Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-11-29
cARELEss ABOUT SMALLPOX.

CARELEss ABOUT SMALLPOX.
A Physicsan Sounds . Note Of Warning
to People About Being 1ndihsrsnt.
"If the people would take the usual
careful precaution CT isolation, disin-
lection and vaccination there is no ex-
cuse for the spread Of smallpox" said
DR.. r. e. Commit, q member of the
state board of health and formerly its
president, to a Sioux City Journal re-.
porter. "But I tell you il people will
not recognize the seriousness of this
epidemic, and observe these precau-
tions, trouble will follow"
DIR. Commit "a asked for an inter
view on the smallpox situation. He
was somewhat reluctant to talk be-
cause, he said, it seemed to do little
good Ito give such warnings, and he
Lad expressed himself strongly on the
subject before.
"The popular idea is that this is a
very light form of the disease that we
are having" said DIR. Commit. "Even
were this true in this city, that is no
reason for believing that there may
not be serious and oven fatal cases,
but the fact is there have been some
severe cases right here. What can be
done by the disease when it gets a
good start and is not properly cared
for is illustrated dowA at the lama In
dian reservation. I have just received
a report from there which states that
there have been sixty five cases of the
disease and thirty five deaths. There
is no hospital on the reservation, and
no quarantine has been placed against
the Indians. The Indians decline to
be vaccinated land refuse all medical
assistance. A very similar state of
affairs has obtained at the Omaha and
Winnebago reservations. This shows
that the disease is not necessarily mild.
"This is not a simple affair. If the
disease is not looked after carefully
and given proper treatment the result 8
to the people will be serious. I do
hope the utmost care will be exercised.
"The weather here has been very
favorable, but when it settles down to
real winter weather, and people are
shut in their houses without the usual
ventilation, then an increase in the
number of cases may be expected.
II tell you, il people do not look at
this matter in a serious light this
disease will get beyond control in
Sioux City, and a number of deaths
will result" said DR.. j. G. McMahan.
II went through an epidemic of the di-
sease in Minnesota a number of years
ago, and I never saw more cases of the
genuine smallpox than some 1 have at
tended here. People ought to be more
CAREFUL"
The lightness of the greater number
of cases is what makes people careless.
They may have the disease for three
or four days and not realize what it is,
meantime going about their usual
business or going to school, as the case
may be, and spreading the disease
wherever they go. A number of in
stances of this have been reported.
Again a number of people have walked
down to physicians Offices or have rid
den on the street cars to them, to find
what the trouble was, thus spreading
the germs along the way.
The health authorities have had
some trouble in enforcing the quaran.
tine regulations after the cards have
been put up. Those under quarantine
chafe under the restraints. They think
they are we'll enough to be released
and sometimes they get out before
they should. This has caused the doc
tors and health officers much trouble.
Six cases were found the other day
in the house at 612 Pierce street. When
the quarantine was established ayoung
woman who is an invalid, and who was
rooming there while taking treatment,
was removed to another house. This,
however much %precaution may have
been taken, was in violation of the
quarantine. The young m had
been exposed and should have been
isolated until the danger of the disease
, breaking out in her case had passed.
This is given as an instance of the dis
regard of the rules of the board OF
health, against which the doctors give
Neutrality-suspicious. City Journal.
CuI-RCu