The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-28
COMPULSORY VACCINATION.

he v~accinators Get Down to Work The
Smallpox Contagion Stamped Out by
Prompt Action in vaccinating Those who
Were In Contact With the Two Patients.
The People who are Guaranteed Threat
en- Mutiny.
DIR. A. D. Mcdonald, DR.. G.. D. Bell,
Or. Wright Hall, DR.. Thomas r. Mask,
colored, and DIR. J. H. Aston, colored,
met at the office of DIR. William D. Nc
MILAN, in the rooms of the board of
health yesterday morning, and ar
ranged their plans for vaccinating the
people of Wilmington in accordance
with the ordinance adopted at the spe-
cia1 meeting of the board of aldermen
on Monday night. Drs. Mcdonald,
Bell, Hall, TASK and Aston were the
vaccinators appointed on Monday night
by Mayor s. P. Wright, who is chair
man of the boar of health.
As soon as the vaccinators got their
Instructions and vaccine points they
vent out and began business. Drs.
Hall and Mask began in the southern
part of the city, and Drs. Bell and
Alston in the northern section. They
viii all work towards the centre, while
DR.. Mcdonald will take in the schools,
mills and factories. In putting in the
virus the vaccinators average from ten
to twenty subjects per hour. They will
be at the office Of the board of health
this morning at 9 o'clock to ~vaccinate
all callers, and will then go on their
rounds again. They will also be at the
office for that purpose from 2 p. m. till
3 p. m. The colored physicians ope-
ro 10 nm thn oc1aroI ,ao0-Ja
The physicians believe that the
prompt vaccination of the people who
came in contact with the two cases of
smallpox prevented the spread of the
contagion. Six people who Were in the
house with Stephen Johnson, al 205
street, were vaccinated, III
it took we'll in each case. In the house
with James Harge, in Latimer's alley,
between Second and Third streets,
there were ten women and men and
Cne child, and their vaccination was a
success. FOr this reaSOn the physicians
are satisfied no other cases of the
dread disease broke out. Only seven
teen people are now quarantined-the
six in JohnsOn's house and the eleven
in the house where Harge vas taken
sick. THE city keeps them under guard
by policemen night and day, and fur
nishes them with wood and provisions.
They are doing some eating, too, ais
may be judged from the way they use
UP the provisions. The row in Jati-
mer's alley showed a disposition to
mutiny yesterday and threatened to
come out, but Chief of Police Melton
Instructed his officers to shoot if it was
necessary to keep them from getting
out. Tt is not believed there is much
danger from them, but they will be
~,,o p-o ~ G,o ,,rt;r al ~o.-:u..1:Ax. -
their taking smallpox is passed.
Johnson, at his home, and Harge, at
the pest house, continue to improve.
The five compulsory vaccination doc
tors continued ON their rounds yester-
day, and got i'm a good days work. In
THE two days they have vaccinated
about a thousand people. AT many
houses they received q, warm reception
and they have some thrilling expert
ences to relate. One CT THE coloTed
doctors were refused admittance to a
colored woman's house, n armed
with nothing but his vaccine points, he
was made to stand back before a
trusty axe. Another doctor was held
ait bay by a colored man who got his
gun and dared hin to cross his thresh-
hold. Two colored policemen who
started in to arrest him were also
made to stand back. This will be a
case for the criminal court and the of
fender will repeat his folly when he is
hauled up for his use of a deadly
weapon.
AS to the vaccination of THE children
in the public schools, the board of
health held a meeting yesterday after
noon and after consulting with Profess
sor NJ. C. S. Noble, superintendent Of
schools, decided ito postpone the vac
cinaition of the children to give them
their family physicians.