Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-01-25
COAflfON COUNCIL.

Teste: z. {. KNIGHT, Clerk.
COMMON COUNCIL.
Al a regular meeting Of the Common
Council OF Alexandria, Va, held January
"a, 1899, there were present
Hubert .nowder, esq President, and
Nessrs. Trimyer Alton Moore, C. n. Moore,
5trider, Latham, BirFell Beach, Brill, Har-i-
sou, Greene, smith. Uhler, Ficklin and Kelly.
] he 10 lowing message from the Mayor rec
onmerding an appropriation 10 meet possible
contingencies il regard 10 the spread OF small
poI in this community was received:
ALEXANDRA, Va, Jan. pa, 1899
To the Honorable, the City Council OF Alex
sndria:
EXrLEMES The disa2reesb'e duty Of
calling your attention to possible prospective
evils TO our community devolves upon me,
and l herewith respectfully submit TO your
thoughtful consideration the facts that have
been gesned by your health o1cer and his
assistants in their investigations of the Pc
euiiar, mysterious and, TO many, incompre-
hensible malay which has afflicted some Of
ouy people during the last few weeks.
As a brief history OF thi= disease during
5 progress among rs may not be IN interest
ng, digress for moment 10 give it. Dur.
Ing the early part OF January Gaze in Brad
dock alley, purportlng 10 oe smallpox, vas re.
ported 10 cur heal officer, and within ore
hour thereafter lie house va. tagged, guard
ed snd ligidly quarsutined and an examips-
ion of the focus of disease instituted. There
Was one patient in the house with several
persons who were no: infected; the healthy
ones were 81 once removed to another home,
thus separatiDgthe two classes, and strictly
qusrantined.
On tn. evening following these occurrences
Mary. evel Was found with the disease and
removed from her home on south West
treet, and said home on south West street in
which there were three or four persons was
placed under rigorous surveillance. no one
Being allowed to enter or leave. Several
other cases: were afterwards reported, but l
snail on : refer TO one, and that only fer the
purpose OF comparison. Wallace Brown vas
sick, according to officers report, on Deem
Der 9th, 1898. but neither known nor su:-
peciet as q victim OF smallpox until after the
csses in Braddock slley had been acted upon
by our he 18th officer, snd ;hen only when
nesrly convalescent. During BrowL's illress
and before being reported he received many
visitors. some OF them evidently Carrying
from him the germs Of disease, for several
cases developing afterwerd csn be circum-
s.antially traced 10 those visits. Now, the
3rsddccz alley aud south West street cases
being promptly reported, enabled the health
officer 20 act instantly, consequently to-day
Lot single case IN our city can be traced 70
these places. l mention.this fact in justice
20 DR.. J. 7. Miller, whose success 10 the one
case was not followed in the other By reason
of the circumstances hereinbefoIe mentioned
The disorder Is n exceedingly mild one, and
in this mildness lie; much OF the danger to
our people, as you can readily perceive that
person not i'll enough TO be confined 10 n
bed possesses opportunities OF disseminating
disease in It's most virulent form to those
Sith whom he comes in contact, aud further,
this danger Is il no degree lessened by the
sriogaDt presumption Of ignorant victims
who assume that some OF their friends had
chicken-pox and that said friends communi-
Gated the same disease TO them, therefore
chickeupox and noihiog else is the disease
with which they suffer.
Untoturatey for convincing Arguments
against these dogmaticsl utterances, the
chlcken-pox patients having thoroughly re-
covered, medical examination is denied the
opportunity Of verifying or denying this phe-
and the matter for the moment
loses its serious phases aud becomes amusing.
rs the self satisfied patient lies in his bed or
sits in his chair, and with undisturbed sang
froid makes his own diagnosis, and coolly in.
forms the doctor that it is nothing but chick |
en-poZ. The unfortunate disciple of Hippoc. |
rates who probably has never had his opin.
ion so fippantly treated before, and who has |
laboriously and scientifically diagnosed the |
q e IS one Of smslpox. can only sic with |
opened eyed aslonishment or stand with |
open mouth defamation, and give vent to !
MS outraged feelings. The work o. our |
health officer has been industriousy and con.
performed A house OF the out |
skirts of the town has been rented, furns .ed |
and used for hospital, nurse provided, horse |
and wagon for transfer of patients secured !
and special guards for quarantined premises |
appointed.
l would, however, respectfully recommend |
an appropriation 10 meet possible contingen.
cies az the pres snt hospital accommodations are |
not adequate and another hospital should be |
erected. l would also respectfully suggest |
tue prudence Of securing house for the de. !
tention OF suspects, and in al of these things |
| beg leave to assure you, that while from an |
intimate knowledge OF the condition OF sf- |
fairs In our city l see no cause for alarm, yet |
in the remote possibility OF danger lies THE |
reason for making extraordinary prepare
tons nov. Res lecttully,
GEORGE l.. SIMPSON, Mayor |
The following Was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That the Mayor and Health Off, |
,er b authorized 20 take all necessary mea:- |
Gres TO stamp out smallpox in this city AMI |
that the necessary appropriation to defrsy the |
occurring, therefore, is hereby made. |
A message from the Mayor inclcsing re. |
port from Messrs. Louis Krsft and r. g. |
Burke committee appointed by him, in &C.
c rdaCce with resolution adopted November |
22, 1888, to investigate matters pertaining |
TO the condition Of the water supply By the
Alexandria Water Co, to the people of Alex |
and!ia was received and 500 or as much |
thereOfas may be necos airy, was appropriated
to have the message and report published in
the city papers. Ayes IL, noes o
resolution offered by Mr.. White request
ing the Alexandria Water Co. to use al i'm
proved filter for cleansing the water furnish.
ed the city, upon motion W S laid on the
table.
DIR. BULLS COUGH SYRUP