Daily inter mountain., 1900-09-20
GETT|NCREAOY
FOR SMALLPOX
SEVENTEEN CASES HAVE BEEN
SENT TO PEST HOUSE
THIS MONTH. IL
DIFFICULTIES PRESENTED
IN CONTROLLING DISEASE.
Cheap Boarding Houses as Sources of
of Contagion-Detention Hos
pital Must Be Had.

From present indications and because
the disease has made its appearance ear
lier than usual, small pox bids fair to
put more victims in the pest house this
winter than at any other time in the
history of the epidemic in this city.
The Standard got mixed up in it's report
of the number of cases sent out to the
| pest house yesterday DR.. O'Leary says
but one case came under his observation,
an inmate of the New Orleans dance
house on Galena street. The woman was
accompanied to his office by compan-
| ion. who had been nursing her. She asked
and was allowed to stay with her friend.
Accordingly both went to the pest house.
Five cases We're sent out. Tuesday, four
coming from cheap lodging house on
Galena street and the other from an East
Granite street residence. Those coming
from the lodging house were Ed McCan-
try, w. II. Harris. Warren Henderson
and Gabel Anderson. The fifth victim
was J. Bresnahan.
Since the pest house was reopened on
the 18th Of July, "a cases Of small pox
have ben treated. OF this number, all
but We're discovered in the city this
month and sent out to this county insti-
tuition. None died and there was really
but one serious case. He is now conva-
descent.
Difficulties almost insurmountable are
presented TO any radical effort to stamp
out the disease or prevent contagion. Un-
less sufficient guards are placed around
lodging houses where the disease has
been discovered, an effective quarantine
cannot be maintained. So the disease is
scattered over the city. The inmates
of lodging houses are largely freQuenters
of beer halls and concert rooms Men
who come to town with dime in their
pocket, seek these places for shelter.
SThav ma thaiY. he'd ND n nnaSfion
are asked.
Last winter tramps seen about Ana
conda, Missoula, Whitehall and small
towns of the state with evidences of
small poX We're given transportation and
piece of money to get out of town. In
variably such fellows turned up in Butte
and mingled among the patrons Of beer
halls before being apprehended. In many
instances the first place sought was the
cheap lodging house.
To quarantine these places would in
volve a cost to the city of perhaps $500
per day. Take one lodging house on Ga
lena street which accommodates 100 sleep
ers. The chances are that not more than
a dozen have the price of breakfast
when they get up in the morning. II the
place is quarantined, the city will have
to provide food for these fellows and
pay the proprietor Of the place for their
lodging also.
Just at the present time it is said that
the CIdlGHa street lOuS1uS AloASSo Ga sAS
badly congested as the steerage on
an Atlantic steamer. everybody
can get a bed, even if he has not the ex-
act price. The lodging house is fruit
full field for the CRATER politician. the
lodger who is broke has vote, and the
proprietor is generally statesman for
revenue.
The city council did not meet last
night, and nothing was done towards Sc
lecting a site for a detention hospital.
Mayor Mccarthy, however, is in favor
of putting up the building at once on the
Arizona street site and is satisfied the
council will approve the board of healths S
action 1t can be erected in two or three
days. Thus, when case of smallpox Is
| discovered, the patient is first taken tc
this detention hospital and then as soon
| as possible removed by ambulance to the
pest house. The city and county have
| fixed up their differences concerning the
| cost of running the institution and agreed
| on a new plan of pro rata assessment
DR.. O'Leary wants this detention hosp1-
! tai right away. He certainly objects tc
| patients afflicted with smallpox calling
upon him at his office
All that is done now in the way OF pre-
venting contagon in the lodging houses
is fumigating the stalls and removing
| the bedding. Compulsory vaccination
| resulted in failure last winter, yet &C
cording to physicians it is the only thins
! that can be depended upon to present tht
spread of smallpox.