The evening times., 1899-02-25
HEALTH OFFICIALS
Fighting CONfAGION
Uses to Which the $4,000
Will Be Put.
Isolation of Smallpox an Expensive
Process.
Cost of rHntine and Other Mat
terS Connected With DIR. Wood
wards Work.

While the smallpox came upol Wash
ington rather Unexpectedly it did not find
the city health officials unprepared. Con-
seQuently there is no uneasinSss felt at the
Health Department, and the officials be-
lieve they Will soon stamp out the dis
ease.
When the disease broke out there were
excellent isolating facilities and alert Off
cials to fight the contaSioa. There Vas
d comparatively new and well equipped
hospital for the reception OF patients, an
efficient corps of physicians and nurses
sud q force of vigilant health inspectors.
Tn. >nly thing lacking was money.
This need has been supplied, however
and there will be no further interruption
in the work of stamping out the disease.
Congress has appropriated $4,000 to BE-
used for the purpose and the work will
be vigorously prosecuted.
1t has been generailA supposed that this
vas an emergency fund to be used solely
Tor preventing the spread OF sma lpox.
This is true in a measure, but a -arge part
of the appropriation will be used 10 pay
the current expenses Of the lso.ating Eos-
pital and the attendants necessary to keep
The disease within bounds
The services OF the best Cf physicians
and immune nurses are required, and these
command high salaries. Then there is the
expense OF keeping the hospital in order
and feeding the attendants ana patients.
The heaviest expense OF all Is IL the en-
pioyment CT guards for the houses quar-
aDtinsd. Three guards are required lcr
each house, and these are paid S2.50 per
day. The men ale clothed with police au-
Jhority and are stationed at the houses
under quarantine dag and night. 1t costs
over sac Der month 10 maintain guard
over one house.
The disinfectants and the employment OF
man 10 handle chem also costs consider
able money. The man n question must be
an immune and he receives high COM
pensation fer his services.
The period OF quarantine CT a house
from which a ease Of smallpox has been
removed extends oreT sixteen days. Dur
ing this time no one in the house is per-
mitted tc leave and no one except the Of
fcials CT the Health Department are per
Unitted 10 enter. This shuts the occu-
pants OF the house from the outer world
and as they are unable TO obtain food and
fuel. another item is added TO the public
expense account The imprisoned families
must be supplied with the necessities of
life.
In he hospital there are at present
Jwenty-Cne patients with the smallpox
and fifteen attendants. These must all be
cared for and furnished with food fuel,
and laundry and bathing facilities a large
supply OF antiseptiCs must also be kept
Gn hand for the use OF the attendants and
The persons in the detention Camp foI.
suspects, the old hospital building, must
al be locked after. All OF these people
must be supplied with substantial and
nOuTishing food.
There are accommodations for fiftv Ia
tients in the hospital, exclusive of the
quarters Of the attendants which arc
mostly in the old building but which could
be used in case Of an emergency. If a
patient desires il and wants 10 pay for it
he can have a private room.
In speaking Of this matter yesterday
Health Officer Woodward said:
We VIII offer the patient every induce
ment TO leave his or her hcme. They can
nave private room and a private at
tendant too, if they want TO bring one
with them. / Go not believe we would OBJ
1ect 10 having their family physician at
tending them. and We would offer him IA
cilities for disinfecti2g, etc. The hospital
was built with many large and airy looms
where a patient could be removed in A se-
were case or for any other reason. OF
course, II patient insisted on having pri-
Nacy. that would be very much cheaper for
Us than 10 allow them 10 remain at home
In the latter case the house would he
uuarantined during The entire period Of
his illness and sixteen days afterward.
The house would b. closed and strictly
guarded during this tine and we would
IN some cases be compelled 10 supply food
and fuel TO all OF the occupants, besides
paying for the guard, so. you see, il is
much better for us 10 get the patient 10
the hospital where he viii be away from all
COnIagion."
Another item in the expense list which
amounts to a great deal is the purchase
OF vaccine virus and the employment of
physicians TO YacCnaJe the poorer classes.
This viii require lhe expenditure of an
immense sum of money and great deal of
labor The Health officials are having no
difficulty in vaccinating the people and the
work is progressing IN gratifying man
ner.
The officials of the Police and Fire De-
partmeIts have ali been treated under the
direction of the health officials and the
work has been very successful
The virus used is what is known as the
giycerinated virus. and is much superior