The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-28
SMALLPOX is SPREADING.
SITUATION N SOUTH GEORGIA IS
BECOMING SERIOUS.

Decatur, Jones. Jasper. Putnam ana
Early Counties Are Infected-Nu-
merOus Applications for state As
ststancc sent the Governor-Ehort
10 secure a Marine Hospital sur
geon-DiseaSe Found Principally
Among the Negroes.
Atlanta. Ga. Jan. 1.-THE smallpox sit
uation in the lower part of the state IS
growing serious. Ian Decatur Jones Jas
per. Putnam and Early counties the dis
ease has become so prevalent that Gov.
Gambler is almost daily applied 20 by the
authorities for some measure of relief or
assistance.
Decatur county has asked that ne order
q compulsory vaccination aud today the
Governor secured the opinion of the at
torney general upon the right Of the coun-
~ authorities of the infected districts to
enforce compulsory vaccination. The opin-
ion of the attorney general Is that COM
puIsory vaccira alton would not be legal,
and that only such persons as have been
EXPOSED to the disease and whose exposure
can be established may be subjected 20
vaccination under orders of the county au-
thorties.
The Governor has replied to the arpl-
cation made to him by quoting this opin-
ion OF the attorney general Whatever is
done toward the suppression of the disease
must be done by the local officers.
Gov. Gambler this afternoon held con-
sultation with Dr.. Wurtenbacker, surgeon
OF the United States marine hospital serv-
ice who has been investigating the status
of the disease in Jones and Jasper coun-
ties. Dr. Wurtenbacker was requested TO
see the Governor by the authorities of
those counties and the Macon city author
tiles. who are afraid that the infection
will be spread in that city. Dr. Wur-
tenbacker left here this afternoon
for Alabama, where he was ordered
by the surgeon general to investigate
smallpox conditions there.
Anxious TO stamp 1t Out.
The Governor is anxious to do all he can
20 stamp OUT the disease in this state and
to facilitate the work Of the local au-
thorities. This afternoon he telegraphed
the surgeon general asking that Dr.
Wurtenbacker be sent 10 Decatur county
as soon as he has finished his work in
Alabama. The Governor also, after his
conference with the marine hospital sur
geon, telegraphed Washington asking that
another surgeon from that department be
sent az once to this state to act under
the orders of the Governor in assisting the
local officers in the infected counties
In taking this step the Governor said
this afternoon that he had an idea of call
ing upon the federal government 20 take
charge of the situation, although Dr.
Wurtenbacker suggested that this be
done. All he wants is the services of an
experienced expert to help the local au-
thorities fight the disease, and he hopes
that the surgeon general Will be able 40
send a man at once. 1t appears from the
statements of DR.. Wurtenbacker that the
disease has been in existence in Jones and
Jasper counties for a year. and that the
local doctors did not know what il was,
until informed by the marine hospital
surgeons, who had been sent down there
at the instigation of the officials of the
military camp at Macon.
Chiefly Among Negroes.
The disease is largely confined TO the
negroes and is of mild form. The alarm
in Decatur and other adjacent counties
is caused by the fact that the disease has
broken out among turpeutine farm labor
ers. who. going from camp to camp, are
spreading 1t, and at the same time this
class of negroes is almost totally beyond
the reach of the doctors.
While it seems that there is more of the
disease in the lower part of the state,
il is by no means confined TO that sec
ton. Cases have appeared in the country
contiguous to Atlanta and recently the
doctors found a woman suffering with il
In a mill in this city. The local health
authorizes are on the alert. Two years
ago there was systematic vaccination
crusade from house to house, conducted
under police supervision, and this has
undoubtedly contributed largely TO the