The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-02
HOW SMALLPOX REACHED WILSON
Report of the Assistant Surgeon of the o. s
Marine Hospital Service.

The following report to the Surgeon
General of the United States Marine Hos
pital Service. taken from Public
Health Records, published in accordance
with an act of Congress, is sent to us
by the Secretary of the State Board of
Health:
REPORT ON SMALLPOX IN WILSON
n. c.
Savannah, Ga, Jan. Is, 1902.
Sir: | have the honor to make the fol-
lowing report of the smallpox situation
at Wilson. No. c.:
The first cases occurred three years
ago, two in persons living in the town,
the third in tramp who wandered in
with the eruption In each case isoIG tion
! and disinfection were promptly executed,
and in the last case, a negro, a pretty
! thorough canvass was iuaugurated among
the negro population and about 1900 were
/ vaccinated while the negros family was
isolated and held for observation. No
further eases occurred. The work was
! done by Or. Albert Anderson. who was
F., city health officer, or occupied some
analogous position at this time.
| l could learn of no connection between
these cases and those which follow ex-
| cept possibly through the tramp having
transmitted the disease to individuals in
the county through whom it was brought
to town several months later. Certain
| ii is that considerable time interviewed
! between the cases already mentioned and
those that follow. During this interval
the idea was advanced that the first
cases had not been smallpox at all, but
varicella.
In these houses I found thirty cases in
all stages of the disease from the second
or third day up to that of three weeks
duration. In every case the history was
classical the eruption perfectly charac-
teristic, and the course of the disease
normal and regular in every respect.
| There was absolutely no doubt about
the diagnosis, and attempted to make
this plain to the members of the sani-
tary board at a meeting held that even
ing. With one exception, l think / sue
ceeded. The health officer did not con-
cur in the opinion because the mortality
was not 80 per cent, because the mother
of the family of nine mentioned above,
and others who had not contracted the
| disease had had chicken pox in addition
to being vaccinated, and finally because
there had never been a big epidemic of
chicken pox in that community
Afterwards l went at some length into
the steps necessary to suppress the cpl
demic and stamp out the disease, ad-
wishing isolation of the cases, the holding
Of all exposed persons for purposes OF
observation. the thorough disinfection of
dunnage and premises. and sweeping
vaccination. ! explained to the best of
my ability the manner of disinfecting
the premises and dunnage particularly,
and also the necessary treatment that
patients body should undergo after be-
ing discharged before he was allowed to
on the streets, giving in each case the
amount of sulphur necessary per 1000
cubic feet and the strength of bichloride
for disinfecting the surface of the body
Nowhere have l seen such deep-rooted
objection to vaccination. and with the
exception of the 1,500 mentioned above
there has been no systematic attempt to
carry out this procedure in recent years.
The prejudice against it is due in part
probably, 10 the method used in the last
vaccination canvass. in which one point
was used on several individuals and sew
eral very sore arms resulted. Individual
points were most strongly advised in
every case.
Respectfully,
w. C. HORDY,
Assistant Surgeon, U. S. NJ. H. s