The times., 1899-11-23

The five suspects who have been con-
fined in the detention annex to the pest
house We're discharged from the custody
Of the health officials last night. -Four
Of these suspects have been in the build
ing for about one month. and the other,
William Winslow, has been in the
detention camp for just sixteen days. The
District is thus relieved of the mainten-
ance Of five persons and it lessons the eX-
peuse of caring for the smallpox refugees
and sufferers considerably
The houses at go Twelfth Street north
west. and I02 L Street northwest. Will be
relieved from quarantine tonight, and then
every person who has been in any way
connected with the smallpox. except the
patients, viii have been released from
the surveillance Of the Health Office.
The five patients in the hospital, Grant,
Stevens. Gott, Davis. and Mrs, Winslow,
were reported to be doing as well as the
circumstances would permit yesterday af-
ternoon. and il is probable that the first
two viii be released from the hospital be-
fore Christmas.
All of the patients have had mild cases
Of the disease and the complete recovery
q
of a few days. After they are declared
cured by the surgeon at the hospital they
/ viii be kept in custody for the usual pc
Tiod Of sixteen days. and viii be thorough
" disinfected to remove all traces of the
disease.
The Health officer has congratulated the
various subordinates Of his department on
the able manner in which they have coped
with the disease. The conditions that the
de r1a han haH m &c
year have been very different from those
Of last year During the time Of the eX-
istence of the disease in this city last win
ter the Health Office was called upon in
more than one case to provide subsistence
for the families Quarantined. The disease
and the blizzard came at about the same
time. and fuel was provided for many Of
the suspects.
The District was compelled to bear the
! expense Of providing for these people, as
/ they were shut out from the rest OF the
world by the Government, and were only
allowed 10 see the health inspectors when
they came 10 disinfect the premises. At
these times the supplies for the day were
left at the houses, and in some of the cold
est weather the head of the family was
not economical in using the fuel, and the
result was that the houses were sometimes
very cold and uncomfortable, causing the
! inmates TO huddle closer to each other,
which is one of the best means of infection
that can possibly exist, according to the
statement of the chief Of the smallpox
/ inspecting service.
In some cases the families Of those af-
/ ficted with the smallpox were so poor that
/ the District took charge of them altogether
and provided sleeping quarters as well as
/ food and fuel. Then the disease was more
! widespread, and in TWO instances was de-
veloped in public institutions, where there
were several hundred persons. The work
! house was one Of the infected places last
/ winter. and besides providing quarters for
/ the suspects who We're in the building at
/ the tine Of the outbreak OF the disease, the
District officials were also compelled to Sc
/ cure some safe building in which to con
f-e any prisoners who might be sentenced
10 serve terms in the city's reformatory.
/ This year the conditions were ali chang
( ed. The weather was pleasant and the per
sons who were quarantiBed were all Of
I such high order Of intelligence that they
! Immediately understood the necessity for
the rigorous methods employed by the
Health Department and assisted the officers
( to the best Of their ability The first case
occurred in a boarding house in we'll
settled neighbOrhOOd, and there were sew
enteen persons in the house besides the two
who were afflicted with the disease. None
Of these people developed the least trace
of infection and were discharged in perfect
health at the end Of the quarantine period
1 The two houses which will be released
from quarantine tonight are in the north
west section, near the business centres, and
have been taken care Of by the Health Of
fee in a regular manner. The inspectors
have visited the houses every day and re-
newed the disinfectants, and the spread OF
the disease has therefore been checked
II is not believed at the Health Office that
there viii be any more cases from the
former seats Of infection. but if they &c
appear il VIII come from outside sources.