The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-22
SMALLPOX In 4 Mild FORM
A Number of Cases But No Deaths
Here in the Last Year.

The Report Concerning the Isolation
of Persons Suffering With other
Diseases as Infected With yarioIa
Denied at the Health Department..
While smallpox has prevailed in Wash
ington during the last year, an en-
couraging fact in connection with the
presence Of such cases as have come I'M
der the care of the Health Department
in that time is thai not a single death
has been reported. There has, notwith-
standing this record, been some criticism
of the action of the Health Department in
its effort to stamp out the disease, di-
rected chiefly toward the methods of $50
lating it It has been charged that the
department has sent to the detention hos
pital, and even to the hospital, suspected
cases of smallpox, which, in the opinion
of physicians not connected with the city
government, was not smallpox at all.
Officials at the District Building deny
this, however. and in their denial, they
are supported by many reputable physi-
clans, among them several dermatoIogists
who have made the study Of smallpox
specially.
In its spirit of extreme precaution, the
Board of Health appears to have the ap-
provaI of the majority of the medical men
Of the city, though some physicians, es-
pecially those in the southwestern and
southeastern portions of the city, where
the majority of the recent cases have
developed. have entered protests against
their patients, suffering as they claim
from chicBenpox, being taken away from
them and sent to the detention camp.
The statistics of the smallpox cases,
since the beginning Of the fiscal year, are
interesting. There were, since last July
only sixty-six cases Of smallpox in the
District of Columbia, and of these about
half a dozen were brought in. either by
boat from Norfolk and the vicinity, or by
rail from the counties of Maryland. Not
only did none Of the cases prove fatal,
but they were all of d mild form The
entire epidemic could be traced almost
directly to three cases.
Of the people affected sixty were ne
groes and six white. Most of the cases
had so far developed that they were
taken directly to the hospital for conta-
gious diseases Five cases developed in
the detention camp, to which they had
been taken because it was thought they
had contracted the disease.
The Board OF Health manages the small
pox patients differently from those affiict-
ed with all other contagious diseases. and
employs special inspectors. special doctors,
ana special nurses VINO nave only their
particular work to attend to. The physi-
clans and inspectors have been in 1t for
many years, and are supposed to be en-
tirely familiar with the disease In all its
phases. The head physician has made
smallpox his life study, being recognized
now as leading authority upon the sub
ject-
Though the department has its own in
spectors the reports Of cases are usually
obtained through the attendant physi-
clans, who are only too glad to turn oyer
cases to the city Upon hearing Of
case, the head of the department imn7e-
diateIy sends Ou- inspectors TO make an
investigation. II they. report that the dis
ease is nor VariOla or smallpox, then, after
having kept the patient under surveillance
for some time. he Is allowed his liberty
The period OF incubation of the disease Is
sixteen days. and that Is usually the Pc
Rod of detention of suspects II the il
spectors decide that the patient may be
suffering from vari0la, then the patient IS
removed as quickly as possible 10 the de-
tention hospital, until It Is established
whether or not ne has the disease II he
has ne is then taken to the pestEouse.
All persons who have been near hiTl, or IN
contact with him, are gathered into quar-
antiue, in their own houses, If they desire
it. Watcnmen are stationed at the front
and back doors Of the premises, and guard
is kept all the time As an alternative Of
this quarantine at the house, which lasts
at least sixteen days there Is offered a
sojourn OF Ike period at the detention
camp.
The detention camp consists of seven
little houses in the southeast portion Of
the city. comfortably furnished which
are continually watched and kept isolated
from the public. These houses are sur
rounded by a fine yard, where the detaIn-
ed patients are allowed to exercise and
amuse themselves Each FAMILY OF sus-
poets is put into a separate house and
their meals are furnished them by the
city from a common kitchen Physicians
attend them. and the temperature and
are taken note Of every day. The mo-
ment anyone shows the slightest sign OF
being i'll he Is whiSked away from the
other suspects, put in a house all by him
self, and allowed to see no one If while
there he develops the disease. he is sent
to the peSIhOuSe- The period Of deten-
ton of the other suspects IS not neces-
Sdr1iy increased by reason OF TINS now
ever. If one of the number QuaTant1ned
in a private dwelling is stricken, the re
mainder must be held until a period OF
sixteen days from the inception OF the
disease has elapsed.
A prominent physician said yesterday:
1t is much better that q man VINO mas
had a bad case of chiCkeADoX should be
sent to the pesthOUse. and even die there,
than that tie entire community should be
exposed 10 smallpox / remember very
distinctly the great epidemic Of a score OF
years ago The child OF a clerk IN the
Interior Department died, supposedly OF
chickenpoX. and public funeral was
held in the house where the child had
X
was smallpox. and an immense number of
people were taken down with 1t That
experience was a lesson in caution
In spea king of the smallpox situation,
DIT. w c. Woodward, the Health Officer,
Yesterday said The disease as it exists
at present is of an exceedingly mild type
and might be called VaTiOiOid- 1t IS very
different from the violent variola of thlr-
" years ago. which caused thousands OF
deaths Because the disease IS so mild
some people have the impression that we
are sending to the pesth0use for small
pox cases of chickenpoX- That IS not true
The symptoms of the disease are very
definite and there are many things
which mark them instantly TO the expert
and distinguish smallpox from chicken
pOx or other eTuptive disease, even when
smallpox is In the mildest form. In small
pox for example. the rash breaks out all
at once. and its appearance is followed
by a period of relief the rash breaks out
gradually in chickenpoX. and there Is no
let up in the Illness I could give long
list of such distinctions. If we had made
any mistakes and sent people to the pest
house who We're suffering from diseases
other than smallpox, the patients would
after being In contact with the smallpox
patientS. develop smallpox as new dis
ease. This has not happened IN single
case