The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-01-19

is made up from st. Paul's definition of
faith, have "cussed' and sWore, and said,
they would be Externally and everlast-
lingly bulliballocked by hail of fisti-
cuffs. and consigned to the polyprag-
monetic ordelium of all the fiends OF
hell if it isn't smallpox, and not chick
-poX or Cuban itch"
This oath recorded in the astrolabian
quarter of our capital city, and in many
other devious and unknown paths of our
country.
Now, the most notable distinction be-
tween this pest and smallpox is. that
smallpox kills and this does not. Many
things have a similarity which by no
means are Identical and While the
physical aspect of this pest resembles
smallpox in the main, the diagnostc
differences are almost as great as the
morbidity of the two disease. DR.. An
derson, our health officer, has repeatedly
pointed out the different characteristics
of two affections, but he has been laughed
at, ignored and treated indecent!y and
unprofessionally by the Secretary of our
State Board of Health. And, in treating
DIR. Anderson thus, DR.. Lewis has in
directly cast a slur upon our Board of
COuuly commissioners, WHO eICCtSd LII.
Anderson to his office.
DR.. Anderson, under the instructions
of the experts who have been sent to our
town to investigate this pest, while he
has not agreed with7t them as to its name,
has, to the extent of his ability carried
out their instructions, and made every
effort in his power to abate the nuisance.
He is the legalized health office of Will
son county, and AT a meeting of the
Board of County Commissioners of Will
son county on the 9th day of January,
1902, it was resolved that the admins
tration of DR.. W. S. Anderson as Coun-
ty Superintendent of Health be endors-
ed as we believe DR.. Anderson has been
guided by the experience of years rnd
has managed his office with discret'Cn
and his honest convictions in the dis
charge of his arduous duties and our
confidence in him is mistaken"
In conversation between the chair
man of the Board of County Commits
sioners and DR.. Lewis, the Doctor said
the proper way to get an expert from
the Marine Service was by application
from the County Health Officer through
the State Board of Health Our chair
man repeated this conversation to DIR.
W. s. Anderson, in consequence of which
DIR. Anderson made application to Dr.
Lewis for the eXpert-and then, after the
medical expert arrived through the law
full channel, he received private instruc-
lions in a letter directed in care of Mr..
Green, 10 report for duty to Mr.. Green,
but for an account of the epidemic to re-
port-not to w. S. Anderson-but to AL
bert Anderson, man in no way more
connected with our county sanitation
than DR.. Lewis himself Does it take
Solomon to see through this? Albert
Anderson calls it smallpox; w. S. An
erson calls it chicken-poX. Now in the
name of the people, / ask DR.. Lewis to
explain to them why he did not have
this expert sent here through the re-
quest of Albert Anerson and in the
name of the Code of Medical Ethics to
explain TO the Doctors of this State why
he treated w. S. Anderson with such
contumely and neglect. The letter Of
the law may not be violated in this un-
seemly procedure but it's spirit is
trampled in the mud.
Professional courtesy alone requires
that one gentleman in the profession
should treat all others with respect and
consideration, and l cannot conceive why
DR.. Lewis except under the most blind
ing hallucination, should take thin
means of casting contempt upon a broth
err physician. DR.. Lewis is known
throughout the States as heightened
gentleman and an expert in his chosen
speciality and l take this occasion to
say that no man, for the acquaintance
/ have had with him, has appealed more
strongly to my sense of moral rectitude
and professional highmindedness than r.
H. Lewis. For this public criticism [
have no apology to make. unless L am
mistaken in facts. and then no man
would more willingly. and more cheerful
ly retract. / am constrained to make it
in defense of a much maligned brother
physician, and town which to its mis-
fortune harbors within it's borders some
unclean birds willing to refoul their own
nests.
The above was written prior to Dr.
Lewis article which came out in Thurs
days issue | thought the Doctor would
wait until / got through, but / am I'M
der obligations to him for putting in
my hands a Mauser rifle while he fights
with a blunderbuss.
Look at the smoke of the blunderbuss:
in explaining the four admitted deaths
by saying that they were not caused by
the eruptive disease but by pneumonia
in three and Childbirth in one, they Chat
is me) seem to be equally oblivious of
the we'll known fact that the fatality in
smallpox is generally : due to some
complicating disease of the respiratory
organs as in measels death is not caused
by the disease per Sc, bur by the COM
plicating pneumonia or capillary
bronchitis; and that smallpox III preg
nant women is almost invariably fatal"
Now listen at the sharp crack of the
rifle: Table showing the deaths from
smallpox, at the Smallpox Hospital,
London, for the ten years, 1855 to 1864
inclusive. and occurring amongst 1857
unvaccinated, and 1922 vaccnated cases.
All patients having antecedent or super
added disease of a fatal character have
been excluded from the list. so as to
represent the deaths from smallpox
alone. as accurately as possible. OF
the vaccinated cases. 459 died; OF the
unvaccinated, 52S died" Nearly 10 per
cent of the vaccinated and SO Is per
cent of the unvaccinated died That was
forty to forty-five years ago. In 1901
the rifle cracks still sharper aud with