The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-15
DIED LIKE RATS.
Malignant Smallpox Among
Section Men.
Out Of Eleven Men Only Three
Are Left.
DIR. LOWRY RETURNS.
Secretary of Board of Health
Says Disease Is Checked.
Was Feared That Afflicted Men
Had BubOnic Plague.


and Rice counties is simply continent
smallpox. 1t is confined TO three towns.
and in those towns IT is confined abso-
lutely to the families in which the men
lived who were first exposed. The dis
ease is well in hand. the afflicted fam
lies are under strict quarantine, and
do not anticipate that the disease will
spread any more. although I have ad-
vised that general quarantine be
maintained until we see whether any
more cases break OUT
This is the report in brief of Dr.
Charles Lowry, secretary of the state
board of health. concerning the malady
which has appeared in three towns in
central Kansas. and which some have
reported might be bubonic plague. DR..
Lowry returned Tuesday night from
investigating the disease. Little cred
ence was given to the bubonic plague
1t seemed impossible for the plague to
get foothold in the center Of the
United States without first appearing
near the seaboard-
The report was doubtless due to the
malignancy of the disease. OF the
eleven or twelve men first infected,
eight have died. There have been only
three other deaths. and they have been
only in the households where some OF
the eight were taken sick.
The disease has been confined strict
~ to three towns. Delevan. in the west
end of Morris county, which is little
more than whistling station on the Mis-
souri, Pacific; and Geneseo and Bushton
IN Rice county. Cfeneseo is a town of
400, but Bushton is not large enough to
be Incorporated.
ssFhe disease first appeared at Dele
van, in Morris county" said DR. Lowry.
A section gang was at work there and
living in a box car. There were IL OF
Y men in the gang AS reports come
to me. cne of the number went away
for a time and when he came back ne
was taken sick in the car and Dr. Ray,
who | think lives at EEilSey. was called.
Ir Ray pronounced the disease small
pox and told the men he was going
to quarantine the sick men in the car.
All the rest of the gang had been in
fected but they left and went to their
homes. part of them in Geneseo and
Bushton, Rice county.
1T was a mistake to allow these
men to go after they had been infect
ed. but the county commissioners OF
Morris had neglected to appoint coun-
tv health officer and there was no one
to enforce quarantine regulations. DR..
Ray notified me that there was no
county health officer and so he reported
the case directly to me, but I did not
know the circumstances. Afterwards
the county commissioners appointed a
county health officer for Morris county
."The man who was first taken sick
in the box car died there Three OF the
section gang had gone to boardlne
house in DeleVan. kept by a family
named Warner These three were all
taken with the disease and all died the
same day, March 81 Then the father.
mother and one child We're taken
have just received a telegram sta tin2
that the man died Sunday Ten days
aso I telegraphed the county commis-
sioners of Morris county to see that the
Warmers have good medical attendance
as it is extremely difficult to get some
musicians to take smallpox cases. DR.
Sutherland of Herington IS looking
after them
.-Of the men who went home to Rice
county. three have died at Ceneseo AND
one at BushtOn I do not know wha1
became of the three or four others who
were in the section gang The three
Ia borerS are the only ones who nave
/ died at Geneseo. At Bushton where one
/ Ia borer died. his sister-in-law took the
disease and died and one child ia the
| family.
.sThe only person outside of the Ia
i borers families who has taken the dis
ease is DR.. Shredder OF Geneseo, who
was attending the cases there Dr.
/ Stedder's wife and child went over inte
! Ellsworth county to the home of his
/ father who was an immune There hal
not been a case of the disease in Els
i worth county. but DR.. Harry O'Donnell
! county health officer of Ellsworth coun
ty Immediately quarantined the plac'
where Mrs. Shredder was staying, anC
wrote to me to come and Investigate
the disease. The same day ] received Z
similar request from DR.. Mcbride, coun
ty health officer of Rice county, anC
also a telegram from Surgeon Genera
I Wyman of the regular army. stationed
at Washington. asking for informa ton
There are now four cases in Bushtou
/ They are all confined in pest house. Di
/ Mcbride comes up from Lyons % miles
4 each day. and attends them and they ar
1 provided with three nurses At CFenese
there are three cases in separate houses
but all thoroughly cuarantined. Dr. Bus
is attending these. The physicians are ex
tremely careful They have shaved OF
/ their boards and had their hair cut close
Each time after attending the cases the
20 to a tent, take thorough disinfectan
bath and change all their clothing
so far as can discover none OF III
persons who died had been vaccinated
and this accounts for the disease being s
malignant 1t seems to me that it is
strong argument for vaccination.
There is great sxcitement ever the dis
ease in all the surrounding counties. bi
DO not anticipate that 1t will spread an
/ further"