The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-04
SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC
ABOUT WORN OUT
Number of Cases in State Is
Steadily Decreaslng---HOw
Epidemic Started.

The epidemic of smallpox which has
been raging in this and other states
for the past four years has, in the
opinion of DIR. Bracken, state health
officer, about run it's course in Mime
sofa and from now on he thinks that
the number of cases will steadily de-
cline. He says:
"Of course during the winter months
there will be an increase over the past
summer, but 1 do not think that it will
be as bad as last winter or the year
before, and by next year / expect to
see the number of cases reported very
much smaller. This will be due to the
fact that a large number of those who
are exposed to the disease become i'm
mune either by vaccination or by haV-
ing had smallpox during the epidemic.
hope that it will be stamped out en-
tirely within the next year or so.
"Of course the measures taken by
the authorities have had something to
do with the improved conditions Iso-
lation is followed al present, in nearly
all of the towns, and the existence of
the disease in the communities has
served to educate the doctors in the
correct diagnosis which enables
prompt action in each case.
''At first a great many people were
exposed to victims of smallpox be-
1t that, putting it down as chicken
poX, especially in light cases. In this
way the patients were allowed to be
ut large and thus spread the contagion.
Now, however, all the doctors are
making correct diagnoses and the
communities are protected by effec-
tual quarantine.
Another thing which aids in fight
Ing the spread of the disease, is the
fact that people are not so much afraid
of it as at first. They have learned
that it is no worse than diphtheria or
scarlet fever, and 1t is treated accord
Ingly. But vaccination is the only
sure preventive of the disease and the
prejudice against this is rapidly Civ
Ing way with consequent good re-
suits"
How the Epidemic Started.
The history of the epidemic in Min
nesota as given in the various re-
ports of the state board of health on
the subject shows the trif1ing charac-
ter of the sources of the disease, and
the amount of damage one uncared
for case of the disease can do. The
whole epidemic in this state has been
traced to two cases which came into
the state in 1899. One of the cases
came from Nebraska, to which state it
was brought from Texas, and before
then it is thought from Cuba by the
Cuban refugees during the two or
three years preceding the Spanish
war. This man who had been visit
Ing In town in Nebraska returned
to his home in Minnesota, and short
ly after became ill. His disease, how
ever, was put down as chicken-pox,
and he was allowed to go about with
the result that several cases developed
which were ultimately recognized as
smallpoX-some of which resulted ia
"a nfaf NF tLa
state board of health.
The other case which brought
smallpox into the state was that of
a conductor on one of the Pacific
coast trains by whom nearly thirty
people were exposed to the disease
One of these carried 1t to q hotel in
Minneapolis from whence it was
spread to different points of the state
before it was correctly recognized as
smallpox. AS this was about the time
of the return of the troops from the
Philippines. the disease was at first
called Filipino rash and its introduce
ton laid to the returning soldiers, but
the Investigations by the state board
Of health have effectively exploded
this notion.
During the first two years the dis
ease ragged in the lumber camps on ac-
count Of the poor sanitary conditions
existing during the winter months
anu OGCduSe VI tie cdr6leSSneSS OF
the lumbermen. 1t has about run it's
course in these places. however, and
during the past year it has been most
ly In the small country communities
of the state. In the cities the num-
Der of cases has been small in COM
parison with the population because
of the more exact knowledge of the
conditions of the epidemic and the
prompter measures for isolation.
Cases Number $4,000 in Five Years.
The monthly records for the years
since 1899 up to the last OF the Sep
TENDER just passed show that there
have been 22,S12 cases of smallpox
in the state. These figures are from
records made by the counties to the
state board of health, and as these
reports were not very careful or COM
plete at first and even now are not
exact, 1t is safe to add 10 per cent
more for unreported cases, which
brings the total up to $4,000 for the
five years. The deaths reported from
smallpox are 157 for the same period
In regard to the death rate from the
disease, 1t has kept about the same
during the entire course of the epi-
demtc and in the opinion of the au-
thorities will not be increased or de-
creased materially, as the virulence of
the disease remains so far as can be
noted about the same
AS measure of comparison the
figures of the United States marine
hospital at Washington, which pub
fishes the figures for several of the
states, shows the imDrOVement made