Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-26

IOUCII II. 0lAhC, NiiiCL vi luc T1lO OC~
partment, received a handsome Christ
mas present last evening in the shape
of an endorsement of his administra-
ton in the form of reelection for a
term OF two years. The fact that mem
bers attended a meeting on Christmas
night Is the best evidence Of his popu-
chief, and fully deserved reelection at
the hands of his party. Twenty-three
members answered to roll call in the
Second branch and twelve in the First.
Before going into joint session the
Second branch took up the three
months supplemental appropriation or
dinance, which was passed unanimous
ly, the First branch concurring.
The Mayor stated the object of the
joint session, and called for nomina-
ticns. Mr.. Miller took the floor and
named Mr.. Cline, paying him a very
handsome compliment for his eficien-
cy, his attention to business, and his
capability. Mr.. Chew seconded the
nomination.
Mr.. Healy, on behalf of the minority,
placed in nomination the name of Mr..
John NJ. Ritter, stating that he was a
man who was vertically raised in the
fire department, and familiar with it in
all it's details. The nomination was
eooopIad hy Mr. ifzsimmOnS
The roll was called and Mr.. Cline
was elected. Mr.. Ritter received she
full Democratic vote. Before the re-
suit was announced, Messrs. Smith and
Waterhouse changed from Ritter to
Cline. A motion was made to make
the nomination unanimous. Mr.. Healy
said that he. for one, would object,
and the Mayor declared the motion out
of order. The vote was then an
~nounced, after which both branches
adjourned, and Mr.. Cline was warmly
congratulated.
Owing to the desire of the members
to get away, the following c~ommunfca-
ton from the health officer was not
read:
To the Honorable Mayor and City Coun-
Gil:
Gentlemen: Il desire to present to you
a brief account of the cases of smallpox
treated during the present year, that you
may have the exact facts, and thus pe IN
a position to better appreciate the dlIn-
culties in the control of a disease so UNI
usually mild in character as some Oh these
cases are.
Ohio was transferred from one OF our
hospitals to the municipal hospital. DIS
charged July Sd. No second case resulted;
On September 5th a patient from Wetzea
county was transferred from one of our
hospitals to the Municipal hospital; DIS
charged, well, Sept. 18th. No second case
resulted.
On October LIST a man was sent to the
hospital from Nineteenth street. The ori-
gin of this case IS totally unknown, put
diligent investigation failed to connect
1t with either of the prior cases. 1t was
probably due to contact with some VS.
ftor with infected clothing. Discharged
October 10Th. No other case resulted;
among colored men. Six days later an
other colored man came to the city build
ing with an eruption on his face mat ne
confessed was five days old. During all
this time the man had been a frequenter
of one or more Market Square resorts
where colored men congregate: Inese
menced at the same time, and no DOUBT
were due to a common cause, namely.
contact with some infected visitor. |
have an account of a strange colored
man with face covered with blotches or
recent smallpox, who was seen about two
weeks before these cases occurred, IN a
saloon conducted by a colored man. This
affords a probable origin for our nrst
colored cases. On November 18th another
colored man was found with smallpox IN
a Market street resort. This, which was
our sixth case since June. is the first
which originated from a prior Wheeling
case, and that by fault of no one, as
the prior case was totally unknown until
fully a week of the disease had passed.
On November Both a colored man came
to the city from Baltimore with an erup-
ton seven days old. This case could not
nave originated here. as the patient had
not been in the city for nearly a month.
On December 10th three cases appeared,
on the 11th four, and on the 18th two, all
eolered, and all attached to, or frequent
Prs of, a Market Square place conducted
by a colored man. 1t seems almost GER
tain that all of these cases had a common
origin. and that this origin was a newly
imported infection. One of this group. a,
two days after the eruption appeared on
his face. Another 1 found at large on
Market Square, two others on Twelfth
street, and a fourth came to DIR. Still
yards office. But two of this group of
nine had consulted a physician, and six
had been at large for from one 10 four
lays after the eruption appeared. Dur
ing this time hundreds of our people had
doubtless encountered one or another of
these men. what the harvest Will be,
time can only tell.
On December 10Th a case was reported,
the patient a white man. L found the
eruption dated back twelve days, and
the patient was practically well. This case
commenced at about the same time as
the group of colored cases, and the pa
tent confessed that he had visited a GER
tain Market Square resort a few weekes
before l say him. No other origin is
known, unless this man came in contact
with our first walking case.
The only case of later origin, and the
only new case within ten days, was
reported on December 21st. the patient a
highly respected white man. This is the
fifteenth case since November I'd. and |
fear that it is the first of a new crop
from seed sown by some of the walking
cases.
Every patient has been promptly re-
moved to the hospital as soon as known
to me, and the most rigid measure of dis
Infection and cleaning enforced, under the
direction of trained assistants.
Four of the cases here reported were
mild in type, a number requiring no med
icine. The present indications are that all
will recover.
1 present this brief report to show
the extreme difficulty of controlling
in many cases so mild that the pa
tients may freely minSle with the
people ON the streets and in crowded
resorts.
L cannot close without again i'm
pressing, with renewed emphasis,