The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1899-12-23
THE PUBLIC AEdZZH


uation concerning public health, O.
very grave if not serious charac
ter. For some time there has ex
listed in this and neighboring par
ishes a contagious disease resem.
bling smallpox and so pronounced
by some physicians while others de
clare it to be nothing more than
chicken-pox. So mild has been the
type that up to this date no deaths
have been reported, many of the
afflicted recovering without con-
hnement or even medical attention.
Nevertheless it cannot be denied
that the disease whatever it's real
character is very contagious and al,
though confined almost exclusively
to the negro race it behooves the
health authorities to take some pre-
caut1onary measures to protect the
mass of the people. This is rem
dered all the more imperative when
it is onsidered that smallpox is
winter disease and though now in
attenuated form may at any time
develop into a malignant type.
The measures adopted and now
being pursued are not calculated to
prevent the spread of the disease
and in fact may be considered alb
surd In the extreme. Simply to
place a yellow flag over the infected
premises and then trusting TO ..luck,"
that the surrounding community
shall escape contagion might be de-
nominated the height of the ridicu-
lous, were not the matter of so Sc
rious import. No attempt whatever
has been made to isolate or restrict
the malady and owing to the ne
gro's we'll known gregarious prncliv-
tiles large numbers have become
affected throughout the parish and
some few cases are reported in
town.
While The Gazette does not wish
to be unduly harsh in criticism, it
does seem that the health authori-
ties both municipal and parochial
have totally failed to cope with the
situation through mere lack of little
Judgment and power to effectively
grasp the conditions which pre-
sented. Had the few cases first
appearing been promptly isolated
md all precautions taken TO destroy
he clothing, bedding ETC., of the
no epidemic would have
threatened and much loss and incon-
1en1ence would have been avoided
rs it is today the people Of the town
md parish are menaced with a dis I
lgreeable if not dangerous epidemic
because the authorities did not or
ould not cope with the very simple
natter Of prompt and effective iso-
alton Of a few cases at the begin
ing. v
The parish is fully able to bear -
he exIyense incident to an effective !
OF the disease and it is II
Understood that the Board has been 6
uthorized by the Jury to carry out ~
ny policy deemed best to protect y
he people. The city should be as
|
this cause inasmuch as the prop !"
'ty taxpayers have for several years :"
cen saddled with special tax Of 49,
e mills for quarantine purposes. =,
few hundred dollars or a thous-
ID even, disbursed in an effort to
amp out the disease would prove y
ghly satisfactory to the average
tizen. No vacilla,ing or impotent q.
'iicy however should be pursued.
It there be a thorough compre- "a
nsipn CT the situation and
en- strong and vigorous meas >"
es ysipaugurated to eradicate the ~. ="
st ) from the community. The
st must not enter into the solu-
IN of problem which SO vitality 80
ncerns the lives and well being 20
every man, woman and child in
Z corporation. 's
Until some such effective meas
IS as above outlined are adopted
4 the disease at least curbed .-ac
ration SHOULD be resorted 20 BY
IS the only sure preventive No
afGe is made by either town or Nj