The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-08-23
Guarding Against SMALLPOX.
DR.. Fulton, the Secretary of the State
Board of HEALTH has sent us the following

oS"eS
Board of Health, has sent us the following:
BALTIMORE, August 10Th, 1901.
To THE LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH:-
For the past three years Maryland has
been constantly threatened with serious
invasion of smallpox. In that time II
out of the % counties of Maryland have
been invaded by smallpox. There have
been Al outbreaks, and in 80 instances the
disease was confined to the house in which
it was first discovered. The exact num-
Der of cases which occurred in these Al
outbreaks is not known, but it is known
that the eleven instances in which the dis
ease was permitted to spread beyond the
house first infected gave rise to more than
three fourths the total number. In Balti-
more City during the same period the dis
ease has in no instance spread beyond the
house first infected
During the three years there have been
in the counties over four times as many
cases of small pox as in the City of Bal
timorc. One county had seventy odd
cases of smallpox in one year against
Baltimore's 4S cases in three years. 1t
cannot be said that the State as whole
has done very badly. A few of the coun-
ty outbreaks have been as well handled
as those in Baltimore City. If We should
compare our records with those of neigh
boring states we might plume ourselves
on the results of our efforts, but the State
has not done as well as is easily possible,
nor as we'll as public safety and business
interests demand.
The approaching winter promises a
wider prevalence of smallpox in the
United States than the country has ex-
| perienced in thirty years. All the signs
point that way, and it is therefore i'm
portant for all the local boards of health
to consider the prospect, make sure of
their defenses and prepare in advance a
definite plan of action. After invasion
occurs it is not easy to get land for an
1 isolation house, nor to make reasonable
contracts for medical attendance, nursing
and supplies Among the local health
| officers there may be some who have ac
cepted office believing that during their
terms no smallpox would appear. The
contract with local officers does not in
clude medical attendance on cases OF
! small poX, and no local board of health
can expct its officers to render such ser
vice unless he is fairly paid. The loca
boards of health have a right however tt
expect their medical officers to investi
gate outbreaks of smallpox, and this viii
include the visiting OF infectious case:
| whenever the matter of diagnosis is in
question. There will be no room in
| Maryland this winter for a local officer
who is unwilling to see case of small
pox. The local boards should come to ;
definite understanding with their execu
tive officers on these points. Vaccine
physicians should be instructed to yisi
the schools on the opening day and vac
cnate all who need it. The school boards
should be advised that there is urgen
need of rigid enforcement of the vaccina
ton law SO far as it relates to schOo
children.
To take counsel upon this subject at thu
present time is but ordinary prudence
To postpone consideration until small-po!
appears may mean that you will TAX
counsel of foolish, unreasonable alarm.
Yours very truly,
| JOHN S. FULTON, Secretary.