The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-02-14
THE SMALLPOX SITUATION.
What.the Chairman of the State Board
Of Health Says.

The following.is 'from'the Florence
Times Of Tuesday:
DR.. Evans received last night big
package of vaccine points, enough, it
appeared, to vaccinate the whole of
this section Of the country, tut he said
It was only enough for the most press
ing needs Of tie health department.
There have been several new centres
Of infection, the doctor said, but on
the whole, the situation was encourag-
ing. The disease had been stamped
out below Orangeburg, and there'We
few cases only at points in Bamberg,
and in Beaufort counties, in fact there
are now not over IS cases in the State.
There are some new points of infec-
ton in the mill districts of Spartan
burg and in Pickens counties. These
cases came from mill hands in Green
vile, who took fight when the order
for compulsory vaccination was pass
ed. They carried.the infection with
them and have caused new centres to
spring up. The mills in Greenville
were infected by hands that came from
the infected districts inL Georgia, aad
spread the disease here.
Dr.. Evans says that, as yet, only
about one,fourth CT the people in the
State have been vaccinated, and that
he finds it very hard to enforce the
vaccination. Unless this is done the
spread Of the disease cannot be pre-
vented. The compulsory vaccination
Of all laborers on railroads, in mills,
and in the public schools, would soon
stop the plague.
Several days ago he went to Glib
bons, where be found several cases. lie
vaccinsted about hundred Negroes in
the community and'gave the teacher
of the colored school lot Of points.
She was instructed in the use of them,
and promised to vaccinate the children
of the school thoroughly.
The doctor is very,much disappoint-
ed that the bill be had before the gen.
eral assembly have been sidetracked.
He was getting the work Of the health
board in such a good shape, and the
changes asked for would have rounded
up the matter so completely, that South
Carolina would have had the very best
health organization in the nation.
These reforms were opposed for several
reasons, all more or less trivial, but suf-
fcient to prevent the passage Of the
bill. In the senate it seems that the
matter Of the expense of the registration
was the consideration, though it is a
fact that if the bill had passed as was
proposed, the general government would
have borne the expense Of the registra-
ton, as they do in all the States that are
strictly Registration States" This is
borne as part, and the most important
part Of the census department, that Of
vital statistics. 1t is urged by the
friends Of the measure, that there are
no vital statistics now that can serve
as guide toi the health authorities,
and that nothing can be done to i'm
prove the health of the community
until you know what is the matter
with the community in question. When
one takes into consideration the great
loss of the services Of the wealth pro-
ducers Of the world from sickness,
either to themselves or as nurses, one
can see how heavy the balance would
incline to the side Of the health au-
thorlties in the matter Of the reforms
contemplated.
AS it has taken some time to educate
the statesmen of this State up to the
reforms already accomplished, the
friends Of the doctor who has labored
so faithfully in this cause, encourage
him to hope that time will SOON bring
about the desired result, and that he
may rest easy soon, in the happy con.
temptation Of the completed system
that has been his dream for the good
Of humanity, and the extension Of the
brief span Of the years allotted to man
and the full enjoyment Of them.