The Washington times., 1902-02-25
TWELVE SMALLPOX
Cases IN WASHINGTON
Health Officer Scores Ineffl-
cient Physicians.
RESPONSIBLE FOR DISEASE
Spread of Infection Due to Failure
of Proper Diagnosis of Original
Case-First Victim of Disease at
Raleigh.

Two new cases Of smallpox developed
/ yesterday and the patients were removed
| to the smallpox hospital for treatment.
| The first case was Cora Woodward a
| white girl employed at the Raleigh Hotel.
| and removed from there last Saturday to
| the detention camp. The other was Kate
| Conway. an old colored woman about
| eighty years of age employed in the house
J of Dr. Edward H. Green, 1916 Sunderland
Place.
Woman Ill mt Raleigh.
! Both these cases are associated with
| that of Levi Cave, who was removed from
| his home in Fifth Street northeast to the
smallpox hospital last Saturday. The in
| fection In all three cases Is supposed TO
| be traceable to a woman who was i'll In
| the hotel about twelve days ago.
| This woman was taken Ill on the train
coming to this city and an eruption which
| subsequently appeared was thought by DR..
| Green, the hotel physician. to be due to
| her eating sea food on the train. 1t ap-
pears that his suspicious were somewhat
| aroused. but that the rapid recovery of the
| woman disarmed his fears and conse-
| quently he did not report the matter to
| the Health Department. Later the woman
| returned to Philadelphia.
Marked Case.
Subsequently. Cave, who was a porter
in the hotel. developed very marked
case of the disease in his home. and was
sick there three or four days before his
case came to the knowledge OF the Health
Department. He was removed, as stated,
to the hospital last Saturday.
Caves case led to an investigation
| Miss Woodward, one of the hotel SER
wants, was found Ill with symptoms which
might be those of smallpox. She was
promptly removed to the detention camp
TO await results. Yesterday morning the
disease had developed so that its charac-
ter was unmistakable, and she was taken
to the hospital.
Later in the day Dr. Green notified the
department that his servant was ill with
what he thought to be smallpox. and she
was forthwith taken to the hospital
This third case growing out Of the case
of the woman at the hotel led to ener-
getic measures there, and the servants
who were employed in that part of the
building and all persons who had slept in
the same corridor were taken to the de-
tention camp.
The Register. once C.=s.
DR.. Woodward. when asked as to the
present status of the office of the Regis
ter of Wills with reference to smallpox
said that there were no Indications at
the present time of any spread of the
disease, and that he had strong hopes
that no new case would develop from the
exposures which had occurred in that Of
flee. In this connection he said that
while the existence of a disease of this
character in a public Office was necessar-
lily cause for uneasiness, there was no
occasion whatever for alarm.
The present outbreak of smallpox be-
gan little over a month ago. Since that
time twelve cases have been reported.
The first patient. who had recently came
to the city, appears to have contracted
the disease elsewhere. Unfortunately, he
did not promptly recognize the nature Of
the disease, and even after the eruption
had appeared continued at his work for
time. Because this case was not prompt
ly recognized and isolated three other
persons have contracted the disease. one
directly and two indirectly.
Second Delay.
There was unfortunately even greater
delay in diagnosing the second case than
in recognizing the nature of the first. In
fact. the second case was not recognized
until after the occurrence of another case
manifestly connected with it.
The Health Department was not con-
suited at all. and the physician. or pos
sibly physicians. consulted were mani
festIy not selected because of any par
ticular training in the diagnosis OF small
poX. The patient returned TO his work in
a public Office while the eruption was
still out, manifestly negligent act, even
supposing the diagnosis by the physician
of chiclenpox had been correct.
1t was thus that two other cases were
contracted. one Of these was recognized
at an early date, and will probably give
rise to no further cases. The second ease
OF recent occurrence. undertook after the
severity OF the prodromal symptoms had
passed OF. TO resume his ordinary school
and office duties: and this. notwithsJand-
ing the fact that an eruption was pres
ent which would have indicated promptly
IN a trained observer the nature OF the
disease from which the patient was SUI
teTins. Just what eases may hereafter
be traced 30 this cannot yet be deter
From "a Mild Case.
Another recent case taken 30 the hos
rital was. in The judgment OF tbs Health
Department. contracted from patient
wGo suffered from smallpox in mild
sr& anvccokajzod form. The case was
treated 10y physician who was evidently
uncertain ~ thc nature ct ,he malady.
rut vho failed 20 call in eoasultant
untsl iI was apparently too late for the
consulting physician 30 recognize defn-
Rely the uatUrS % The disease. It was
ouly when the eruption was abundant and
we'll dcyelopsj that a third physician
who had bCCu called in reported .he ease
to the Health Department.
These statements are made. not with !
view ot criu-isiEs any of the persons
couccrutN hut merely to emphasize the
fact that while The Health Department
can do something toward preventing tae
spread Of smallpox there Is much that
must be done by The citizens. and par
ticularly by the medical profession. II
is OF course. tol.y foC the patient to un-
icrtake To hide from himself and MS
physician symptoms Of smallpox. He may
succeed in calming the physicians fears,
bus .hcre is yet enough susceptible ma
terial in the community 20 render it ex-
tremely probable that he will be made to
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