The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-28
REGARDED rs SERIOUS
DIR. HURTY SAYS THE SMALLPOX RE-
PORTS ARE ALARMING.
In Many Parts OF the state People Re.
fuse to Submit to Vaccination
Specific Cases.

DR.. Hurry. secretary of the State Board
Of Health, said yesterday that he would
not be surprised If smallpox became cpl
demic throughout the entire State. He
said the people seemed absolutely indif-
ferent to the disease, and not only did
they refuse TO be vaccinated. but in many
cases they threatened with violence the
very officer who was trying TO throw a
safeguard around them. Reports of small
pox and chicken-pox. which in many cases
turns out to be smallpox, are being sent
In to the S'ate Board from so many differ
ent parts OF the State that two stenogra-
pliers are constantly employed in answer
ing the correspondence. So much mail ar
rives in the morning that it becomes i'm
possible for DR.. Hurry TO wade through it
before the arrival Of the mail in the even
ing.
Reports were received yesterday that
smallpox had again invaded Porter coun-
ty, this time at Chesterton. In speaking of
the report yesterday, DR.. Hurry said wher-
ever else smallpox might appear in Por-
ter county, he was quite sure that II
would never be heard of again in Valpa-
raise. because the people Of that city had
established by the State Board. He said
1t was one of the few places where there
was a general inclination to submit TO
vaccination. To bear out his statement
that the people in the infected districts
would not submit to vaccination, DIR. Hurry
read q letter received yesterday from the
health officer of Washington county, who
reported that 80 per cent. of the people
IN thar county refused TO be vaccinated,
and when he insisted the people would
threaten him in such menacing manner
that he was compelled TO leave them. He
said the situation in Washington county
was very serious, and believed the people
would only awaken to their danger when
the death which has already occurred was
followed by others. He said that certain
physicians who have been antagonistic to
the State Board ever since the disease
was nrSt diagnosed as smallpox, were adj
vising against vaccination and declaring
the disease was not smallpox.
AT CAMPBELLSBURG
Word was also received yesterday by the
State Board of many cases Of chicken-pox,
which is supposed by DIR. Hurry to be
smallpox, in Campbellsburg. The disease
in this place is prevalent among the adults.
DR.. e. D. Laughlin, a member of the State
Board, who lives at Orleans, a short dis
lance from Campbellsburg, will visit Camp
bellsburg to-day for the purpose of dag
nosing the disease.
Another severe case of the disease is
reported from Brownstown. The special
officer of the State Board of Health en-
ployed in Clay City reported yesterday
that case of hemorrhagic smallpox had
appeared in the family of a Mr.. Shannon,
who lives in Clay City. DR.. Hurry said the
disease in this form was almost certain
death.
President Swain. of the State University.
and the members of the State Board of
Health deeply regret a dispatch in the
St Louis Globe-Democrat, credited to an
indianapolis correspondent. which stated
that the university would be crossed on &C
count of the prevalence of the disease
among the pupils. DR.. Hurry said yester-
day that he could not imagine how such a
statement could have ever been made, as
there never was any intention either on
the part of the authorities of the univer-
sity or of the State Board to close the
university.
Many appeals are being made to the State
Board for vaccine matter for the poor in
the districts infected with smallpox, but
as the law provides that the county shan
be required to pay its own expenses for
the enforcement Of health laws, the State
Board is unable to comply with the re-
quest.