Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-14
MEAN & BUSINESS.
Watervale Stamping on Small
pox With Both Feet.
Dr. +. c. Thayer Made Health Officer
With Absolute Authority.
Werkins With Health Board, Epidemic wilt
Soon Be Ie inhaled.

'eF+ = s-s
The people We're In IL perfect frenzy
Of excitement. yesterday morning. and
from the reports which were in cir
culation it might have. been thought
that the smallpox germs were lying in
wait for every passerby. ready to
| seize those who should show them
selves out of doors.
The excitement was caused i'm part
by the sharp and decisive manner in
which the board of health was pre-
pairing to cope with the disease. Taken
IT'S II whole the situation. yesterday.
was much better than during the past
week. At that time the people were
not in IA state OF mind to assist tho
board OF health in its work. AS the
result DR.. l.. G.. Bunker was working
| alone, backed by no one save the mem
bers of the board and the physicians
| The result was he had not only the
disease 10 cope with but also adverse
public opinion.
Hardly had the members reached
their places of business. yesterday
morning. before the municipal officers
met and voted to give the use of the
/ bptSt AcA "a wy "''bitdt nv
other thing of Importance decided on.
| was that DIR. Il. c. Thaycr should be
the health officer.
DIR. Il. c. Thayer when seen. yester-
day noon. said he had not fully de-
cidcd what he should do. There were
many things 20 be done. One point he
had decided OH was that in the future
every doctor in the city who finds n
patient with a skin disease shall AT
oEce report the matter to the authori-
! tics.
And mean that it shall be report
ed" said DR.. Thayer in his usual de-
cisivc manner. We, have fooled with
this thing just as long as we are going
to. II we find that. any doctor does
not report any case of skin disease Ill
! the city we viii push his case To the
full extent of the law" 49,. 8,
In speaking IF the treatment of such
cases he said That just as soon as the
case is reported the house will be quar-
antined and DR.. l.. q; Bunker will be
| called on to make an examination OF
the patient. If the person is found TO
be afflicted with either smallpox or
varioloid he will he at once taken TO
| tiAC AOSPitdi WHEY Ac w III Oc Seit Su Apt
until he Is well. The house from which
| the patient is removed will be held
under quarantine for 20 days and at
the end of that timewill be fumigated
! in the most thorough manner possible.
| ~ new rule has been put in force
at the city farm. The overseers of the
| poor realizing that there is danger
that the inmates may be infected. have
issued the strictest orders that no one
| shall be allowed to visit the farm UNI
| til the present trouble is over.
All public entertainments for a tine
will be suspended. There was al, at
| traction scheduled :, for City hall
Wednesday evening. but Manager
Chase of the hall. saw Secretary
| Bunker of the board of health. yester-
| day morning. and was advised against
having the hall opened for any public
entertainments. The lecture which
was to be given in the Baptist church
by Mrs. Alice Palmer has also been
postponed FOR an indefinite period.
Nothing is now being left undonc
that the epidemic may DC driven from
the city as, soon as possible. Every
one is thoroughly in earnest about the
matter and the board of health is re-
ceiving every encouragement from The,
people.
Red flags now adorn the houses OF
every house under quarantine This
step has not been thought necessary
by the board of health, the red pla-
cards being thought sufficient. hut
when the members Of the board were
asked ir there was any objection To
putting MP the red flags i'm addition To
the placartis no objection was RAISED
and the flags are now on duty with
the guards at III" infected houses
characterization is not over yet. Even
up to yesterday morning there were II
great many people who had not been
vaccinated. Before night came the
doctors had all that they could atteuu
TO lin vaccinating the people. In some
Of the Offices it was almost impossible
for any one to see the. doctor unless
their business was very urgent
Among some Of the people there has
been n general scare in inverse ratio
to the danger. Half dozen of the col
lege students expressed, their minds
in the matter most freely. yesterday
morning. and, said whether the stu
dents were given a recess or not they
were going to leave for home. Several
fumgated their clothes and packed
their trunks. yesterday, having made
their plans to take either the after |
noon train. Monday or early trains, |,
this morning. .hz-se ..-.-
Several Of the manufactures are be-
ginning to feel the effects of the de-
preston. One company was told that |
their goods would POSITIVELY not be ex-
cepted even should they be sent out of
town. The schools we're shut down.
morning, for an indefinite
period. i 80 ~ >;
Two new cases We're reported Mon
day. One is a person by the name of