Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-11
FIGURES ON PEST
Seventy-FiVe Per Cent Of the
Smallpox in the Country Is
Near Chicago.
HARDLY ANY OF IT IN THAT CITY
National Reports Are Very Defective
and Do Not Nearly Repre-
sent the Facts.

Chicago, Feb. 11-Three-fourths of
all the reported cases of smallpox in
the United States are in the territory
surrounding and tributary to Chicago,
and in population Of only about one
third the total population of the coun-
try. The data for this statement are
found in the current number Of United
States Public Health Reports. in
tabulation of smallpox in the United
States as reported TO the surgeon gen
eral, L. ). NJ. H.. Dec. %. 1901, 10
Jan. 81, 1902" The total cases so re-
ported foot up Il, ,167, of which number
S,147-or I3 per cent-are in Chicago
territory. During the corresponding
period last year the proportion was al
most exactly reversed-3O per cent. in
Chicago territory and 20 per cent. in
the rest of the country.
Facts Are Worse Than Reported.
The reports from much of the Chi
eagO territory are VIGOROUSLY defec-
tive. For example. the table gives for
the period only six infected points aud
IA cases in Illinois; during the week
reports Of twenty infected points and
64J cases for the period were received.
In Indiana only TWO infected points
and eighteen cases are given in the
table; thirty infection ceuters and Il
corresponding number OF cases are
known; in Michigan only two instead
of 40 infected localities, and thirteen
instead of upward of SEQ cases. Only
one infected locality is given in Mis-
souri, but scores more are known. and
there are i'm the neishborhood of 80
cases in st. Louis alone according 10
Il press dispatch, which gives Health
Commissioner Starkloh as authority.
Iowa state Board of Health
Not 4 single case is reported in Des
MOineS, Ia. and only ninety-five cases
in the whole state; yet the state board
of health has taken radical measures
with the capital city of Iowa, and be
fore adiourning Feb. adopted reSOlu-
tiOns declaring that the pest existed
in nearly every county in the state, and
calling for general vaccination. ON
the other hand. for Wisconsin the
total for the state" is given in the ta-
bic rs 4.3JT, while in same period OF
1907 the grand total for the entire
United States was only two more, or
1853.
Campaign Begun None Too soon.
Obviously. the Chicago health de-
partment began its campaign against
smallpox none too soon. and the wis
dom Of its course in appealing TO the
railway companies as the interest most
directly concerned, from 4 nn3ncl9l
standpoint. and as the most effective
working agency. is already demon
strated. They have taken hold of the
work in Il thoroughly busineSsIike
fashion, and il is not too much to eX-
pect that the epidemic will be prac-
tically under control within the next
three weeks.
Chicago Remarkably Immune.
The wonderful immunity Of Chi
ca"o from the disease still continues
During the week twenty-eight ''SuS-
pect" cases were examined by the
medical inspectors hut only four We're
found TO be genuine cases. OF these.
three came by rail-oue from Mexico,
one from ElkhOrn, Wis. one from Cal
vary. WiS-and one 10y boat from
Milwaukee. None had ever been vac
cinated. No Chicago ease developed
during the week and at midnight of
the Sth there We're eighteen cases all
told in the isolation hospital.