Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-05
SMALLPOX AT DIES MONIES.
City Physician Fears the Disease Viii
Become Epidemic There

4
Des Moines, Nov. Recommending
last evening on the spread OF smallpo,
in the city. DR.. Schiltz. city physician
declared that unless more quarantine
lis observed and enforced, the disease
will develop into an epidemic. Las
| August there were only six cases IN
| the city. At present there are -four
Tor five times that number. Eight cases
were reported Sunday, four of them a,
| 1o1S and 1920 Fourth street. Another
case WAS reported by DR.. Evans. OF
| Valley Junction, in a family whose resi-
dence is only a few rods over the line
lof the city. Two or three cases are
under quarai inc on East Sixteenth
street, while two patients are situated
on Shaw street. Several patients have
been removed to the hospital, but
should the disease continue to develop
for week as 1t has for ten days, the
hospital will be overcrowded and some
other provisions will have TO be made
to care for persons afflicted.
Il do not understand that it is any
part of my duty as city physician" said
DR. SchiltZ last evening, ito visit places
where smallpox is reported. 1t is the
duty of the attending physicians to re-
port TO the board of public health. 1t
then becomes my duty to order quaran-
tine established and direct the health
officers to place placards on the build
ings. If the council had retained my
services ] think could have prevented
the apparent spread of the disease, but,
situated as l am, do net understand
am required to do anything other
th,,, ha nf G
afflicted with the disease and see that
quarantine regulations are strictly en-
forced. The laxity of the health officers
in this respect is attested by their ne
glect to take the precaution to place
placard on the residence of the family
reported by DR.. Evans. notified them
Sunday and told them about the case
and directed them to quarantine the
family. This has not yet been done.
can't follow the health officers about
to see they perform their duties. That
is the duty of the mayor. II the officers
do not perform the duties assigned
them they should be discharged. How
ever, the wife of Officer William
Springer has been quite ill for ten days
and he has been compelled TO remain
at home most of the time. Alex Gra-
ham is devoting his time to scarlet
fever and diphtheria cases. This
leaves officer HOLMAN alone to keep
watch over twenty-tiy or thirty cases
of smallpox. The mayor should rein
force the health department at once.
If he fails and other precautions are
not taken, l fear there will be an epi-
demic of smallpox in the city within
the next thirty days. / most certainly
object to DIR. Smith going about claim
ing he is the city physician. He did
this at the hospital Saturday, not
knowing / was inside at the time. He
told the council the Clark family on
East Sixteenth street did not have
smallpox. Why, the fact is the girl
in Dr. Smiths family caught
the disease from some one at Clark's
grocery, and she is now patient at
the hospital"
lations makes i the duty of every phys
ician to report to the mayor at once
any case of smallpox. scarlet fever or
diphtheria coming under his profession
al observation. Failure to do this is
punishable by fine of from $40 to $25.
In all cases where there is no physi
clan in attendance it is made the duty
of any person having charge of, or be-
ing the head of a family, or having
the care or custody of any boarding
or lodging house TO give notice In like
to the mayor, with like penalty
for neglect to do so.