The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-05-17
Finanoiers and Police Com
missioners Take Heroic
Measure to Eradicate
Smallpox.
CONFERENCE HELD YESTERDAY
Corps of Physicians to Pene-
trate All Parts of the City
to Inoculate Every
body.
CONFERENCE HELD YESTERDAY

As a result of a conference held yester-
day afternoon in the Board of FINANCE
offices the Police Commissioners Will m
struct Chief Murphy TO detail four pollce-
mon as health inspectors and the orhcers
of the Board of Health are to estimate
how much 1t will cost to hire a corps OF
physicians and vaccinate everybody III
the city. At the conference were the
Mayor, all the Finance Commissioners,
Police Commissioner john Mitchell aafa
Drs. Brinkerhoff, Hart and Rector OF the
Board of Health
II was pointed out by DR.. Brinkerhon
that the assignment of policemen would
be a distinct help to the board ana pc
saving, too.
Are not all policemen health onlcerss
asked President Jacob Ringle.
Yes was the reply, but what Us
eyerybody's business is nobody's business
and the difficulty is that the poiicemSh
do not know what constitutes nui-
sance'
can you assign these men?" asked
President Rtngle OF Commissioner Mlteheh
of the Police Board.
Yes, we can do it,
1T is the only way to reform the de-
partment of the Health Beard inspee-
ton said Commissioner Abernethy, ano
Won WEI get more revenue when four men
are specially detailed"
The Mayor, this matter settled with the
promise of Commissioner Mitchell to de-
tail the men. who will be in uniform, for
health inspection, preached the subject OF
appropria ting 1880 for general vaccina-
ton. In the discussion which ensued, Dr.
Brinkerhoff pointed out that many people
refused to be vaccinated, and there was
no power to compel them; others prefer
red to be vaceinated by their own doctors,
ana others having been vaccinated before
refused to do anything. It was hard
question.
aEo the majority of people refuse to De
vacclnated?s asked the Mayor.
yes. replied Dr. Hart who added
some statistics of work already accom-
plished. He said that on the last three
Sundays he and others had used 1.2oO
points Their plan was when case broke
out to vaecinate those in the immediate
nefghborhood. He had chosen Sunday as
the best day for vaccinating, because peo- /
pie were generally at home on these days
between IL o'clock in the morning and one
In the afternoon. The fact that he and
for that purpose was always kept a
secret They stationed two policemen at
each end of street and then vaccinated
everyone on the block, and none was al
lowed to pass the policemen.
How many cases of smallpox are
there?"
about 4S; last month there were 30,
replied DR.. Hart.
~,
criminate vaccination was useless. A
corps should be organized, the city divid-
ed into districts and the thing pushed
along until everybody was vaccinated. 1t
was the only way to stamp out the dis
ease.
"Why hire extra physicians? Haven't
you six city physicians and five in the
Health Board? Cannot they do the
work." asked Commissioner Mitchell.
DIR. Rector said it was putting too much
work on the City Physician. who receives
the princely sum of sSS a month for the
hard work he has already.
what about the children in the
schools? Haven't you vaccinated them?''
asked Commissioner Fl. Lembeck.
Dr. Brinkerhoff replied that by a recent
ruling of the Board of Education it was
impossible to revaccinate children.
Mayor Fagan approved of the plan to
vaceinate throughout the city, and with
that done and a thorough inspection the
city would be in good shape next year.
saving at least $4,000 by the proposed out
lay.
well, then said President Ringle.
"you doctors better get together, figure
up how much it will cost and then come
to US. We can't give you money off-hand.
We must know what it is for
This was agreed to and there will be an
other conference next week