The Portland daily press., 1899-02-06
SMALL Pox.
Dr. G. ID. smith says No Fear for
Portland.

ed snturday-A "eek "
win Tell the story.
Portland people need not fear small
nor endemic here. Although wstsrville
and the nsiahborins town of Winsiow are
undoubtedly afflicted with this drsad
desense In q mild form there is vary little
danger Of It's spreading to other parts oil
the State becauss the very bsst Of care Is
now being taken to oonane IL to the
rlacss in which 10 oriaiussed.
Local boards Of health, warned by the
experience of the wsterviIle board, are
now watching for any suspicious cases
which might develope In other cities ana
towns and at the first sign OF the disease
every osrs will be taken to properly quar-
antine, isolate and treat the disease.
The story Of the small rox cases In
| waterville and winslow was told
TIMES man Saturday by one who has
been carefully informed regarding the
matter and the facts given below may be
repsred 40 coming from an authoritative
source 10 seems that for some time Wat
erviiie, or at least certain parts OF tnat
city In which live the French Canadians
| who work In the mills, has been afflicted
by what has been taken by the local ply
sicians to be chicken pox. IL was not
until DR.. Fortier was called some time
ago to visit man on Temple coirt. Wat
ervilie, that the prevalence Of small pox
/ In WaterviIIe was discovered. This mans
name was Pomereau and he had been en-
gagged with other Freuohmen In lumber
camp In Northern Maine. DR.. Fortier
ms soon ~ he saw this man pronounced
that he had small pox and called DIR.
Thayer into consultation with him. DIR.
Thayer said It was small pox without
doubt but Dr. Bunker Of the local board
Of health secuted the idea and proclaimed
the case nothing more than chicken poN.
Upon this there was general viewing Of
the case by the watsrville physicians and
10 was determined to call DIR. Charles d.
smith Of Portland, president Of the State
Board Of Health. to wsterviIle TO examine
into the matter and give an opinion on
this case. DIR. Smith went to Watervilile
and in company with DR.. Bunker and
DIR. Forter went through that section Of
Waterville In which the alleged chicken
pox or small pox was said to exist. He
visited many houses and saw many
cases Of what seemed to be varaloid or q
mild type Of small pox. When he saw
Pomereau he was certain that the man
had continent small! pox and SO stated to
the Waterville physicians Naturally they
were loath 10 believe this but DR.. Smith
Was sure of his ground for be has seen
many cases IF small pox In New York
and Is thoroughly familiar with Its symp-
toms and its character.
DR.. Smith questioned Pomereau closely
and the clinical history Of his case con-
WINGED him that the man was suffern q
from the disease. Then, in company
with DIR. Besss OF Winslow. Or. Smith
went over to th4t town and visited many
more cases. He found several cases there
OF pronounced small pox, but of some
what mild form. When he had made a
thorough examination Of all Of the cases
which werc reported TO him he told the
Watervills and Winslow doctors of his
opinion and to convince them that he W {
right he sent DR.. Young of August, sec
rotary of the State Board of Health, to
Watervills to more carefully examine
into the matter. DR.. Young also pro
nounced the cases he saw to bs small pox
nd recommended Who'll sal vaccina
ton ( the W ttervillc people and isolation
of all the cases now known OF psopls " he
have bern exposed u the disease. In Win
= 81 w. one cas- Of sma pox WAS found
which dat d back to ID oeinber and the
man was now nearly recovered from the
: effects 1T. Net u person has died In
Ia taa 90
ND to this time ana II Is said to be OF q
very mild type. On thing was noticed
! by the doctors who attended thes case.
which Is a great argument for vnocina
ton. IL was found that in every cas'
where the person had been vAcoinated tnt
diseass Was Of q very mild form and th'
patients suffered from IL In proportion
, to the ength of time which had elapsed
,ince their last vaccination. Children
whose parents had been vaccinatet
suffer d less from this tr uble than die
. those whose parents had never been vaoct
a mated.
DR.. Charles d Smith of Portland was
= asked something about t1is disease and
I its appearance In Watervil 9 Saturday ant
said: There 10 NO need Of Portland peo
pie b. coming alar cd about this matter
The local boards Of health will take every
precaution. both here and In every otne'
= city in Maine. AZ matter OF fact ther'
a 10 no disease which 10 easier managed OF
sooner discovered than IL small pox. 1t !,
. uniform In its manifestations method O
behavio and treatment. BY proper iso
!, lation Of GASES, vacciuatio and care thu
n disease can easily be controlled. Water
VILE may be In for rather uncomforta
bic time Of it for several weeks but IT vii
. ultimately be ersdioated there withou
= much trouble Two thousand vaccine
tubes have been sent to WAtervilie ant
; will be generally used there. Every pre-
{ caution will 30 TAKEN and The GASES o
{ small pox will DO carefully isolated and
4 | q uarsntined.
' portland had It's last epidemic o
small pox about thirty years ago Tn
. disease was brought here by the EnRlisi
, steamers before the method Of Quarantin
Ing these vessels became general Sino
that time there hes been case or tw
scattered through . grea many years bu
1t has always been sasily handled. IL
fact it IL less 10 b feared than Ia an cpl
: dsmi, Of diphthsria or typhoid fever.
Small pox works its worst havoc amonI