The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-16
A TALK WITH DR.. WAGNER
HE SAYS SMALLPOX IS NOT WORTHY
OF ITS IMPORTANCE.
Cleanliness and Vaccination Are
Routing Ii and Ii Causes Death
Very I~nfrequentIy.

last week he was startled by the entrance
OF a man who was deathly pale and whose
eyes were wild and haggard. On his fore
head and perspiration stood out in huge
drops and it could be told by his general
demeanOr that ne was laboring under great
agitation. He hurried 10 the far side OF
the consulting room. and, throwing him
self into a chair, exclaimed, I've got 1t,
doctor! I've got it,
Got what?" asked the doctor. eying his
strange caller closely.
You don't mean to tell me-" said the
man, starting up from his chair, that you
cannot tell what is the matter Will me?
Why, 1 thought it was as plain as the nose
on a mans face. Can't you tell, doctor, by
my general appearance that 1 have got the
smallpox
THE smallpox" said DIT. Wagner, as he
broke into a hearty laugh. why, you
haven't any more got the smallpox than l
have. What made you think you had it?'
well, this is the way II came about"
said the man, cooled down.. 81 was walk
ing along the street the other day when L
passed a cOlOred man whose face was all
broken out. and 1 said to myself, III bet
that man has the smallpox 1 thought lit
tie more about il until to-day-that hap
pened last w~eek-when it seemed that every
bone in my body commenced TO ache and
my throat became sore. 1t then dawned
upon me that what 1 had surmised about
the colored man was correct and that / had
contracted the disease from him. L know
i have every symptom of it,"
We'll. my friend" said DR.. Wagner. con-
vincingly, you haven't got the smallpox,
but you are getting a lovely case of the
grip. and my advice To you is to go home
and stay I'm bed to-day and dose up on
quinine and by day after tomorrow you
will be all right"
After this had been said the man, much
relieved, and, in fact, appearing TO feel
much better already. got up without fur
ther ceremony and left. You see there"
said DR.. Wagner, turning to a friend Of his
who happened TO be in the office, "a fair
example of the average mans fear of
smallpox. And why people hold this dis
ease in such dread is wonderful. Smallpox,
except that it is loathsome, is perfectly
harmless, unless complications set in; and
by the thorough manner in which vaccina-
tion is now carried on it is not so harmful
as it was some years ago.
- DON'T DIE OF SMALLPOX NOW.
The mortality of smallpox has greatly
ldlltn Ol III nc ldSl NNGHls VI iLlilJ years
In the old days it was nothing strange to
hear OF a man dying from the disease,
which would sometimes carry off whole
families. But at the present time it i
equally strange to hear of a death occa-
stoned by it. The fatality of this disease
is decreasing each year. and the reason
for this is that the people of this country
are growing more intelligent all the time
and ~ oarDinu hou- 20 lixra A,Frar De-
pie are cleaner than they used to be. and
they pay more attention TO keeping the
organic excretions in better condition. An
other thing that is greatly against small
pox is the fact that people don't live as
closely together as they formerly did. OF
course. this statement hardly seems posi-
bic when we take into consideration the
tenement houses which we find in the large
cities. And there are conditions existing
right here in Indianapolis where three an,
four families are living in one small house.
But these cases are exceptions to the gen.
eral rule of living. and it is among these
people that the smallpox of to-day ex-
lists. You don't find many cases among
people who live hygienically, and they very
seldom have the disease unless brought
in contact with someone suffering with it.
" AA1F N1N1 NAN ~ QC VI
2 contagious diseases and you will find that
there are fewer deaths caused by small
pox than any of the other diseases, with
the exception of chickenpox. The death
rate OF smallpox is lower than that of
measles. and yet people hold it with a hun
dredfold more dread. 1 don't know Of a
contagious disease that is less fatal than
the much-feared smallpox"
els Sma1fpOy feared the eopno IN otbar
countries as in this?" DR.. Wagner was
asked.
NO. indeed" he replied. 1.-The fear of
smallpox is greater in this county than
in any other in the world. This is gener
ally attributed to the fact that it is not
SO prevalent here as in the old countries.
where they have il very nearly all the time.
The worst feature attending the smallpo,
that we have is the fear of it, and this
necessarily gives the patient a great shock
and hinders his speedy recovery. The fear
which he is subjected to gets his nervous
system worked UP into such a condition
that this very often causes him more suf-
fering that the disease.
VARIOUS COMPLICATIONS.
ION the whole. the mortality of small
TAX will not exceed l per cent. Now, the
principal thing TO fear in the treatment
OF this disease is the fact that complica-
tons may set in. and this very often causes
death. The first Of these 10 guard against
Is pneumonia. \ patient suffering with
smallpox has 10 be watched very closely
by the attending physician TO keep this
complication out. The second is septic
poison. or poison from the pustulates,
which returns TO the body. The third,
which is far the worst. is caused by alco-
hol. as a constant drinker of whisky who
contracts the smallpox is very nearly GER
tain TO die. The percentage OF deaths
among this class OF people is very great"
do physicians treat smallpox in the
same manner now as they did some years
ago?'
Eyes, the treatment OF the disease is
practically the same only so far as pitting
Is concerned. You don't see people with
their faces all marked up now like they
used 20 be. There is absolutely no excuse
for this to-day. where the means and at
tention are forthcoming.
The way 10 keep a patient from being
marked is first 70 have an experienced
nurse and then to have one who knows just