The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-21
IT IS SUBSIDINC.
Good News From the City
Health Department.
DIR. Peers Says Cases of Small
pOx Are Diminishing.

The council has voted to allow City
Physician Peers a salary of 5000 per
month for his services from the break
ing out of the smallpox epidemic last
October until it shall have subsided.
The city board ofhealth recommended
this action some time ago, but the
council did not see fit to grant it, but
instead allowed DR.. Peers $500 extra
pay to cover all his services up to Feb
ruary L DR.. Peers came before the
council last evening and made a state
ment concerning the matter, and in his
statement. he said:
Since this epidemic has broken out
we have learned cases of it existed as
far back as April, 1899. There were sew
eraI cases of the disease between that
and the last of August. In June the
first case appeared in the reform school.
Ten days later another crop appeared,
and by the middle of August there had
been nearly 100 cases in the school.
In September the disease began ap-
pearing in Topeka The board of health
met, and while there was some doubt
as to its being smallpox, the board de-
cided it ought to be carded, and I ac-
cordingly carded the cases as chicken
poX.
From October q up to the present
time our records show that there have
been nearly 800 cases in the city, but
this number does not represent all OF
them, for where two persons of the
same family were sick at the same time
only one quarantine was established.
A large percentage of these cases have
been in the Second ward. That ward
seems to have got the brunt of the at
tack But now it is distributed in all
the wards. AT present the colored peo-
pie in the First ward are suffering more
from it than any other. There are prob
ably more cases on the North side than
there are in any other two wards.
About Christmas time we had $50
cases at one time. Now we have from
40 to so cards up and there are from
80 to 100 cases. The disease is well in
check and I believe the end is approach
ing.
on October 21, my time has been wholly
taken UP with them. leave home early
in the morning and do not get home un-
til from to IL in the evening. 1 be-
lieve I have worked hard for the city,
at least l have tried to. I have treated
about 700 cases in the city. AS soon as
most other physicians would get a case
of this kind they have dropped them
for me to take up"
DR.. Peers then told of the unpleasant
ness he had encountered, how he had
been insulted many times a day when
cases. and describing some of the loatf-
some cases he had to treat and with
which he came in contact
Il made from one to twenty visits to
a.
continued DR.. Peers. 1.-The average was
about four visits to each patient. This
would make a total of $500 visits, and
this council wants me to make these
visits for 5000 or less than 10 cents a
visit. Mo~t of you men would not have
ventured into some of those places for
$50.
This epidemic has gone over the
state of Kansas. l presume 20 towns
have been afflicted with it, and the
usual amount paid city physicians for
attending it, even where there are but
few cases. has been so a day, yet I
only asked for Sc a day when there have
been 800 cases here.
when this thing stops it will take
me three months to regain my regular
practice. If you want me to continue
as your city physician 1 want you to
reconsider your action in this matter.
Otherwise I will resign so that a new
city physician can move into your new
quarters next week
Upon this explanation the council
quickly voted to allow DR.. Peers $500
a month during the time of the epi-
denic.