Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-06-15

in this state when Mrs. Y. Jones, one
of the afflicted, died and on her burial
certificate was written, Smallpox.
This death was like unto dropping a
match into finder. The town became
alarmed. Many considered leaving
the locality at once and there was
murmuring against the medical frater-
nifty. These latter gentlemen got to-
gether and decided that it was high
time to invite expert specialists from
other parts to look into the conditions,
as citizens of other towns near Elvins
were becoming frightened and refused
to have intercourse with the citizens of
Elvins. Doctor Z. L. Standlee, secre-
tary of the State Board of Health, and
Doctor S. G. Martin of this city were
asked to come to Elvins and devise
some means to remedy affairs, and, if
possible, restore quiet to the village.
These physicians made the trip to FL
wins yesterday and tell an interesting
story of what they found there. Doctor
Martin has had thirty years expert
euce in the treatment of skin diseases,
and holds the chair for that speciality
at the Barnes Medical College. Doctor
Martin left yesterday morning at z
O'Clock and spent the day in Elvins,
returning in the evening. On arriv-
ing at Elvins,' he said, we we're met
by the medical men of the town and a
number of the prominent citizens.
They were anxious to have the nature
of the affection which had attacked
many of the citizens determined, so we
lost no time in getting to work. ex-
amined carefully every case in the
town and found five cases of smallpox
and the rest a peculiar form of chicken
pox, which is rarely encountered in
the practice of medicine. The outward
manifestation is materially different
from smallpox, and the disease lasts
from eight to ten days, while actual
smallpox endures for twenty-eight.
The people, when we arrived, were in
a state of excitement, which, | might
say, bordered on panics. When Mrs.
Jones died every one concluded that
he also was afflicted with the scourge
which killed her, and believed death
was at hand. There was great salts
faction felt and expressed when we
assured these people that there was
nothing to fear, and that their malady
was not smallpox. The five cases of
the disease were isolated, placing
them in tents on the outskirts of
the town, where they will be treated.
Yes. the sanitary conditions of the
town were very poor. There are no
sewers or possible way of drainage.
The people drink well and cistern
water, which I do not believe to be
very pure. The country is hilly and
in the hollows refuse accumulates,
which is never removed. The streets
are frightfully muddy after rains, and
one is obliged to wade knee deep in
the mire to get from place. believe
that the occurrence of the two diseases
together is a mere coincidence, likely
to have happened at any place. The
chicken pOX has about spent its fury,
and will be over in short while: The
smallpox, l believe, will be eradicated
very shortly. All the inhabitants have
been vaccinated. All the way up on
the train we were stopped at way-sta-
tons, while Populations of citizens
entered the coach to gain information
of what we had found at Elvins. They
were delighted that the situation was
not as serious as they had feared. No
very vigorous measures of quarantine
have been taken. l heard that one
local train had been stopped, but none
of the through trains haYe been mo-
lested.' Doctor Standlee, secretary of
the State Board of Health, who also
to the city last night from his
trip to Eivins, says he found five we'll
developed cases of smallpox in that
town and learned of one death from
the disease, that of woman who died
night. Immediately upon my
arrival he said to a Republic reporter,
Il and Doctor Martin began an inves-
tigat1On into the cases, to determine
the nature of the malady which had
caused so much alarm in the cOmmun-
ity. We found five typical cases of
smallpox, the symptoms being so we'll
defined that there was no difficulty in
in arriving at a correct diagnosis. The
other cases of supposed smallpox, we
found to be nothing but peculiar
form of chicken-pox which is some
" udG ~ MIS-. jules udu u1GO
the evening preceding our arrival, and
upon investigating this case we found
that death was due to smallpox. After
convincing the local physicians of the
correctness of our diagnosis, we imme-
diately went to Pennington and made
arrangements with the County Judge
to isolate the smallpox patients. Only
one of these cases is at all serious, the
others being of mild type of the
scourge. In my opinion, there is alb
solutely no danger of an epidemic of
the disease if the necessary precautions
are carried out. There will be no
necessity of quarantine being estab-
lished, although, of course, we have
nothing to say concerning the action
of the local authorities in that matter.
There are three small towns, contain
ing population of perhaps 1900, al
most within a stones throw of Elvins,
and it is possible these may establish
a quarantine against that town. Doc
tor Williams of Elvins is making a
thorough investigation to discover the
number of persons who have been ex-
posed to the infection from the cases
already developed, and the result of
his labors, which will be known in a
day or two, will determine the author
tiles of the contiguous towns as to the
necessity for establishing quarantine.
am well pleased with the result OF
the trip, as our diagnosis of the nature
of the suspected cases has restored the
people of St. Francois county to their
normal condition of mind, allayed
a. fnon1 onl Ynccih1o