The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-01-12


Commissioners to come to Wilson and see
this pest he said, 81 don't want to see it /;
| know it is smallpox without seeing it,"
1t is quite possible for Or. Lewis
even, to mistake belief for knowledge
That he believes it to be smallpox
have not the slightest doubt. Belief
often comes from the testimony of
others. This is the way juries make up
verdicts. Paul gave another definition
to belief: "The substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen" But / will not push St. Paul's
definition.
When DIR. OHagan told me it was
"confluent smallpox of the most malig-
nant type" l believed him, but when L
saw the patient. and saw smooth
face, and after hearing his description
Of his sickness, l came to the conclu-
sion that DIR. O'Hagan, with all his ex-
perience and all his knowledge might
possibly be mistaken. Since then have
seen much of the disease and studied
it closely Today Thursday / visited a
man who was in my office last Friday
complaining of not feeling well. On
Saturday night he had headache on the
top of his head and Sunday morning
he was beginning to break out. On
Tuesday DR.. Ben. Herring visited him;
found him sitting up reading a news
paper, and pretty we'll peppered on his
face and body. This morning he sent
me word that if l wished to see
purity man to come. DR.. w. S. An
derson, DR.. Ben. Herring and myself
went. On his face, abdomen back,
shoulders and upper arms he is mass
of popules, yesicles and pustules in
every stage of growth from the min
utest pimple to full-grown pustule al
most ready to scab. Under the skin,
on his hands, feet and legs, we could
see red points making their way to the
surface which in few days will become
we'll developed vesicles and pustules.
The man said he was not sick, had no
pain and his temperature was even 100
degrees.
DR. Lewis has very kindly published
in the last Health Bulletin the diagnos-
tic signs of chicken poX and smallpox,
that all non-experts may keep in the
straight and narrow path" careful
observer who never heard of chicken
pox or smallpox. and whose faith is not
biased by St. Paul's definition, after
studying this case and writing it out
as it really is, could not give more
accurat description of chicken pox
than DIR. Lewis has published in the
December Bulletin.
He says: Smallpox may be distin-
guished from chicken pox by attention
to the following data: In smallpox the
eruption involves with prediction face,
arms, hands and legs; upon the trunk
the LESSONS are more sparse. In chicken
pox the eruption is most profuse, as
rule, upon the trunk, chiefly the back.
Smallpox prefers the exposed surfaces,
chicken pox the covered
In the above mentioned case, next to
the face, the back has the greatest
amount of eruption; the shoulders, up
per arms and abdomen next, while the
feet, hands, legs and fore-arms the
sparsest crop. In fact. from the knees
and elbows down there are very few
pimples. even, and no pustules. If this
is smallpox it certainly prefers the COW
cred surfaces with the exception of the
face. The Bulletin further says "In
smallpox the vesicles are uniform in
size In this case they are of various
sizes, 'thin-roofed" and easily ruptured;
dew droplike," with a velvity feel,
which the Bulletin says, rs character
istic of chicken pox.
The Bulletin further states that,
Chicken pox eruption comes out in sue
cessive crops, and the LESSONS may be
seen in varying stages of development.
Smallpox eruption comes out in single
crop and the LESSONS usually remain
uniform in character" Now, if the
Bulletin is right, this is a case of
chicken poX and not case of small
pox, for a more accurate description of
this case cannot be written than is
described in the Bulletin as characteris-
tic of chickenpox
One more thing we are thankful to
DR.. Lewis for. The Bulletin says: The
severity of the eruption is no absolute
guide in the differential diagnosis.
Severe cases of chicken pox may look for
more formidable than mild cases of
smallpox" Now in this fact liess all
this war of words, pickering, unprofes-
sional and / am sorry to say indecent
prostitution of noble profession at the
shrine of ignorance and greed. Amongst
children the disease has been so mild
that the experts" have chosen to call
it chicken pox rather than incur the
censure of admitting that one of the
most fatal diseases that ever attacked
childhood had become harmless. Not
child in bow-shot of Wilson has died
of this pest, whatever it be.
Osler says: In the Montreal epidemic
of 1886 and 1886, of 1854 deaths, there
were 2,717 under ten years.
In view of the prominence given to
this disturber of the peace by those
interested in giving it a bad name, ana
in defense of our county officials, and
more especially in justice to our worthy
Superintendent of Health, DR.. w. S.