The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-02-28
pz ylNDE ANSWERS DR cAETTEEE,
PARTICULARS Of ,ns Smallpox IN king George.

cate smallpox from this county Ihf
State Board oi Health. Dr Newton. the
visiting EXPERT. the acting members OF
The county Board of Health Dr Minor
AMI myself have an fallen under thi-
august Gentleman pOnderuu- condemna-
fiou. Some wears ago formed "a r-olu-
tion ro endeavor to avoid newspaper
controversies for. a. q general rub. ! con
-ber them Improbable and undignifed.
but teing The physician in charge OF the
smallpox epidemic and the statement
mnie hy DR. taruther- being so exqui--
itely curious aud very extraordinary. in
Justice ro myself a- wellI A. the gentle
men who have been working with me-.
must take some note of his letter
First be- asks why this eruPtivedi-ea~e
Is confined -oblv % The colored raee3
The reason j. Perfectly plain. The ii--
ra-e had r0 have a starting point. which
happened Co. he among the rolorpd race
In their mingIing together they have
transmitted ir from one to the other.
since 10 has been located and accurately
diagnosed the precautions taken. warn
ing given by the Health BOari have -O
Jar kept IL from spreading to the whites.
but unless every preautiOn l. still
carried out the white race can and viii
surely fall victims DR. Caruthers terms
IL an -eruptive disease. lwould ike 20
ask T. there any eruptive disease found
in the Uuited States that T. solely con
hne,l % rhe cOlored race3 l. IL not just
A. reasonable to presume that smallpox
might for a short time be conhned 10 the
coIorpi race A. Dr. Caruther- -o-called
-eruptiye disease
since have bad charge of the disease
have treated cases ot all types. from
the conhuent 20 the mildest variOlOd.
Twelve cases have BEEN discharged thrpe
houses fumigated and disiniscted two
houses still IN quarantine in which there
have been and now exist twelve ca-es.
hundred. 0f children and adults vacci-
mattel. Nothing ha- heen left uudOne
that possibly rould he done t0 stamp out
the disease And srill Dr. Caruthers
writes To the star his most remarkable
statement that nothing has been done.
leave il to the public % pass on this.
Dr. Caruthers also says that every
thing ha- been done 70 spread the disease.
am sorry to admit thatanumber oi0ur
intelligent citizens having taken this un-
reasonable and persistent stand that the
disease was not smallpox have indirectly
done all that they could 10 help spread
the disease. They have made the work
oi the Health Board many times harder.
am most happy 10 say that the major
ity Of our citizens have appreciated what
has been done and are helping all that
they can 10 stamp out the disease.
From the way a certain white gentle
man in this county seems 70 be shying
from Dr. Caruthers' sO-callei "eruptive
disease. it appears TO me that there must
BE- in somt very remote corner Of his
mind a slight suspicion that 'tis barely
possible for a white man to contract this
alleged smallpox"
In his letter Dr. Caruthers says If II l.
smallpox nothing has been done 70 stamp
it out The facts about the -mallpoxepi-
demic are a. follows;
On January Is, 1901, located what
| diagnosed 10 be a ease Of smallpox.
In pursuance Of the law, Acts Of Assem-
bly,. 1sg9-19OO, page 1913. I at once
notified Mr.. Allen Smith. Chairman ofthe
County Board Of Health; Dr. Caruthers
and DR.. Minor. each duly appointed
members Of the County Board OF Health.
were at once notified and asked To meet
me on January Is az the home Of the
patient and examine the ease and give
their professional opinion astO what they
believed the disease was. Or. Minor and
Mr.. smith were both on hand. DR.. Ca
ruthers declined 20 be present After a
careful examination Dr. Minor confirmed
nv diagnosis. \ joint meeting OF the
Health Board and Supervisors was at
once called 10 meet on Junuary 9TH, the
next dav. 10 take action and provide
means 10 prevent the spread Of the dis
ease. At this meeting the Board was ap-
urised Of the fact that the patient.
George Clarke. had more than probably
contracted the disease from Jonas Camp
bell AT q eoIored social gathering Deem
Der 81. 1900. and that there had been
parties there from all over the county.
In view Of this information. and not
knowing where the disease might crop
ont IL was deemed best to order eOmpul-
sorv vaccination all over the county
On January 26. 1901. the board held a
second meeting. It appeared that the
disease had not spread. and a period Ol
u days having elapsed since the eolOred
gathering. the Board saw fit to rescind
the order for general compulsory vaeci
nation. except in the infected district and
for an school children. At this meeting
the Board learned that there was sen
timent being most industriOusly worked
ND al over the county by parties who
had never seen the disease and were afraid
to see il. to prove that Dr. Minor and
mvseH were entirely mistaken in OuT
diagnosis. While neither Dr.. NinoI
nor myself had any doubt in the word
of our diagnosis. we most heartily en-
dorsed a suggestion to ask the stat'
Board to send smallpox expert to pas
on the disease DR.. Meeiuire Newton
| Of Richmond. Va, was sent and confirm
ed the diagnosis Notwithstanding al
this the Iong-range diagnostieists stil