The evening Republican., 1902-07-24
SMALLPOX
IN CHESTER.

| Wigglesworth Of the Wilmington
Board Of Health has stirred up the
Chester people. Wilmington was
clear of the disease Until the la,
quarantine regulations Of Chester
allowed the people to run at large
The Chester Times last evening
sald
Now that the new Hospital fol
Contagious Diseases is completed
the community must take full ad
vantage Of 1t. 1t is aot a lime for
halfway measures Every case OF
smallpox which develops must be re.
moved to the hospital. 1t is not a
time for fUoliShness or weakened
official action. People must be com
PEELED to 60 to the hospital whether
they want oeo or not, 1t is no hard
ship for anyone-thc care to be
given at the new hospital will be bet
ter than can be given at the average
home, and the rest Of the population
will be protected from contayion.
There must be 70 dalying with the
matter, aud the authorities Of the
city must rise to the emergency and
and tie people mnst support them
There is no occasion for the poo.
pie OF the other leighboring cities
quaran'ining Chester If the local
authorities here will do their full
duty 1t is not now question Of
expense or law or an argument-it is
question Of necessity and admit;
OF no procrastination or fuolishnoss.
If the Board OF Health as at present
constituted does not rise to the situ-
ati2n and do Its full duty, without
fear, favor or delay, the mayor has
right to remove the board and ap-
point new one. The health officer
needs 10 be on the alert at all times
and he should have now the assist
ance of competent physician TO
accompany him on his rounds, to
help enforce the quarantine and to
see that the houses are properly
rumigated after the recovery OF pa.
ticnts or their removal to the hospi-
tai.
This has not been done and is
one Of the chief reasons why the
smallpox has spread. THIS cases were
mild at the beginning and many OF
The patients were not sick enuugh
to be bedridden, and roamcd about
the house at will. Then when it
came time tofumigate the house only
the bedroom was d;sinrected and tue
rest Of the house, full OF contagion,
was allowed to remain as it was
And there is still great careltssn ess
in this respect and there is careless
ness upon the part Of physicians
who leave the smallpox houses and
Immediately goto visitother patients
without changing their clothes.
Our morning contemporary very
wisely insists upon an absolute iso-
lation of smallpox patients and
houses in which there are cases and
calls upon the authorities to adopt
the most stringent measures. There
iS an evident desire upon the part Of
some Of the officials of the Health
Department to screen certain people
who have the disease. 1t is a we'll
known fact that two cases exist in a
house on East Third street, but this
morning the health officer denied
any knowledge Of the existance Of
the disease there. What the idea is
in hiding the facts is more than we
can understand, but 1t is fact that
there is carclcssnesS, lack OF at.
tention and almost Criminll negli.
gencc in the management Of the
matter and somebody should be
stirred up with sharp stick before
irrcparable damage is done to the
city.
Two new cases OF smallpox were
reported to the health officer this
morning. They are Mamie and Car
ric Meeth, daughter Of Officer Lewis
Meeth, who resides at No lit East
Third street. TIE patients are not
considered dangerously Ill.