The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-11-24
WAYSIDE TALES AND COMMENT.

day morning he called at his brothers
place of business and introduced him
self as a horse buyer and made ar
rangements to be taken into the cOun-
try for the purpose OF looking at some
horses of which he claimed to have
heard. 1t YAK only after a team
had been hitched up and all was in
readiness to begin the journey that
he made himself known. Only the
pleasure of the reunion prevented a
wreaking of summary vengeance on
Cothron and the other villains who
were privy to the "job" of which the
happy J. S. was the victim.
This is about the time of year when
smallpox usually makes it's appear
ance and the more tlmid are beginning
to wonder if the disease is to make
it's annual visit. Already a number
cases have been reported in the west
ern part of the state, and unless it
varies it's usual custom, it a sickness
may be said to have a custom, it will
very likely drop in on Billings. Apropos
to the subject is an article appearing
in the current issue of the Montana
Health Bulletin, issued by the state
board of health, which says, speaking
80 @l~ ;cNorO. SSTf hoo 3nI IN
a considerable extent in Missoula
county and several cases have been
reported from other counties. The
| present epidemic has been mild thus
far, but is liable at any time to as
sumo a more malignant type. The
same mild type prevailed in the east
ern states as we have had in the
west, but that it is assuming q more
malignant character is evidenced by
the following from the report Of the
| Chicago board of health The type OF
the disease this year is much more
serious than last year. In 1902 there
were 33S cases, with only five
| deaths-the mortality rate was less
than one and a half per cent. This
far this year there have been BAG
cases and As deaths-a mortality rate
OF 13 per cent The only way We
/! q hope to keep the epidemic down
in this state is by constant efforts
on the part of all health officers. All
physicians should urge their patients
to be v~accinated, and no health officer
should release anyone from quaran
tine under two weeks, at the very
least, who has been exposed to small
box and who has not been success
fully vaccinated. Regardless OF the
talk of the Observation-Disclosures, vac
cination does protect against small
box. The following from the Chicago
beard of health report is interesting
in this connection: OF the 80 case:
of smallpox which have come unde.
observation and treatment in Chicago
this year only 80 showed any evidence
of vaccination whatever, and not on
OF these had a recent, protective vacci
nal mark; they were all adults VIII
either showed marks of vaccination II
childhood, never revaccinated, o
doubtful, noncharacteristic scars, as o
burns or other injuries. No properl
vaccinated person al contract small
pox.'"
With the present likelihood OF tn
legislature passing a law providin
for changes of venue in civil as we.
as criminal cases rise is given
considerable speculation as to tn
manner in which it will be found t
work, particularly as regards tn
county for whose special benefit
seems to be asked. Enough has a
] ready been learned to make it reason
ably certain that there will be Il
undue or unseeming manifestation c
the part of any of the judges outsid
of that district of a desire to try SON
of the cases in which the provision
OF the proposed law will be made
apply. Unless the law, II passed,
modelled after the existing law