Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-01-23


tesy of the Health Officer, DR.. Miller,
DR.. Arthur Snowden, the q. S. quar-
antine officer at this port, and DR.. Thos.
Gibson visited the hospital on Sat-
urday, and after careful examination
of the patients the medical men unani-
mously pronounced the disease small
pox. The Mayor will recommend to
the City Council the propriety of ap-
propriating funds to secure house OF
detention and to enlarge the hospital
facilities SO as to provide for
any possible contingencies. The pos
sibllity of an epidemic, the mayor
thinks, is very remote, yet the
ounce of prevention idea is being used
against what may occur if precautions
are not adopted. The chicken pox has
undoubtedly been reported by ply
siciaus, and the existence of this disor-
der at this particular time ia calculated
to create doubt aud to impair at the
same time the prudence and care that
the people should observe.
Since Saturday the cases reported are
Eliza Thomas, at III, north Henry
street, and Rose West, on Oronoco
street, near Patrick, both colored. The
houses have been quarantined and the
patients will be removed to the hospi-
tai. A suspicious case is reported at
the house of Alfred Lane, colored, in
the northwestern section of the city.
All the patients SO far reported are do
ing we'll and none of them has been
seriously sick.
On Saturday night DR.. Arthur Snow
den, the U. S quarantine officer, SUBJ
mitted the following report to Surgeon
General Wyman, in Washington:
Office of Medical Officer in Command,
Marine-Hospital Service.
Alexandria, Va, Jan. 81, 1899.
To the Supervising Surgeon General,
NJ. II. s.:
Sir In compliance with your re-
quest for a report upon the prevalence
OF smallpox in Alexandria l have the
honor to state through the courtesy of
DR.. Miller, Health Officer for the city,
I visited today the pesthouse and
there found eight patients; four conva-
lescent, two of which were varioloid,
the others were continent and badly
pitted, having had superficial abscessee;
the remaing four being in the pustular
stage OF the disease.
10 house about fifty yards from the
pesthouse there is another case which
is confuent.
1 then visited with DR.. Miller two
cases reported as suspicious, both of
which are we'll marked smallpox; one
in the vascular stage, the other pustu-
lar. A third case reported, the Health
Officer Informs me, is case of measles.
The first suspect visited has two
children who have recovered from
what WAC called cbicken-pox; these chil-
dreu are slightly pitted; the mother now
suffering, as above stated. with small
pox. There are two other suspicious
cases, the diagnosis OF which will be de-
termined tomorrow, the lapse of time
then being sufficient to state positively
the nature of the disease.
The fact that none OF these cases
has proved malignant has tended in a
measure to spread the malady, as many
of these patients have either been pur-
SUNG their daily svocation or being
huTS6u ny lASli lllCuNi7i hOo hhOHAhs-
the character of their ailment.
There is a total OF thirteen reported cases,
the habitat of the patients being widely dis
persed throughout the city.
The Health Officer is greatly embarrassed
by leck of funds, inssmuch as the City Coun-
ell up to the present time has made no special
appropriation for the existing emergencies
but at the Councils next mesting l under.
stand the Mayor will recommend az appro'
priation Tor house of detention and for an
enlargement of hospital facilities The State
law provides that the City Council can make
az ordinance compelling vaccination, but l
am not quite sure whether this power has
ever been exercised. DR.. Miller has sugg' sted
house toulouse inspection with compulsory
vaccination, and deems IL particularly neces.
sary among the colored race
If as the Mayor will recommend, house
ofIdetention can be secured where chicken
pox or other suspicious CAGES can be confined
and strict surveillance be maintained over
those who have heen in contact with the in
fected, the pestilence should be quickly and
thoroughly eradicated. Very respectfully
ARTHUR SNowDEN, NJ. D,
Sanitary Inspector NJ. b. S.
Last night DR.. Snowden submitted
his report to DR.. Wyman, stating that
three other CASES and two suspects had
been reported and to-day he reported
rra,o ~