Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-12-15
THE SMALLPOX SITUATION.

has always been one of joy to givers, as
well as those entertained.
THE SMALLPOX SITUATION.
Except for increased excitement
throughout the county, the smallpox
situation in Rock Hill remains un-
changed. All manner of wild stories
have been afloat during the past few
days. Some of these stories have mul-
tiplied the number of new cases, and
others have gone so far as to add on
few deaths. But all these stories have
been the result of either willful exag-
geration or fear. The fact remains that
up to this time little Julian Johnson
continues to be the only local victim
of the dreaded scourge.
The little sufferer is now in servants
house, on the premises of his father, and
is being nursed by Mr.. CASTOR, an ex-
Confederate, who had smallpox during
the war. Mr.. Johnson has also taken the
trouble to send to the Johns Hopkins
hospital for trained nurse. DR.. Frank
Strait has charge of the case. He visits
his patient regularly, changes his clothes
| in an adjoining room and makes free use
of disinfectants. In addition to all these
precautions, he carefully avoids all con-
tact with people who might be in danger
Of infection.
Pursuant to directions from the gov
ernor, commission, composed Of DIR.
Babcock, of the asylum; DR.. Pope, of the
penitentiary; and DR.. Evans, president
of the state board of health, went up to
Rock Hill on Sunday to look into the sit
uation. The commission spent Sunday
and Monday in the town and returned tc
Columbia Monday night. The result ol
it's investigations, which was to be frs
reported to the governor, has not yet been
made public.
The authorities at Winthrop are taking
every pecaution to guard against the in
PRODUCTION of the disease into the college
The work of vaccination was completed
on last Sunday. In addition to this pre-
caution, communication with the balance
of the town has been suspended. Stu
dents who board outside the dormitories
have been required to discontinue theil
attendance for the present, and all the
servants are required to remain within
the gates. No one who goes out OF the
grounds is allowed to return. Quite
number of girls have been called by theil
parents to their respective homes; bu
the leaving movement does not promise
to become general.
In the town, vaccination continues tc
progress steadily. All Of the doctors are
busy, and the number vaccinated up Il
this time numbers more than 1900. The
physicians are meeting with more or less
resistance, especially among the more
ignorant Negroes. Many OF these have
to be dragged from under beds, dowr
chimneys and from under their houses
There have been several cases where sub
iects had to be choked to the ground
before they would submit to the lancet o.
the doctors.
Health Officer Caveny, of Rock Hill
telephoned to Clerk Brice, of the county
board of commissioners, on Monday, tc
the effect that a Negro woman supposed
to have smallpox, had been put off the
c., C. e. A. train at Warren. Mr.. Cave
ny's understanding was to the effect thai
the woman's fare had been paid by the
city authorities of Charlotte, who were
anxious to get the woman out of town
and suggested that Clerk Brice do wha
he could to investigate the matter
Clerk Brice spent nearly all Of Monday
afternoon trying to get physician to e
down and diagnose the case. DR.. Saye
the county physician, offered to go; bu
having on hand two cases both of which
were at the point of death, was unable tt
leave. The other physicians were al
either too busy, or afraid that in the even
the case should prove to be smallpox
their regular patients might become SC
alarmed as to deny them admission to theil
houses. A telephone message from Rock
Hill, received by The ENQUIRER short
ly before The ENQUIRER went to press
was to the effect that Charlotte physician:
had diagnosed the suspicious case as rose
ola.
In Yorkville there is good deal o.
alarm as to the possibilities of the disease
reaching this place; but to say that this
alarm is general, would hardly be fair
Notwithstanding all the excitement tha
has been been stirred up, there are good
many people here who still look upon the
situation complacently, and who think
that, after all, there is not nearly so much
danger of an epidemic as would be indi
Gated by the fears of the more timid
The health authorities have not yet seer
fit to take any steps in the direction o
compulsory vaccination or an attempt a
quarantine.