Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-03-13
The SCOURGE
or DIpH1HERIA
Miss Dissette Throws Interesting Side Lights
on the Diphthsria Situation in the
Villages Of Northern New
Mexico.
THE PUEBLO INDIANS HAVE
ESCAPED A SERIOUS OUTBREAK
Santa Fe, March II, 1902.

Santa Ee, March H. l9oZ.
Editor of the New Mexican:
Sir: Permit me through the columns
of your paper to correct what seems to
be a very general Impression, i. e.,
that there Is, or has been, an epidemic
Of dlphtheria in the Indian villages. So
far as heard from, there have been
Just two cases of diphtheria among the
Indians, both of these at San Juan
pueblo. and both are now convales-
cent.
There has been and pa bnh'X still
is, terrible scourge of it in the Mex
ican villages, north of us. l was told
by DR.. Holderman of Espanola, who
was doing most heroic and self sacr1-
ficing work among the poor, that he
thought all the children under two
years old had perished in one plaza.
That when he stood in one room,
where one child was in it's coffin, am
other dying, and fourteen other pa
tients stricken with the some disease
were waiting for treatment, he felt the
situation to be well nigh hopeless. He
said You see little children cannot
gargle the throat, therefore the little
ones must die. Only those who are
strong enough and old enough to fol-
low directions is there any hope OF
saving. These people are too poor to
furnish anti-toxin, nor can l afford to
buy it for them as it is a very expen-
sive medicine, and I would need large
quantities of it, felt that must flee
with my family. but I never shirked
my duty yet, etc.
People were coming to him for med
icine all the way from Penasco, and as
I looked at that heroic old man, fight
Ing that awful scourge alone for many
miles up that valley, 1 contrasted his
life with that of rich people in the
east, who have no interest in life and
are weary from hunting a new sensa-
ton and thought I'll give them
chance to have one. So l telegraphed
to three persons whom l know to be
full of philanthropy and in close touch
with moneyed organizations. All
promptly responded expressing SYM
pathy and desire to help. A letter from
one of them received today says:
Mrs. offered to collect money
and send the anti-toxin, but met Mr..
from New Mexico, who advised
her instead to telegraph the territorial
board of health, assuring her that
they had money and should themselV-
es attend the condition of things; that
It would be a bad thing for the board
OF neaitu -e--...---- 60 have
help sent them from the east
1t surprises me how any resident OF
New Mexico who knows it's "magnif1-
cent distances" and the nature OF
diphtheria, especially among the poor
of the Mexican plazas, could make
such a statement. If it was his own
wife whose arms were emptied While
waiting for some action Of the terri
torial board of health, how would ne
feel? And how could 1t possibly hurt
the poor Mexican to know that the
east was not so far removed from him
IN sympathy after all? Nor do think
! the territorial board of health would
have been injured. either in its feelings
or its efficiency by any such express
sion of sympathy from the outside. 1t
is the .blunders of self sufficient per-
sons like those which makes one feel
like that man who prayed: Lord we
can take care of our enemies, If Thou
wilt only deliver us from our friends.
MARY e. DISSETTE,
superyising Teacher of the Pueblo Day
Schools