Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-12-20
SMALLPOX CONDITIONS !?
A Truthful Statement of
Condition of Affairs.

Here Is the true situation in Snow
Hill. 1t is vouched for by the physician
in charge aud Mayor Corddry. We are
very sorry that so many false reports
have been circulated, as the truth is
bad enough, but we are pleased to an
nounce again that our people are not at
all frightened and are satisfied that the
worst is over
Five Houses Infected.
Five cases in Pest House.
No deaths.
No serious illness.
Fourteen colored people
confined in pest house because
they had associated with per-
sons who had the disease.
Henry Powell, colored man. who
had been working in Wilmington,
brought the small pox to Snow Hill.
From him all the cases have been traced.
The first to take it from him was Henry
Blake another colored man. aud John
Hargis, col No cases have been traced
from Hargis and those who came in
contact with him have been confined in
the pest house, the same has been done
in the case of Blake and his family aud
those who associated with them. 1t was
from the Blakes that child of Mrs.
Charles Williams got it. and so on. Each
case has been traced back to Henry
Powell as the originator. He and Blake
are both well of the disease and as all
suspects are under strict quarantine
we have confidence that the disease will
not spread. DIR. Reeser now feels con-
fident that he has il we'll in hand.
There has been no deaths and very little
sickness
In some of our neighboring towns the
people are no doubt congratulating
themselves that they have no cases of
smallpox, and we congratulate them on
the fact, but now is the very time they
should guard against an epidemic,
which may come to them at any time
The way to prevent the disease which
exists i'll Wilmington, Chester and
Philadelphia spreading down the Pen
insula, is compulsory vaccination. Dr.
Reeser in charge of the smallpox cases
here says he has not found a single case
here where the patient had been vacci
mated.
DIR. WEIGH of the Municipal Hospital
Philadelphia. with whom Dr. Reeser
has been, associated. says: "All those
employed in the smallpox pavilion, ex-
cept two or three who had the disease
at an early period of life. owe their i'm.
munity to vaccination. Previously to
assigning them to duty each person is
vaccinated, even though the vaccination
of infancy and subsequent re.vaccina-
ton may show evidence of having been
successful. With this care l have
never seen a resident physician or nurse
take smallpox. l do not hesitate to say
that after recent successful vaccina-
ton an individual can dwell in an ut.
virulent various poison, and live and
breathe and eat there in safety.
In every epidemic of smallpox that has
past 80 years, instances have been OBJ
served of whole families being removed
to the hospital because of AN outbreak
of the disease in their families. In
such instances the unvaccinated children
II Off Il.
those who were vaccinated remained
perfectly exempt. although living. eat
ing and sleeping in the infected atmos-
phere for several weeks. l have more
than once seen vacclnated infant take
its daily support and nourishment from
the breast of its mother who was suffer.
ing from varioloid, and the infa mt con-
tinue as free from smallpox as if the
disease were hundred miles away"
Don't depend on old vaccinations.
but have il done every few years. it is
in this way that the attendants in small.
pox hospitals are safe guarded.
We believe that the proper Authori-
ties of Worcester County should order
everybody to be vaccinated and see to it
that the order is complied with i'll every
case. We have attended to 1t with our
selves and our employees rs well AS our
family aud we think all persons should
do the same without being compelled to
do 1t
The Baltimore imcrjcdn publishes
the following item on the efficacy of
vaccination in Porto Rico which every
one should read:
Major Ames, who had charge of the
epidemic of small pox in the island of
Porto Rico. gives in his report Il most
remarkable illustration of the efficacy
of vaccination. The disease had been
allowed to run until in February there
were 5000 new cases and heroic meas
ures were adopted. Almost the entire
island was vaccnate !-S60, 900 out of
900. 900 inhabitauts-andb by July LIST the
disease had disappeared. Since that
time the deaths from smallpox have
been two in each year Instead of 62i,
the average for the years preceding this
wholesale vaccination.
Statistics quite as striking have been
given before showing the efficacy of
vaccination. but they have made no i'm.
preston on the Observation-Disclosures,
nor will these. They would not believe
if IA man arose from the dead. The
strangest thing about this singular in.
fatuation is that it generally seizes upon
intelligent and educated people. They
are sincere and earnest in their belief,
more so than people generally are about
ordinary matters. They will pay fines
or even go TO prison to uphold theory,
and yhauavpr "A case Occurs i'm (which