The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-11
AGATYST SMALLPOX.

During the prevalence of the mild form
of smallpox epidemic which recently pre-
vailed in certain sections of the state, the
G o urged Strongly the policy of sys-
tematic cooperation among local and
state health officials for it's effective
eradication. The suggestion could not very
well be put into operation at the time,
owing to the enforced activity among
such officials in the localities which were
visited by the disease
The movement which is in process of
organization for such cooperation among
the health officials of the contiguous
sections of the three states, Michigan,
Wisconsin and Minnesota, not only carries
out the idea given expression to by the
G e; but it goes a step farther, and
secures such state cooperation as will
most readily and completely get at the
root OF the sanitary evil represented by
the disease.
Next Tuesdays conference of health Of
ficials, to be held at Duluth, ought to be
attended by the medical representative
of every large community and of every
county in the state in which no city ex-
lists. So Of the northern and eastern
tiers of Wisconsin counties and of the
adjacent section of Michigan. The dis
ease of smallpox must be stamped out.
Now is the time to take steps to have
the work done. The people of communi-
ties like Minnea polls, Duluth and Still
water, which are visited at the termina-
ton Of each numbering season by hun
dreds of the men who have spent the pre-
ceding winter in the lumber camps, have
been taxed out of all proportion for the
cost of the precautions thus far taken.
They will continue to have their safety
endangered, and to be obliged to bear a
ton with the precautions necessary
against the spread of the disease unless
they give the most generous and active
cooperation in the new movement.
The warning which has been received
by the people of the three states men
toned, and the cost in money which has
been entailed on them in staying the raw
ages of the disease, have been sufficient
to establish the necessity for heroic
measures. No known or suspected breed
ing place of the disease ought to be al
lowed to exist, whether it be a lumber
camp or an unhealthful city district.
The incident mentioned in yesterdays
G be of the hauling Of merchandise
from an infected lumber camp to West
Superior is merely a SINCE case of the
kind Men and merchandise were stead
lily coming and going from such places
during the past spring. Here in this city
the health officials found themselves on
one occasion called on to give medical at
tention to a young woman expressly sent
to the city by her relatives in the country
for that purpose, and who had reached
the city in a crowded passenger railroad
car
1t may be that the notice given of the
proposed conference at Duluth on the
18th inst. has not been sufficiently long
to secure the attendance of as large
proportion as would otherwise be avail
able of the health officials of the three
states. If this should prove to be the
case, the G o b e sincerely hopes that
the state health authorities of Minnesota
will take the subject up and secure the
full measure of cooperation which is so
essential to securing the people against
the temperance of the disease.