The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-01
SMALL POx HERE.
Clarence Scott, Who Lives Near
the City, Stricken.

Clarence Scott. sexton of Rochester
cemetery, is sick at the home Of his
father, Andrew Scott, who lives six
miles north of Topeka, with a well de-
veloped case of smallpox.
He was taken sick on Thursday and
Mrs. DR.. Swift of North Topeka, was
summoned Dr. Swift was not certain
in her diagnosis of the case and on
Friday requested DR.. C. F. Menninger
to accompany her. DR.. Menninger saw
Mr.. Scott at a private house near the
cemetery where he was rooming. The
house is about three miles from town
and as the jurisdiction of the city ply
sician includes the country within five
miles Of the city, DR.. Menninger notified
City Physician Peers.
Dr. Peers and DR.. Menninger went
this morning to the house where Scott
was staying when he was taken sick
and found that on Friday night he had
been taken to the home of his father,
three miles further north. The two
physicians drove to the house and after
looking at Scott pronounced the disease
smallpox.
AS the young man had been removed
to a point outside the jurisdiction of the
city physician DR.. Peers notified County
Physician F1linger, who will take i'm
mediate steps to have the case properly
quarantined.
Clarence Scott is about % years old
and has been in charge of Rochester
cemetery for some time. In answers
to the physicians questions he said that
he had not been away from the city and
had no idea as to where he contracted
the disease. Scott digs the graves at
the cemetery and it may be that he
contracted the disease from an infected
corpse.
It is not known that any person, who
died from smallpox, has been buried in
the cemetery or in the potter's field, but
it is very likely that III his work Scott
has either filed the grave of a person
who died of smallpox or in digging the
a5ssez FSo16 has 6FJC
close to some grave where a smallpox
body was buried. In digging a grave so
close to another that the old one was
nolested Scott may have unmeaningly
exposed a body infected by the disease
and whether the body had been buried
a month or q. year or two would make
no difference in the spreading of the dis
ease.
The law requires that the physician
in attendance upon all persons who die
shall file a certificate Of death with the
board Of health but no death from
smallpox has been reported. The mat
ter will be thoroughly investigated by
both the county and city physician to
determine whether some physician has
made a false report or neglected to
make any report at all
Before the sick man was removed to
his home the family, with the exception
of a sister who does the cooking and
the father, left the house. DR.. Ellinger
saws there is no danger that the family
in the house where the young man was
taken sick will contract the disease as
it was then in the first stage and con-
sequently not liable to spread.
4 shall see the county commissioner
at once and make arrangements for
thorough quarantine said Dr-EIlinger.
LAS the house is in the country it will
only be necessary to have guards there.
One man should be kept there all the
time and / shall have two men to
watch day and night. I think there is
no danger of the disease spreading on
account of the isolation Of the case. It
is very difficult to tell where the young
man contracted the disease. He says
he has not been away and it would
seem that he has been exposed to a
body infected with smallpox. I have
not seen the case but DR.. Peers report
ed to me that he did not know what it
could be unless it was smallpox and
shall go ahead and quarantine the
case"
DR. Peers said: ST was called to go
with DR.. Menninger and see the case as
it was within three miles of the city
but when we arrived at the house found
that the young man had been removed
to his fathers house, which is six miles
from town. I have not made an official
diagnosis as the case comes under the
supervision of the county physician and
it is not my business to do SO. I think
there is no danger of the disease spread
ing"