The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-01
DOCTORS CANNOT AGREE
Some Say Mcleod Has Varioloid
and Others Say He Hasn't.
PATIENT IN A QUANDARY
he OBJECTS to Being Cached Away in a
Cowshed, and Wants to Be De-
clared Either Sick
or Well.

When doctors fall out the sick man
wonders where he is at That is the
position Walter Mcleod finds himself
IN, and he would be very much Obliged
if some one would satisfy him in his
own mind whether he is afflicted With
varioloid or the effects of old whiskey.
Mcleod is the man who nursed Viii
liam Wo!cott, the first smallpox VIC
tim. till he was sent TO the pest house,
and who several days ago was ordered
to the pest house himself by direction
of City Physician DR.. Alexander. NJ
Leod appeared in Sullivan & kehoe'S
saloon in South Main street last Fri
DAY morning and announced he be-
Heved he was suffering from smallpox
DR.. Alexander, who was called, pro-
nounced the case one of variolOid, and
that afternoon Mcleod was taken to
the pest house DR. Sullivan, the pest
house physician, on seeing the patient,
declared he did not have varoloid and
refused to admit him to the pest house.
Mcleod was then in predicament.
He did not have varioloid according
to DR.. Sullivan, and therefore was not
subject to be taken in where he would
be sure to be exposed, yet he had rid
den in the smallpox ambulance, and
therefore he would not be allowed to
return to town. What was to be done
about it was a question that was
puzzler. It was finally settled by fixing
up place in the COW sheds at the poor
farm in which to keep him until such
time as it would be proper to let him
return to the city.
Mcleod, however, was not pleased
with the idea of sleeping in the COW
shed and sent in word to the county
commissioners that they must send him
out suit of clothes in which he could
come back or he would sue the city
and county for damages. As Dr. Sulli-
van had telephoned in that Mcleod did
not have either smallpox or variooid,
but acne produced by heavy drinking
the commissioners did not know how
to act, and they felt it was not their
place to provide the man with clothes,
as his being sent out was by orders
of a city officer and not by a county
officials act.
They at length decided to refer the
matter to the city, and on Monday no.
titled DR.. Alexander that Mcleod would
not sue if he would send out a suit of
clothes.
Now DR.. Alexander was not at ali
satisfied that his diagnosis of the case
In the first place was wrong and he
concluded to satisfy himself. Accord
ingly he drove out to the poor farm
Monday and saw the man again. From
bis examination he was more certain
than before that he was right and
yesterday took the matter up with the
mayor. He proposed that a committee
of physicians be sent out to see Nc
Leod. Mayor Mccarthy thought the
county ought to be in on the expenses
and suggested to DR.. Alexander that
he interview the commissioners on the
subject. He did so, but found them dis
inclined to put up anything for the
committee and returned to the city hall
and so informed the mayor. who au-
thorized him to go ahead and have Nc
Leod examined by a committee and he
would attend to the pay for it.
Acting on this authority, DR.. AeXan-
der selected Drs. Johnson, Leavitt and
Munroe, all of whom have had wide
experience with smallpox, and yester
day took them to the poor farm. These
gentlemen took look at Mcleod and
gave a unanimous opinion that he had
varioloid
But still the matter is not settled, for
DIR. Sullivan adheres to his opinion that
1t is not a case of varioloid, and is sup
PORTED in his opinion by County Physi-
clan Dr. Sheeran. There appears to he
no doubt on one point, which is that
Mcleod has had no fever at any time.
Drs Sullivan and Sheeran maintain
that a man cannot have Varioloid ami
have no fever. Dr. Alexander and the
doctors who composed the committee
maintain just IS positively that he can.
And so Mcleod is in a quandary and
would like to know just where he is at.
The committee having decided the
man has Varioloid and DIR. Sullivan be-
ing unchanged in his opinion that he