The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-03-25
SMALLPOX RUMOR
CAUSES some ALARM
Crowd Needlessly Alarmed
by Over-Siok Negro.
SENT TO DETENTION CAMP
Health Officers Announced Suspect to Be
Victim of Skin Trouble-Recent Out
break Of Dread Disease Is at an End
Detention Camp Temporarily Closed.

y
actions of James Middleton. coiorcd. nj
Ninth Street and Louisiana Avenue north
west. The negro walked slowly M TO the
corner named and sat down on the curb
stone. He was Enthusiastically ILL., and
appeared to be suffering from exhaustion,
The man was too weak to talk. and sat
partly doubled up. moaning and evidently
on the verge Of collapse.
crowd soon gathered. and. after n
time, a policeman appeared on the sccno
and attempted to question tho sufferer.
The effort was not very successful. and
the policeman MADE one chance remark
which led to the public interest in the
case which followed.
Thought to Be Smallpox.
1t TRANSFERRED hat the mans name was
James Middleton, and that he had come
from Norfolk several days ago. The re
port spread through the crowd that he had
been at the Emergency Hospital. There
was visible eruption en- his face, and.
among other questions asked by the 20
liceman, was:
Have you got smallpox"
The last word OF the sentence was
seized upon by the crowd, and there was
a general scattering to 4 safe distance.
Middleton gave no answer to the CUES
ton and his silence was Interpreted to
mean that he was a sufferer from that
disease. The officer sent in a hurry call
to the precinct. and in little while in
spectoTs from the Health Department APP
peared to examine Middleton.
Meanwhile the size of the crowd in
creased, and rumor was added to rumor.
until the greatest excitement prevailed.
The experts from the hospital were not
long in discovering that Middleton was
sun erirg from disease other than small
po., but. the man seemed to be in
a bad condition, he was removed to the
detention camp to be temporarily cared
Tor
Delay in Securing Ambulance.
Some delay was caused in the removal
of the man from the fact that no ambu-
lance was available for immediate use.
In half an hour. however, a Health De-
partment wagon was on the spot and
Middleton was taken to the quarantine
citation.
The delay referred to was due to the
fact that on Sunday afternoon Mrs. Nora
V. Carr and her little child were dis
charged from the Smallpox Hospital,
leaving only one patient under treatment
there. AS the detention camp has been
temporarily closed and the ambulance
service discharged it took the inspectors
of the Health Department little time to
secure = wagon for the removal OF the
man from the street.
l. was positively stated by DR.. Fowler,
of the Health Department, that Middleton
was suffering from an advanced stage OF q
skin disease not smallpox.
Suallpox Scare Over.
The Health Department is now hopeful
that the recent outbreak of smallpox is at
/ en- end. No new cases have developed for
more than three weeks and unless the
disease is imported from elsewhere, the
one remaining ease in the hospital will
end the recent scare.
In the handling OF smallpox in the Dis
trict the Health Department proceeds IN
der the law to remove persons suffering
with the disease to the hospital devoted
exclusively to that purpose, situated On
the river front on the Government reser-
walton known as the grounds OF the
Washington Asylum. The hospital is
small brick structure fitted up with all
appliances for the successful treatment of
this disease. 1t is remote from other
| buildings. and patients there are COM
pletely isolated. The greatest care is
sent there. Cleanliness is insisted upon
in all stages OF the disease and special
attention is given TO diet. Not much
medicine is given. An experienced ply
stefan is in charge of the hospital and
remains there while patients under
treatment. Persons who have been ex-
posed TO the disease are either removed
to the detention camp or are Guaranteed
in their houses.
The Detention Camp.
The detention camp is situated at the
corner of Eighteenth and D Streets south
east. II consists OF seven two-story
frame houses painted gray and enclosed
by high wire fence. These houses are
remote from buildings inhabited. They
are in charge of man and his wife who
look after and care, for persons detained
there. When occupied the camp is watched
by two guards who allow no one to enter
or go away, except recognized employees
of the Health Department. Sometimes as
many as fifty persons are detained in
these HOSES.
The Quarantine Rules.
Some persons object to going to the
detention camp to await the result of
contagion. and these are placed under
surveillance in their homes. guard
stands in front and in the rear of the
house and no one is allowed to enter the
house or to leave it. These guards are
clothed with police authority, and are in
structed to place under arrest any per-
sons who try to break the regulations.
Sixteen days is the time in which the
disease is supposed to incubate, and at
the expiration of that period unless signs
of illness are visible those quarantined
are released
The wisdom of maintaining quarantine
is demonstrated every time there is an
outbreak of the disease in the city. OF
the nineteen cases treated recently three
of them developed in the detention camp.
At other times larger proportion OF
cases come from the same quarter.
Humber of Vaccinations.
The Health Department during the pc
Rod from January 20 to March 90 vacci-
mated upward OF 1900 people. a
these were reqtfred to be vaccina .
law, being i'll the houses where I
suffering with the disease were re-
But the majority submitted volu Ply
as precaution against possible
gion The Health Department is
opinion that if the entire popu
should be vaccinatcd an outbrea
smal Ipox would not be possible fOi
eral years. Such thing. of cour.
Impossible so long many perso
the community are opposed to it, BIT
department always urges general .,
ma ton in the vicinity OF the disease
it appears, and the Health officer t
that in this way much danger iron
ravages is avoided.
In speaking Of the matter yesterda
cd
the real danger to the community.
called attention to the fact that OF