack Of the disease renders
the succeeding one mllder. Ny limited
experience does not correspond with
this teaching,
| thoroughly believe that 4 good vac
cinntiOn-thc more recent the better
gives q more perfect security against
death from smallpox than docs an at
tack OF smallpox, unless the latter be
some what recent.
As to the spread OF the disease. Al
thin SAYS: The Injecting distance
must be many yards around the pa
TENTS person" Watson thinks that
there Is no cOntnglon so strong and
sure NJ that Of smallpOT-nOne that
operates az 50 great distance"
John c. MCVail. NJ. D., after an ex-
haustlve study OF the subject OF the
aerial conviction OF vlriola, reaches the
conclusion that 'as n result OF trn
simultaneous action Of causes favor
able 10 the spread OF Infection. the con-
tagiOn OF smallpox may sometimes be
conveyed unexpectedly to u distance
much greater than had been usually
admIttcd-a distance measurable by
quarters OF mics" Lancet, 1880.
have no doubt that Il IL not unfre-
qucntly conveyed by domestic animals
that are apt to 90 from house to house,
and netting on this belief the nuthprit-
los here made every endeavOr 10 eN-
cmde dogs and cats from the rooms and
even the houses of patients. and num-
Der OF these animals were killed be-
cause they had been exposed 70 infec-
lion. When the disease prevails during
hot weather when house flies abound.
these Insects may doubtless convey the
| Infection.
As far back az 1885, Hoffman dem
| onstrated the presence OF tubercle blc-
uIi IN the bodies OF tlles captured IN n
room occupied by cOnsumpttve, The
dropp!ngs OF the flies were full OF tho
| hacllli. which were shown by expert
ment to be- fully virulent
I MI
| that there Is little or no danger OF In
| frctIon prior 10 the eruptIvr stage Such
| teaching Ia obviously frluEht with
| great danger unless Its truth be Well
established. and this We believe to be
impossible sac
| Diagnosis typical, unmodliied
| cases, no disease " more easy 10 dag
nose after the development OF the erup'
| ton. In view NJ some recent expert.
cnce In this city, however. II II well
| for those who have not seen vari0la u
! remember that there are all grades OF
! severity. even IN the cases unprotected
by vaccination. II one reads an ac-
| count Of a typical case. and expects
AL caaes TO BE- OF that kind. he VIII
| certainly be led into error. ] haN" en-
| r1untsred several eases IN the GHHac,
cinated quite a. mild as yaricella, and
lruu,t.,,H ,, az ,yn,c5i in nppearance and
s. up,'S .h,,nJ,H, hnt Inc fryer mild and
:, I,,r,,Ia,, md tho nnttHnts anX.
W SUI -. ~ ',,,t ~, M ne snnn ns the
aomS r-Ss VOL ont such cases
while exceptional. should be borne IN
| mind. 40 a disastrous error III dlagnO'
sis may be thus avoided
Many ., 49,, Wy, 49, ,,,ny acute tehrlI,
ora ar 'Y'''' -, S,,,ssa nrbln,
HI. chtnIncss ctr Tho most dis
pains, chhli'l 80, ~ 49,, Ia ~. horl,
un'ti'e,,S,k"i mn ,, ~ .in,,,.s r.ntrnI-
nct'' nlS " n'I'" - - "a bnl,ay,.,
n Hcfl'HoI. sun, LIZ Ia, -. on y voc
by some autn1Is ~ ". ~ Irniit. m.
ton OF lhe sPlIlll ma, ~ .,,,r mo-
muscular pains - ~ ,,,. ,,,.,,,,. aT no