The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-02-11
THE SMALLPOX SITUATION.
Health omcer Reardon Rakes State
neus ia Reference 10 the Measures
Taken 10 Prevent an Epidemic.

in this city, Health Ohicer E. /. Rear-
don said: We have had four cases 20
date-shree in one house and one in
smother house near by-all colored.
Two adults and one five year old and
one eight year old child. All on
Second Red and White street, Ward
No. a, near the suburbs but IN a very
tbickly settled section OF colored peo-
ple. The GrsS case was that OF i've or
six year old boy, which was so mild
as 20 be mistaken by his parents for
chicken pox, but which diagnosed as
smallpox. This boys father subse-
quently developed we'll defined case
OF modified smallpox: and his mother
very virulent case Of smallpox; the
two latter undoubtedly being infected
from the FIRST case Of the boy, showing
conclasiFely that it is possible for a
perso1 TO have smallpox 50 mild as to
Be taken for chicken pox; yet which
can easily infect second or third par
son so that the most virulent type Of
Enc disease follows. All of these cases
which I diagnosed as smallpox have
been subsequently pronounced small
poy by Drs. Holman, Baker and Archie
China. a close watch has been kept
by the Health Officer on an of the
territory OF the a. G.. Railroad; and
also IN other sections. Repeated house
TO house visits are made daily by the
same officer for the purpose Of examin-
ing all suspected places; and vaccinat-
ing and re-vaccinating the population
sdjaced to the infected territory. An
epidemic is not possible as the popu-
la5ion is too well vaccinated; the
territory too we'll watched and all re-
ported cases looked into Immediately /;
and If at all erupsiye; kept under
Surveillance until It's correct nature Is
found ont. A great many people have
also been yaccinated IN other parts of
the city as follows: Colored, 275;
White, l25. Making total by the
health officer of 400. Physicians have
also vaccinated, estimated about 100;
mostly white. So that at least 800
people have been vaccinated.
Delay in securing vaccine virus has
impeded the progress of totally sup
pressing the disease: but we have it
under control; and within I've days if
no mors cases appear, it will be safe to
conclude that no more cases will deyel-
op from the original case. 1t is posi-
bic, however, and quite probable that
there viii be sporadic outbreaks from
time TO time as long there are any per-
sons not successfully vaccinated.
Sarah Burroughs, the woman patient,
has a very yirulent case. She has
been critically Ill and is not yet be-
yond danger. She is covered from
head TO feet with the disease, the pus-
tules being as large, on an average. as
the head Of collar button, and run
ming into one another. She suffers
agony despite the fact that everything
known to medical science has been
done to alleviate her suffering. She
is better today, but it will be two or
three weeks before she is able to be
discharged.
If some of the "ruthers'' who
would "ruther have smallpox than
be vaccinated'' could see this case
they would hasten to be yaccinated.
Some of the people are in danger of
yarioloid by mistaking unusually large
vaccination pits, which were produced
by large liberated and inflamed sore
arms, for particularly safe vaccina-
tions. AS q matter OF fact some OF
these kind of vaccinations were caused
by mixed infections rather than by the
vaccination alone. I have seen dozens
of persons contract severe cases Of
yarioloid, who had repulsive looking
vaccinations. The small or medium
sized, we'll defined vaccination pits
are, in the light Of our past expert
ence, much the safest. Another thing,
most people imagine and some family
physicians bold that once vaccinated
you are immune for life. I have cases
in mind Of persons who died of viru-
lent continent smallpox who had been
successfully vaccinated years before.
1t is perhaps best for every one to
have physician or vaccinating expert
examine the vaccination pits or marks.
It is much safer and more sensible
than refraining from vaccination, and
in the mean time substituting burn
ing sulphur, and other disinfectants
around the house, and dosing children
with assafetida, or hanging it around
their necks to keep of smallpox.
Nothing but successful vaccination
will protect against Or even modify the
disease. The new method OF vaccina-
ton with gIycerinized vaccine in glass
tubes instead of the old time ivory
point has, to an almost total extent.
obyiated difuse inflammation, and
severe liberation of the vaccinated
area does not usually result, if the
proper precaution is taken. I have
been instructed by the Board Of
Health to visit every house in Sumter
to examine vaccination pits and to re-
yaccinate ali whose vaccinations I
think did not take. Z hope that the
a:A;nano nna and al will roo lizo that