The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-18
MAY SEND MAYOR
TO PEST HOUSE
SMALLPOX GERMS IN MAIL
WE'RE RECEIVED BY HIS HONOR
FROM THE COUNTRY.

Health officer Summoned and May
or's Hands and Those of His Secre-
tary Fumigated-Man With Small
pOx Wrote to Mayor for Assist
ance-Dr. Brunner Has Both Mayor
Myers and Secretary Gamble I'm
der surveillance.
For the next two weeks the Mayor
of Savannah and his secretary will be
nnder the surveillance of the health
officer.
It is a somewhat unusual duty for
that official to perform, but he will
not relax in his vigilance until the
period of germ incubation and danger
has passed.
The surveillance began yesterday
morning. 1t grew out of a very I'M
usual circumstance, the first of its
character in the history of the admin
tstration. and one that the Mayor has
no special desire to have repeated.
In the mornings mail came very
inoffensive looking letter from town
on the line Of the Central Railroad.
There was nothing about it to arouse
suspicion or to waken feelings of alarm.
It was not until it was opened and
read that the full danger that lay
stored within was appreciated.
All Had Smallpox.
The writer was a business man in
the town of wadley. He had plain
tive story to tell, and one that was as
true as it was pitiful. He and his en-
tire family, he stated, We're down with
smallpox.
Their house was guarded and they
were prevented from leaving it. For
some days they had been confined under
this rigid quarantine. His business was
neglected and he appealed to the May
or of Savannah for a doctor. Evident
ly he labored under the impression
that the municipality was in the habit
of providing doctors under such cir
cumstanceS.
When the Mayors secretary read
the letter his countenance took on
worried look and he quickly deposited
the strange missive on the Mayors
desk.
Health Omcer Sent For.
His honor came in blithely at noon,
picked up the letter and began read
ing it. 1t did not take him long to
appreciate the gravity of the situa
non. f1edlln e1S DIT
once summoned to the Office.
The health officer is a man prompt
to act in an emergency. AS the people
of Savannah are well aware, no mans
position secures him immunity where
DR.. Drummer regards the health in
ferests of the city as at issue.
1t was at once apparent to him that
the Mayor and his secretary had come
in contact with a contagious dis
ease, one for which Savannah
provide a camp of detention and
a pest house. The question presented
to him was an awkward one. Should
the Mayor and his secretary be sent
10 the camp and the city government be
turned over to Mayor Pro Tenn. Dixon
for a fortnight, until the period of
danger had passed?
The detention camp is not a bad
place, but its charms did not appeal
to the Mayor and his office force. The
health officer, though, felt that it was
incumbent on him as the guardian of
the public health to do something Aft
er mature consideration, during which
the Mayor and his secretary were
quarantined in the formers private
Office, with the health officer in vigil
liant attendance, a compromise was
effected. The two officials were re-
Quired to fumigate their hands, which
were presumably the only part of them
WHICH ldu COIlo INTO contact with the
smallpox germs, and the health officer
then carefully burned the germ laden
epistle.
VIII Watch the Mayor.
AS the health officer pointed out, the
letter was probably written by the suf-
ferer with his hands covered with the
pox, and ii was infected throughout
When the next two weeks have pass
ed the Mayor and his secretary will
breathe sigh of relief. Until then
the delights of stay at the deten-
ton camp confront them. In the
meantime the health officer will study
their condition daily, and at the first
signs of danger the majesty of the
health laws of the city of Savannah
will be indicated.
The man with the smallpox was ad-
vised to communicate with the State
Board of Health. and Secretary Gam
bic was instructed to keep all germ
laden letters to himself in future.