Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-07
Measles and Whooping Cough
Diseases Subject to
Quarantine.
HEALTH AUTHORITIES so DECIDE
Purchase OF Conveyance for Small
pOx Patients-Number of
Cases In State.

last evening n resolution was passed
authorizing the mayor and chief of
police TO purchase n carriage for the
conveyance of smallpox patients, the
rig 10 he kept at the isolation hos
pital and destroyed when the need of
it shall have ceased.
Today Mayor Knox and Chief of
Police Darnell looked over the tri-
city's stock of secondhand carriages
and practically concluded bargain
for one at 500.
The committee also favorably con-
sidered the recommendation of
Health Commissioner De Silva that
measles and whooping cough be
placed in the list of contagious dis
eases subject to quarantine. The
particular reason for this recommen-
dation, the doctor explained, lay in
the fact that. the type of measles
found this year is very virulent, in
many cases directly causing death.
Statistics were quoted to show that
the disease is rated third among con-
tagious diseases i'm the percentage of
mortality. The matter of making
changes about the isolation hospital
was not taken up. owing To the lack
of time, but il will he considered at
another meeting to be held tomorrow
evening.
Another matter that the health
commissioner intends bringing before
the council through the health com
mittee is the regulation of fumiga-
tion in cases where there has been
any contagious disease. This is done
/ -, =.
very essential To prevent the spread
of disease. Here the family i'm which
the patient belongs is often left to
do the fumigating and i'm many eases
they use disinfectants that, while eff
! fective germicideS. in some cases, do
not fit the ones to which they are APP
piled. If this were left with the
health department il is claimed much
good would result.
DR.. j. +. Assay. who is vaccinating
those school children whose parents
are unable to pay for the operation
at temporary headquarters in the
council chamber, was very busy all
yesterday afternoon and evening.
When he had finished for the day he
had inoculated 90 children. Today
business was not so flourishing, al
though there are many more to be at
tended to.
Another case of smallpox was
brought To light in Cordova yester-
day. making three in that village.
There are said to he a couple of eases
in the country near there also.
Government Report.
The health commissioner has the
health report sent out from Wash
ington which shows an increase in
the number of smallpox eases in the
country from 1899 during the month
from Dec. - to Jan. 81 last year to
o.53a during the same period this
year. The deaths from the disease
this year in the period named num-
bered 200. against but 80 last year,
showing that the cases are becoming
very much more virulent. While the
health commissioner feels that the
people of the city have been respond
ing with praiseworthy readiness to
the recommendation of the depart
ment. he still urges that vaccination
be continued till all have been treat
ed. and points TO the example of Des
Moines. where vaccination has been
neglected and there are hundreds of
cases. i'm support of his recommended
ton. 1t is estimated that there have
been over 1000 persons treated with
vaccine in the city during the past
three weeks.
Medical experts no longer conceal
their apprehension and assert that
only by widespread unity of action
can further contagion from smallpox
be avoided. Smallpox is now more
widely spread than at any time since
the great seven years epidemic Of
1879 to 1885.
In Illinois.
Probably the most serious condi-
tions in Illinois prevail in Shelby
county. Springfield, too. has many
cases. Reports gathered by the Chi
cago Tribune follow:
AIton-SmallpoX situation in neigh
boring villages is serious. Alton has
established a quarantine against
nearly every village in the vicinity,
and the schools are closed. There
are something like twenty cases in
Alton.
BeIIeville-Many cases of smallpox
here. but it is believed spread of the
disease has been checked. Since Sep
TENDER there have been thirty-two
cases in the city, with two deaths.
About fifty cases are being treated
at the County ContagiOn hospital.
These are mostly from the country.
Cario-Two cases of smallpox here.
There have been six cases since Oc-
-ober /.
Centralia-Three cases of smallpox
N one residence here. Eight cases
four miles east of here, due to poor
quarantine.
Decatur - Twenty-one cases of
smallpox here. Malady is of mild
form. President Wilhelmy of the
board of health says all cases are