The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1904-01-27
SIGNED STATEMENT
Issued By Drs- Hartigan and
Holt About Suspect.
They Tell why They have Decided that
Student Hagans has Small Pox-
Pragress of the Case Reviewed DIR.

Pragress of the Case Reyiswed-Dr.
HaugEf Admits Facts in Ease.
10 the Editor OF the New Dominion:
We, the undersigned phy siciaus,
believe it our duty to The citizens of
Morgantown, to our profession, and
for the public veal, TO state through
the columns of the NEW DOMINION
our professional opinions regarding
the case of small pox now in the
Episcopal Hall. We desire the pub.
lie to know this opinion because we
believe our diagnosis in this case is
correct, because we were the first
physicians who saw the case, and
obtained the early facts and history
necessary to make possible relia-
bic diagnosis, and because OF immi-
nent danger to che public on account
of the absence of quarantine in this
case.
Our study of this case was careful
in the extreme, and our conclusions
are supported by the highest author
tiles on such diseases. Taking into
confederation our opportunities in
seeing this case early, the care with
which we studied it, together with
our own experience, supplemented BIZ
the highest authority, we feel it our
duty to insisto on bringing these views
TO the atten.ion Of every citizen of
Morgantosn and to the homes Of
every student of the University.
In expressing our views we desire
to criticize no member OF our profess
sion imbued with the dignity land
highorder of his calling.
When this case was first seen, he
was seeking relief at the hands of a
druggist for intense backache. The
druggist referred him to DR.. Holt,
who found his temperature 104 %,
pulse 1856, intense baekache, erup
tions already ON face, spreading to
extremities, etc, to body, deep-seat-
ed eruptions on wrists, palm of hands,
sole of one foot, pustules in the
throat.
The next day the case went to a
hospital for treatment. DR.. Hartigan
saw him. and Immediately called the
health officer, DR.. Taught, who, after
a careful examination, took the pa
tient back to the Episcopal Hall. He
left word with a physician of town
to notify the assistant health officer
of the case, of its probable serious
ness, and to watch it carefully. The
ffext day Drs. Holt and Hartigan saw
the case together, and reported it to
/. G. White, member of the board,
{not being able to find either the
health officer or his assistant), as a
case to be quarantined.
Saturday evening the health officer
came to Morgantown, saw Drs. Holt
aud Hartigan, decided the case to be
small pox, and started IN search of
guards to quarantine the case. He
called ON DIR. White, a member OF
the board Of health--said he eneoun-
tered circumstance, would not
quarantine that night, but would 90
Sunday morning, aud that mem Der
of the state board from Grafton
would be here Sunday afternoon.
The member CAME. The physicians
who saw and treated the case first
were not consulted. The case was
pronounced chicken pox and the
guard dismissed
We insist that the diagnosis, made
without the proper history, is faulty,
as in questionable cases the history
is of more Importance than the erup-
ton We believed the case to be one
OF small pox then, we believe it now,
the health officer believed it, and
wanted to quarantine it, 1t is case
in dispute and the public safety de-
mands ell questionable cases to be
quarantined.
Signed. DAVID Hort, M. d.
j. W. HARTIGAN, NJ. d.
The above statement was read to
Dr. Taught, who admitted the facts
in the history of the case to be true
as he knew them.