The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-06
PROTECTION AGAINST SMALLPOX.


Last year there was a great deal of
smallpox in North Carolina, South Caro-
lima and this state. 1t made its appearance
in the rural districts and gradually got
into the towns. The number of deaths
from it last year in the foregoing states
is unknown. There does not seem to be
any provision in the laws of either OF
these states for keeping a record of the
number of the cases or the deaths. AS far
as we know there are no state regulations
in either of them sufficient for stamping
out the disease in any locality in which
1t may make its appearance. AS long
as this continues TO be the state of af-
fairs smallpox is certain TO prevail peri
odically to a greater or less extent.
In a private letter, received by the
Morning News yesterday, from Varnville,
Hampton county, S. c., the information
is obtained that there is a case of small
pox in a camp of gypses near Broxton's
Bridge. The statement made in the let
ter is that a physician, who practices in
that vicinity has refused to attend the af-
flicted gypsy because the compensate
allowed by the State Board of Health is
not sufficient 10 justify him in taking the
risk of losing his other patients The
compensation is only 81 per visit, and if
his patients should learn that he had been
exposed to smallpox they would have no
further use. for his services until they
knew that all danger from infection from
him had passed. The people living in the
vicinity of the gypsy camp are leaving
their homes and seeking safer localities.
1t seems to US that in this case there is
presented an opportunity for effective
work by the South Carolina Board of
Health 1t is probable that the health
board has not the means at its disposal
to deal with this gypsy smallpox case
as 1t should be dealt with But 1t should
have The state could well afford 10 spend
several thousands of dollars in protecting
the people of the state against this one
case of smallpox. From it the disease
may spread all over a dozen or more
counties.
1t is believed that the smallpox that
was in this city last spring was brought
here from infected places in South Car
olina. The negroes are moving from,
North Carolina and South Carolina to this
state all the time and back again. They
pay no attention whatever to sanitary
regulations. 1t is not to be wondered at
that they carry with them the germs of
contagious and infectious diseases.
There ought to be state laws and regu-
lations for dealing with diseases of this
sort, and sufficient money for the enforce
ment of the laws and carrying out the
regulations ought to be appropriated Dis
eases of this kind require prompt
and heroic treatment. Halfway measures
are but little, if any, better than no meas
ures at all. There would not have been
much smallpox in this state last year if
there had been ample means for stamping
it out as soon as 1t made it's appearance.
1t will be interesting to know whether the
case in the South Carolina gypsy camp be-
comes the center of wide spread infection
or not. There may not be any other
cases from it, but the chances are there
will. The disease, spreading from that
one case, may cost many lives and the ILL
ness of a great many people. 1t has al
ready caused many people to leave their
homes