The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1901-02-21
Small POX situation.

keep smallpox out of Logan, il
was fought by our board of health
in the past two months. On Jan,
2nd last, the body of JChn Judy
was brought from Ft. Wayne, Ind.
to the home of his parents living
two miles north of Logan, and his
funeral was had from the Catholic
church here, with a large congre.
cation attending the funeral, and
no one dreaming of danger from
contagion as the body was shipped
here under a certificate of death
of pneumonia. The clothes
of the young man were shipped
home, and opened by the young
men brothers, Ed. and Tom Judy
Some of the clothes were probably
worn by the boys, for in less than
ten days Ed. took down with sick
ness that some physicians pro-
nounced measles and others were a
little suspicious of something more
serious. The boy died in few
days, and the board of health got
wind of the suspicious and ordered
his body buried at once and in the
night season. In week or so,
Tom Judy broke out with SINH
lar disease, and DR.. Rannels was
called and pronounced it smallpox
of the worst type. There was yet
some doubt in the minds of many
and DIR. Rannels sent for State
Physician, DIR. Probst, who came
here, and after examining the case
pronounced it smallpox of the
most malignant form. A quaran-
tine was thrown around the neigh
borhood, and general order for
vaccination was issued including
all children and teachers in schools.
DR.. Rannels attended the case and
he deserves much public gratitude
for his heroism in the matter.
Of course other physicians might
have done as well, and fought the
battle with more zeal than DR..
Rannells. He shaved off his hair
and mustache, made daily visits
to the patient, protecting himself
with rubber gloves and hood, and
on returning repaired to the gar
ret, fumigated his clothing, dis
infected his body, and was sub
ject to the desertion of his entire
practice, and being avoided AID
Stunned upon the streets. Never
the-less he stuck to his trust, a
public trust of no small p"opor-
tions, and when the boy died on
Thursday night of last week, it
was DIR. Rannells who was routed
out in the middle of the night and
by himself drove with wagon and
coffin to the house, did the work
of an undertaken, and with the
assistance of a nurse rushed the
corpse through our streets to the
cemetery and lowered the unfor-
tunate boy into his last resting
place, while the town slept all un-
conscious of the heroic efforts of
one of our citizens to preserve us
from danger. Back to the house
of the parents he goes and burns
the awful clothing and fumigates
the house and surrounding build
ings, and must needs, in the mean
time act as the mediator to con-
sole the breaking hearts of aged
parents, task in itself IF no small
proportion.
Picture the self sacrifice of the
doctor, the danger he is in, coming
in contact with the deadly malady,
remember his sore arm from strong
vaccination, his smarting BODY
from the use of acid disinfectants,
and you ask, "What is it all for?''
1t is for the safety of the com
munity, it is to throw out the life
line, that no more aged parents
shall hear the rattle of speeding
wheels bearing to the cold sepul-
cher, third promising son from
happy home. We have done. All
hail to DR.. Rannels. This is not
gush. There is not
in Logan who would not
have done the same, but DIR.
Rannels did it, and the community
owes him an everlasting gratitude.
We are safe, the malady is stamp
ed out, and the period of conta-
gion is past. No smallpox in Lo-
gan all is well, and behind it all
thanks be to a merciful God, who
ruleth all things.