The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-20
CALLS 1T SMALLPOX.
City Physician Orders Columbus Neal
Locked Up-Says He Isn't Sick.


Columbus Neal a young man who
lives at 507 West First street and works
for Whitaker Bros commission COM
pany, is under guard at his home, with
a big smallpox" sign on the door.
Young Mr.. Neal is not sick, and has
been sick but one day since he was
shut in by order of the city physician.
The doctor has been to see him but
once, land yet, under the city PHYSICIANS
orders, the young man must stay under
guard like a dangerous criminal for the
next two weeks.
| OF course the city physician suppress
| ed all information of this alleged case
of smallpox, as he does all such mat
| tiers. City Physician Storrs. refuses to
give out information about smallpox
cases. All his health officers are afraid
to tell anything for fear of losing their
| jobs.
| Even the guard that City Physician
Storrs stationed to enforce his quaran-
tine of the smallpox" case admits to
his friends that there is nothing the
matter with young Neal, and that he
has not had any smallpox 1t appears
merely to be a case where Dr. Storrs
has made a wrong diagnosis, and now,
in order to make his work appear cor
rect, he must carry out the city law
and keep Neal locked up for the full 81
days OF the quarantine. Evidently 1t
was not in the plan of the city ply
stefan to have the affair made public.
George Whitaker, for whom Column
bus Neal worked, said today: "A great
injustice is being done to this young
man. He has no more smallpox than
you or l have, and it is my idea that
the doctors have got him and expect
to make some big fees out of him. Neal
is a hard working boy, and at the time
of the last high water, we had big lot
of barrels and other things down in
our basement which had to be moved
out We all worked down there in the
fa- III hai
pletely tired out. Neal lay down in his
wet clothes and went to sleep, instead
of going home, and day or two after
he was sick. There was sort of an erup
ton on his face. and below his knees
where he stood in the water. He had
hard cold. That was all there was to
it. They called in a doctor, who said
that he had smallpox. The city ply
stefan was then called, and he confirm
ed this diagnosis, and put the boy in
quarantine.
MEALS sickness with the eruption
on his face was due simply to over
work and getting wet and overheated
during the work in the basement. l
don't believe for a minute that he has
smallpox. I would be perfectly will
ing for him to come right back here
and go to work today, and the rnen
who worked here with him feel the
same way"
The doctor who examined Neal first
is named w. H Harrison. He is a
known in Topeka.
1t seems to be the testimony of two
young doctors against the testimony
of all the rest of the people who
know anything about the case. This
is not the season of the year for |
smallpox. 1t is uncommon to have a |
case in midsummer, even when the |
disease is very prevalent. The disease |
has not been prevalent for several
years, which makes it very improb- |
able that Meals case is smallpox. The |
fact that Neal was not confined to his !
bed at all since he was taken sick, and |
that he has really not been sick since
the first day, is pretty good evidence |
that the doctors have made a mis- |
take, and that a great wrong is being |
done Columbus Neal and the whole |
Neal family.
But of course City Physician Storrs
will have his way He has the "au-
thority-" He is, the grand moguI of
his depaI tment, and he can suppress |
news and cover UP his mistakes to his |
hearts content, for Mayor Bergund-
thai sustains him in this policy. Mayor |
Bergundthal has made some bad mis- |
takes in his term of Office as mayor
but one of his, worst is his attempt to |
apologize for his city physician.