The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-16


the virus turns 10 pus. The most success
fui way Is to puncture them at the base
and let the cap which forms on the top OF
them drop, and in this manner the pit Is
protected from the atmosphere. You un-
derstand that the pitting. or what is more
commonly known as poxmarks. is caused
by the cap OF the pustulate being entirely
removed and the pit coming in contact with
the air. OF course, the disease requires
very close attention for two or three days
when the pustulates begin to fill. but after
they are relieved OF the pressure by OPEN
ing the attention may be somewhat re-
Taxed.
Smallpox" continued the doctor, SIS not
a disease OF this country, as every one
knows. IT is found mostly in the warmer
climates. You take, for instance, Stanley's
book on his travels in Africa and you will
find all through it passages describing
where numbers of his party have fallen by
the way afflicted with smallpox. And At
RIGA is the country in which 1t is generally
thought the disease originated. All along
the coast Of that country they have small
pox the year through. And you also know
that in Manila and all through the Philip
pine islands they have it continuously
among the natives.
You very often hear people express won
der why it is that smallpox only comes
during the winter months, While in the
summertime we never hear Of ii. Now,
many are under the impression that il is d
winter disease and that warm weather
stamps It out. This theory is seen TO be
false when we take into consideration the
fact that in the warmer climates hey have
it the year round. The reason that we only
have IL during the cold weather is that we
live closer together than in the summer
months. when every one spends the greater
part of his time out OF doors. You take
for instance in big tenement houses, where
there are large numbers Of people living
and where a whole family may live in one
room. The chances are that this room IS
reeking with filth and six or seven people
are huddled together in it. 1t is in such
a place as this where smallpox breeds, and
one OF the best preventives of this disease,
which every one so much breads, is perfect
cleanliness.
MILD FORM IN THIS CITY.
There are all forms Of smallpox-some
of it is very mild and some very serious,
The kind which we have in this city at
present is very mild. The most serious
form of disease is called black smallpox
that is where the postules fill with blood.
This Is very rare and nearly always fatal.
L have only known of two cases of black
smallpox in this city in the last fourteen
years, and they both proved fatal. Some
people have the disease so lightly that
they don't know it. / was staining on
the street some time ago. talking to a
friend, when a young colored man passed
who had a light case of smallpox. 1 could
detect the disease on him, although there
was very little about him which denoted
that he had it. 1t is probable that he did
not know he was sick himself. 1 have a
patient now in the pesthouse who is rather
a prominent man about town. He lived in
an apartment house, where. if 1t had been
found out that he had the smallpox, there
would have been the greatest consterna-
ton. But as no one is any the wiser,
and as no one else took it, everything is
all right. 1 was. however, called to see my
patient before the disease had begun to
break out on him.; in fact, his symptoms
were so slight that when 1 took him to
the pesthouse those in attendance there
greatly doubted that he had it at all. But
In a day or so the pustulates began to form,
and, while he hasn't a very severe case,
still he has the smallpox. L notified the
man who owned the apartment house, and 1
fumigated the room myself, so as to know
that it was we'll done, and I also know
that there is no danger of any one else
taking the disease. and that is why 1 did
not have the place quarantined."
VACCINATION SUREST PREVENTIVE.
lis vaccination the surest preventive of
smallpox"
Eyes" he replied. "In fact. it is the only
preventive of it. Many people wonder why
vaccination will keep any one from having
the smallpox. and. in fact, many go so
far as 10 say that il will not. The reason
that vaccination is a preventive of the
disease is that it introduces the smallpox
into the system. 1t seems that If the body
is thoroughly imbued with smallpox it
will not be taken. One of the strangest
cases L ever knew of was that of an old
attendant we used TO have at the pest
house years ago. He had never had small
pox himself and had been vaccinated. But
do you know tina he was so saturated
with il that he had one or two pustulates
on his body all the time. You see. it is
the same with yellow fever. A man who
lives in the South may nave a light attack
of it from the fact that he has absorbed
the germs. Smallpox is a germ disease,
just like any of the other contagious dis
eases.
cit is often thought that If a person is
enjoying good health he will not contract
smallpox as easily as if he were not. Well,
this is not so. If he has not been thor
oughly inoculated with cowpox he is as