The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-10
1t Shows that the Kentucky Officials
Have an Exaggerated Idea of
Smallpox Conditions.
GOVERNOR DURBIN INDIGNANT
HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND KENTUCKY
BOARDS CRITICISM.
DIR. Wishard's Letter to DIR. McCOr-
mack, of LOuisvilIe-Quarant
UngraciousIy Suspended.

About the hour last evening that the re-
port of Secretary Hurry, of the State Board
of Health. .on smallpox conditions was
placed in the hands of Governor Durbin his
attention was called to the following dis
patch from Louisville Ky:
The Kentucky State Board of Health,
through DR.. ]. n. Mccormack, secretary,
issued the following to-day:
Whereas. The State Board of Health Of
Indiana, owing to a lack of cooperation
and support from its state administration,
which il is difficult for the Kentucky health
authorities to appreciate, has not realized
all of it's anticipatiOns in regard to the sup
preston of smallpox, but has made and is
still making substantial progress in this
direction. especially in the counties border
ing on the Ohio river, and promises not to
relax it's efforts until the disease is brought
under complete control; therefore, be 1t
Resolved, That the quarantine instituted
by this board against the State of Indiana
is hereby again suspended until July l."
To say that Governor Durbin was sur
prised would be to put it very mildly, as
Dr. wishard, vice president of the Indiana
Board of Health, had sent on Saturday,
June Z, the following letter to DR.. McCor-
mack. secretary of the Kentucky Board of
Health:
LETTER TO DIR. MCCORMACK. :
present to the Kentucky State Board of
Health through you official report as
to the status of smallpox in Indiana at the
present time. For the past week DIR. j. n.
Hurry and DR.. Charles L. Ferguson have
been making a sanitary inspection of the
counties in the southern part of Indiana
They find conditions improving, and in but
two counties have the officials shown Undue
laxity in enforcing the proper regulations
for the control of the disease. These coun-
ties are Spencer and Franklin. DR.. Hurry
has spent a part of two days in Spencer
county and has received positive assurance
from the local officers that they will en-
force the most thorough regulation of
smallpox in Spencer county. DR.. Hurry
has by direction of the Governor and the
Indiana State Board or Health informed the
officials in Spencer county that if condi-
tions arc not entirely satisfactory within
forty-eight hours that the county will be
quarantined. The assurances given him by
the local authorities lead us to believe there
will be little difficulty in controlling the
disease in that locality. Dr. Ferguson is in
Franklin county and yesterday attended a
conference with the County Com missioners
and county health officer and informed
them that there would be quarantine or
dered against their county unless they en-
forced the regulations to control smallpox
at once We have Ong-distance telephone
assurances from the county auditors of
Spencer and Franklin counties to-day that
ties are taking all steps within their power
TO control the disease. From official infor-
nation received from thirty-four counties
during the past few days we find that
whereas in these thirty-four counties in
April there were 5S7 cases of smallpox there
were during May but 270 cases in the coun-
ties referred TO. making a reduction in the
number in the counties referred to of about
80 per cent.
at is the purpose of the Governor and the
Indiana State Board of Health to continue
all efforts now being made until SMALLPOX is
driven out of the State. We trust the fore
going report is sufficiently satisfactory TO
warrant you in annulling the quarantine
order against Indiana, which is now tenn
porarily suspended pending an official re-
port from our board.
SOME OF THE FACTS.
That the public may understand what
Governor Durbin and the State Board of
Health have been doing to stamp out the
smallpox. which is OF so mild a type that
many physicians deny that 1t is smallpox,
few facts are given in the order of their
occurrence:
Tuesday. May q, the Kentucky Board of
Health declared a quarantine against In
diana because smallpox was epidemic in
the state Therefore the Board of Health
sent notice 10 every health officer In the
state Informing them of that fact and urg-
ing them 10 DO all I'm their power TO sup
press the disease. The appeal sets forth
the loss that Will come 10 the State and the
loss ON employment 10 many people IL
there should be a quarantine. The health
officers were informed that local authori-
ties who fail TO assist them in suppressing
the disease will be inundated. This circu-
lar was issued June 2
At the same time Governor Durbin. 10
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