The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-13

I
coming to the city TO sell their garden
| truck: that they circulated through the
| streets of this city in smallpox clothes;
! That money spent by them was taken
out OF smallpox pockets ana circulated
through the city. I brought this matter
to the attention of the Board of Sanitary
! Commissioners who sent the following
communication TO the chairman OF the
County Commissioners:
Savannah, Ga, May T. l90L-Mr. J. J..
/ Dale. Chairman County Commissioners.
Savannah, Ga. Dear Sir: l have the
honor to submit the following resolutions
passed at a meeting of the Board of San
itary Commissioners held this day:
| Resolved, That from information pre-
scented to this board, by the health Off
Ger, there has been a lack of active and
| intelligent methods in stamping out
smallpox in the county districts; mas
/ much there has been no attempt made
! to ferret out concealed cases, no vaccina-
! ton, no isolation of suspects no disinfec-
ton of infected houses and no prompt re-
moval of patients when reported.
| ITO specify a case in point, smallpox he's
| existed at "Potters Grove Plantation for
some weeks, and persons were seen by
the county physician recovering from the
| disease and one person suffering with the
disease was seen escaping from a house,
and no action resulted on the part of the
county authorities.
We respectfully ask that every precau-
zion be taken in the future, as the prev
alence of smallpox in the county prevents
the suppression of the disease in the city.
Very respectfully, (Signed) Herman Ny
ers. Mayor and Chairman of the Board
of Sanitary Commissioners. (SignedD w.
r Brnnner, Health Officer and Secretary
Of the Board of Sanitary Commissioners.
The answer to above letter was as
follows: Savannah, Ga, May II. 1901
Hon Herman Myers, Mayor and Char
man Board of Sanitary Commissioners.
City. Dear Sir: l am directed to ac-
knowledge receipt Of your communication
of the 7th inst. addressed to Chairman
Dale, and to say that the matter refer
red to was considered at the regular
meeting of the board, held on the 9th
inst. Respectfully, (Signed), Reuben But
Ter, Clerk c. c., c.. You are asked to
note the statements made by the SAM
tary Board to MIR. Dale. The statements
made in this communication have never
been denied nor could they be, as they
were facts. and could not be controvert-
ed. ! am told that on receipt of this
communication by the chairman of the
County Commissioners he poured forth
a torrent of profane abuse against the
health officer, intmating that l was
prompted to make this report because
the county would not pay me one hun
dred dollars per case. Nothing resulted
from this letter, and smallpox continued
to spread through the county as before.
"On Monday. June 3, it was reported
to me that there was smallpox on Burn
side Island; thereupon l gave the infor-
nation to the county physician, at the
same time. asking him to inform me what
action the county would take in the mat
ter. The following day he came 20 my
Office and said he had been unable to
take any action. On Thursday, June
g. | went to Burnside Island and found
thirteen old cases. and one fresh case
of smallpox, and there was evidence to
show that other cases were being hid
den. l again called the attention of
the Mayor to the neglect of care, on the
part of the county authorities; whereupon
a special meeting of the Board of SAM
tary Commissioners was held on Satur-
day, June s, aud on, this occasion the fol-
lowing communication was sent to the
Board of County Commissioners, not 10
the chairman, This letter could not
have REACHED the board before the an
eWer, which appears below, was
sent to the chairman of the
Board of Sanitary Commissioners
Savannah. Ga, June s, 19Ol.-To the
Board of County Commissioners, Chatham
County. Gentlemen: The health officer
has again called our attention to the
presence OF smallpox in the county, which
has prevailed on Burnside Island with
out any attempt, on the part of the coun-
~ authorities to suppress the same.
THE health officer claims that he gave
information to Dr. Chisolm on Monday,
June 3. as to the prevalence of the dis
ease on Burnside Island and finding that
lD action resulted he visited that locality
and found thirteen old cases and one fresh
case. with evidence that other cases ex-
listed.
We respectfully ask that your honora-
BILE body take immediate action and use
intelligent and immediate measures to
eradicate smallpox in the county.
1--WE would ask that you kindly state
in answer to this communication your de-
termination in this matter. as we feel
that a mere acknowledgment of the letter
'-such as was received by this board in
answer to our communication of May T.
in reference to smallpox al Potter's Grove
does not meet the exigencies of this
grave state of facts nor the demands
of courtesy that ought to obtain between
two bodies whose business it is to give
relief to which the public is entitled
Very respectfully,
(Signed) Herman Myers.
Mayor and Chairman b. S. g."
o.
man Myers, Mayor and Chairman of Board
of Sanitary Commissioners. City-Dear
Sir: / am directed to acknowledge receipt
of your favor OF even date, in which you
| state that the health officer has again
! called your attention TO the prevalence of
! smallpox in the county, etc. Our physi-
| clan, DR.. T. b. Chisholm, has authority
! to use whatever intelligent means that
might be necessary to find cases of small
! poX that might exist in the county, and to
1 take immediate measures to have them
cared for when found
DR.. Chisholm stated this morning that
/ he had two men under his supervision in
whom he placed the utmost confidence,
and who would report to him immediate
| ~ any case of smallpox found. Very re-
specttuly (Signed) Reuben Butler.
Clerk c. c. c.
ION Monday June 10. two cases of
smallpox. on the mainland. near Burnside
Island were reported TO me, and /
promptly reported them 10 the county
physician. who, ! believe. took immediate
steps to isolate them on the following
morning a citizen. owning property at
Beauleau, telephoned me that the people
in charge of his place at that point had
been compelled to run a man from his
place suffering with smallpox.
'The situation in the county is as l
have described it, and IL this condition
continues to prevail II will be impossible
for the city to eradicate the disease here
sitppesfed not hing n tho T2Oa ~ 30