Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-29

Dr. 4. G.. Young. secretary of the
State Board of Health. is busily en-
gagged in preparing the boards biennial
report which will be issued this year.
The report will deal very extensively
with the smallpox outbreak il the
state. last year The full history OF
the epi.lc,nic and al other matter con-
nectcd With it will he presented in de-
tail. Or Young will carefully explain
what means were taken to stamp out
the disease and how it was handled in
the various sections. In this one
respect. alone. the report cannot fail
10 be of value to all who are interested
in the good health of Maine.
That the work W hich was done by the
state board in fighting the disease was
most effective is shown by the fact
that there are now but two cases in
the state. Both Of these are in widely
separate sections and are carefully
isolated so that there is no danger OF
infection from them.
In Speaking of the way smallpox
rlc"l in Maine last year Or. Young
says that heretofore Maine has always
been very free from the disease. The
state board was organized in 1885 and
since that year. until 1901. there had
not been Il case in the State. In 1885,,
however. there were n few cases in Au-
burn, Portland and elsewhere in Maine.
These cases came from the stricken
district of Montreal. where smallpox
ragged most terribly during the fall
and early winter of that year. That
there was not Il serious outbreak i'll
Maine 1T that time was due, without
| doubt. to the energetic measures Which
| the state board took to prevent its S"L-
| ting :r,o The state.
| As n. is now, DIR. Young was then the
ce,r"tary Of the board. which came into
existence in June, 1SSJ. AMI he kept the
same wa:chfCl eye on the progress Of
the epidemic through Canada as he
dr"e upon all such outbreaks at this
time. AT that time the most exposed
sections WAS. rs it is today. the MaGa-
Waska region in ArOoStook county. DIR.
Young saw that unless something was
done the disease must certainly get
into that region. At that time all The
eases W,r- i'm the province of New
Brunswick. so that the Maine health
officers lad no jurisdiction and could
40 nothing to prevent the spread of thu
disease. DIR. Young made trip to
Fredericton. n. T., for the purpose OF
discussing the situation with the heath
officers rf that province. Arriving
there h" found that their beard WAS 4
provisional one. Just organized ana
having but little money with which To
work. After n long discussion. in
Y hich the man from Main" made the
New Brunswick board ac"uAmtcd with
he condition along the border. some
thing ON which they had little irtorma-
tinn. II was decided that the Provincial
| secretary was tn" only ore VINO had
Authority to eXprnd money in Il fight
against SnalipJN.
\ conference with tn" secretary fo-
lowed At this Or. Y.uHs urged the
necessity of Immediate steps being SAX
on, aud agreed 10 lay tn matter before
\ the Washington authoriti"s and see if
they would not bear half the expense
Of an inspection station in the threat
cned section of New Brunswick. He
did this pointing out to the national
Idrpartment how that by such IN ar
Management there WAS every likelihood
Of preventing the disease getting
across thu border and into this coun-
try. As Il result of his efforts the sta
tion was established. the United States
hearing half of the expense of its
kmaintainance. The advance of the
(diseasc was thus checked and Maine
covod m invasion