Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1904-02-18
SMALLPOX IN THE STATE
AND IN FITZGERALD

respondent of the Augusta
Chronicle, has been interviewing
DR.. Harris, secretary of the
state board of health, on the
smallpox situation in Georgia,
and writes as follows:
Atlanta, Feb. 1O.-The small
pox situation continues to give
DR.. Harris, secretary of the
state board of health, great I'M
easiness. Few people in the
state realize the extent to which
the disease has spread. Nearly
every county in middle and
southern Georgia has been af1ict-
ed. DR.. Hopkins says the
disease is not of such a mild
type as it is generally supposed,
and he is of the opinion that the
deaths from the malady in the
state will average one every day.
I have performed autopsies
on persons who have died of al
most every kind of disease"
said DR.. Harris, "even to lepro-
sy, and there is nothing that I
have ever seen that is as hor-
rible as death from smallpox.
1t is too shocking to mention,
and far too shocking for publ
cation. If the people could
know smallpox as the doctors
know it they would fly to vacci-
nation for refuge and protec-
ton"
1t is strange that in an intelli-
gent state like Georgia there
should be opposition to vaccina-
ton, and yet that is the only
thing that prevents the disease
from being stamped out speedi-
ly. County officials promise to
enforce vaccination and then fail
to do so. They are afraid of
antagonists, and the people of
their own and other counties
suffer. The state board of
health has no authority to en-
force vaccination by penalty and
the only thing that it can do is to
threaten quarantine. That is
effective sometimes in bringing
the people to their senses, but it
is not fair to those who submit
to vaccination, and if it were
general would paralyze the busi-
ness of the state.
The effect of vaccination was
shown in Houston county. Fort
Valley people have been living I'M
der enforced vaccination, and
when the disease spread ali over
the rest of Houston county, and
there were hundreds and even
thousands of cases, it went right
up to the incorporate limits of
Fort Valley and stopped.
On the 18th of October DR..
Harris went to Albany on a tour
of inspection, and found a negro
woman who was visiting some
friends and who had smallpox.
The authorities refused to en-
force vaccination. In a few
weeks there were hundreds of
cases in the town, and it is said
that at one time there were as
many as five hundred. Finally
vaccination was enforced, and
recently it was stated that the
CITY was clear of the disease.
There Is no saying how long
smallpox will trouble the state.
n othing can stop it except vacci-
nation, for it is easily commune
Gated by clothing shipped from
one part of the state to the other,
and proper disinfection is very
uncommon. DR.. Harris tells of
man who had a broken leg in
Iowa and who was placed in a
| house in which it was NOT then
recalled there had ever been any
smallpox. The man had not
been exposed to the disease, yet
in few days he developed a
case. Investigation disclosed
that while lying on his bed the
man had pulled a peg from the
wall and found in the hole a
small rag which he threw upon
the floor. Still further investi-
cation showed that twenty-eight