Amador ledger., 1902-02-14
DOCTORS At VARIANCE.
As to the Character of a
Disease in Sutter Greek.
1t is Pronounced Smallpox by Some.
The State Board of Health Called
Upon to Decide.

Sutter Greek has been shaken up and
greatly agitated for several days
touching the character of an eruptive
disease which has been epidemic in that
town for several weeks. The mildness
of the disease has been the means OF
allaying apprehension. Children have
been running around and attending
school with their faces covered with
blotches. The result is that the
disease-which, whether smallpox or
not, is certainly of highly contagious
nature-bas had free field in which
to spread. 1t is estimated that at least
25 cases exist in our sister town. 1t
has obtained headway in exactly the
same way as the outbreak in Jackson
about two years ago. The symptoms
had certain well-defined characteristics
of smallpox, but then again those
afflicted felt little the worse for the
disease, attending school and joining in
play as usual, so that the people were
naturally loath to believe that the
much dreaded smallpox had taken
quarters III their midst. The local
physicians, who we're attending the
patients, were opposed to that opinion.
District Attorney Vicini was in Sut-
ter Creek Tuesday afternoon, and the
prevalence of the malady was brought
to his attention. BY this time several
adults were suffering from the COM
plant, including Mrs. Morris, who sue
ceeded TO Mrs. Mails business, and
Mrs. Williams. The district attorney
thereupon called upon DR.. Lewis, who
was the attending physician in most of
the cases, and told him of the reports
that were afoat. 1t was then decided
to send for DR.. Gall of jackson, who
had much experience in such cases dur
ing the outbreak here. He went over
to Sutter Creek, and upon visiting one
of the cases, unhesitatingly pronounced
it smallpoX-the same that prevailed
at the county seat two years ago. Still
the local doctors would not accept this
verdict, DR.. Goodman strongly pro-
testing against such diagnosis.
DR.. E. E. Endicott, who was health
officer when the county seat was visited,
was summoned, and he said it was
smallpox.
The judgment of two physicians who
had passed through the ordeal at the
county seat, ought to have settled the
question, but it did not.
Finally the district attorney decided
to appeal to the state authorities. He
called up W. 2. Matthews, secretary of
the state board of health, and request
ed that a medical officer of the state be
sent to Sutter Creek to determine the
nature of the outbreak He was ex-
pected to arrive in Sutter Creek last
night. His verdict will be taken as de-
cisive. In the meantime, no rigid
quarantine was established. The pre-
caution was taken to prevent those suf-
fering from the eruption from attend
ing school; Mrs. Morris business was
closed temporarily, but no guards were
appointed to watch the infected places.
The laundry wagons from Sutter
Creek visit the neighboring towns de-
livering and gathering up clothing the
same as usual.
The prevailing opinion of those who
have had experience in such cases, is
that mild type of smallpoX-such as
has appeared more or less in almost
ter Creek. Nearly all the cases are
simple and comparatively harmless
types of varioloid. Two cases of con-
fluent smallpox are said to exist. There
is no need to be alarmed, however.
With ordinary precautions, the cpl
demic will soon disappear, as it has in
every place as soon as protective
measures have been taken. The cir
cumstances do not call for any harsh b
or severe restrictive methods against
the afflicted town. We have been in
the same predicament not so long ago,
and while it is wise to take all reason
able precautions TO guard against ex-
posure, still there is not the slightest
necessity for the interruption of every
day business relations with Sutter
Creek.
DR.. Hanna, of Sacramento, repre-
sentative of the state board of heath,
arrived in Suffer Creek last night, and
pronounced the disease smallpox. This
is decisive of the whole matter. An
effective quarantine has been estab-
lished, and everything done to confine
the contagion within it's present limits.
The fling at the Jackson doctors con-
tanned in the Amador Record is very
untimely and uncalled-for The county
seat physicians have learned to know
smallpox when they see it. Sutter
Creek medicos will probably know it
hereafter.
Big Landslide.