The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-16
SMALLPOX A CRIME
Secretary Bracken Inclines to That
View of the Malady.
CARE WOULD CHECK IT'S SPREAD
The State Sanitary Conference Dfa-
cusses Contagion-NatiOn
Health Dept Favored.


pox now,'' declared DR.. H. M. Bracken,
secretary of the state board Of health, to
the physicians and veterinarians OF Min
nesota. assembled in sanitary conference
in the archaeological laboratory at the
state university yesterday.
DR.. Bracken asserted that the small
pox prevalent in Minnesota was Of very
mild form, and that the methods OF treat
ing it, by the isolation of patients and
the vaccination of persons exposed, was
most efficacious. The spread Of the in
lection, he said. was due to the disregard
of the rules prescribed by the medical
men Of. the health board, and he urged
more stringency in the enforcement of
the regulations.
The subjects considered at this morn
ing's session were diphtheria, rabies and
smallpox. The conference held brief
business session and passed resolutions
recommending the establishment Of a ma
tional' department of health, with SUI
pervisor to have place in the presidents
cabinet. The conference adjourned at /
clock and took luncheon at the Com
mercial club An afternoon session was
held in the rooms If the Hennepin coun-
ty Medical society, in the Andrus build
ing, beginning at o'clock.
Where Smallpox Came From.
DR.. Bracken. in his address on smallpox
in Minnesota, said the disease was not in
troduced into the United States from the
Philippines, as has been generally re-
ported, but was brought into the states
from Cuba, probably by Cuban refugees,
before the war, the first case. appearing
in 1895. The infection spread throughout
the south and west, and was introduced
into Minnesota three years ago by three
separate sources. The first was from Ne
81 fhn uSo Int md
was brought there over the Great North
ern from Washington, and the third came
direct from Texas. In 1899 there were
259 cases in Minnesota and II deaths. In
the following year the total number Of
cases was 1871, and the number of deaths
o. In 1901 there were 8,485 cases and 43
deaths. The disease, said DR.. Bracken, is
not confined to Minnesota, but is very
general, every state in the union being
affected. The success in handling it, he
said, had been marked, notwithstanding
the fact that there had been a reat deal
Of opposition to the methods followed
That vaccination will prevent smallpox is
undisputed, said the doctor. 1t should be
remembered, said the speaker, that vacci-
nation is as much or more for the benefit
of the community than for the benefit Of
him who is vaccinated.
Diphtheria Discussed.
Diphtheria was discussed at great
length by the conference. The principal
address on the subject was made by DR..
j. H. Adair, of Owatcrna. DR.. Adair
spoke Of the clinics of the disease, and it's
treatment. He gave history of its ex-
istence, referred in some detail to the use
of the diphtheria antitoxin and discussed
! the after effects of the disease. The anti
! toxin, DR.. Adair said, was the greatest
discovery OF its time in the treatment Of
.J-l1 n, l. -
probability Of death In diphtheria cases
where it was used early, but 1t had pre-
vented serious. lasting results. The
speaker said that the disappearance of the
| membrane from the throat and nose does
| not mean total recovery of the patient.
| The baccili, he explained, remain some
| times for weeks, and the patient is just
| as liable to spread the infection as when
all the clinical manifestations Of its
! presence are discernable. Not only is
| there danger of spreading the disease, but
! the patient is in great danger of serious
complications. Paralysis Of the heart is
one OF the principal after effects Of diph-
iberia, and violent exercise on the part OF
convalescent patient may result fatally.
| DR.. Adair therefore urged the strict main
tenance Of quarantine until all bacilli
were removed.
| The address of DR.. Adair was followed
! by a general discussion of the subject,
| Dr.. H. P. Hall, of Minneapolis, DR..
! Bracken, of the state board of health, Dr..
| Nippert and DR.. Head, of Minneapolis, DR..
Adams Of Rochester, and others speaking.
! DR.. Adams urged the necessity of every
| physicians being able to take care of his
own cultures, so that in case of delay in
| communicating with the laboratory of the
| state or city board, he could proceed with
certainty IN using anti-toxine, and in es-
tablishing quarantine. Dr.. George NJ.
! Head, of Minneapolis, urged the use of pure
anti-toxine in the cases Of all
diphtheria.
| determination of Rabies.
| A strict law providing for the licensing
| Of all dogs, for the muzzling of those per-
mitted on the streets and for the killing
| of all ''strays," is the solution to the
! problem of the total determination Of
rabies, says DR.. A. Sweeney Of St. Paul.
| DR.. Sweeney said that in 1900 there were
| 23O deaths from rabies in the United
! States, Professor Westbrook Of the uni
| versity reported that in Minnesota a total
| Of fifty cases had been determined by
+! archaeological experiments. Sentiment
| he declared, had great deal to do with
opposition to bills providing for the muz-
| zling of dogs But the ravages of the
disease, DR.. Sweeney said, were increasing
and something should be done. The dogs
| that are not licensed and muzzled, he said
should be killed He was OF the opinion
that this would mean the removal Of 81
per cent Of the dogs.
Professor Wesbrook suggested that II
| would be wise to make the tax high, thus
increasing the percentage of "ownerless'
dogs, which could then ne killed off.
| Health Commissioner Hall said thai
Minneapolis had had several cases Of ra.
bies during the past year, and that he
had attempted to have introduced into the
council bill providing that all dos be
licensed and muzzled, at least until the
epidemic subsidized. The movement, how
ever, met with very great opposition, ant
was unsuccessful.
Welcome From the Governor.
Governor Van SAINT formally welcomed
1 those in attendance upon the conference
at the meeting held at the state capito
last night. He congrat ulated them upol
their determination to organize societ.
which, he said, could not fail to be of tn,
utmost practical benefit to the state
President staples of the st. Paul board o
health who was to have read paper Of
estate Preventive Medicine; Its Progress
and Influence was not present and thu
paper was read by Secretary Bracken
A paper on tuberculosis was presentet
by DR.. c. L. Greene.
II AAANuiAllcrc, clApl nVcnc