Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-16

DIR. A. G. Young, secretary of the
State Board Of Health. tells the Jour-
nal that from all the Information which
he can gather Maine has little to fear
from smallpox at this time. There are
a few isolated cares in the State, more
especially aiOng the border, but there
is no danger of lis becoming epidemic.
He feels that the experience of the
past two years has aroused all of the
people within the State to the fmppr-
tancc OF using care to prevent this dis
ease and also to the wonderful value Of
vaccination as an agent in it's preven-
ton. This is shown by the change in
sentiment in certain localities where
the disease rHSed, last year. In these
there WAS strong prejudice against
the use of vaccine ana few were inocu-
lated. Those few escaped and that
caused others to see the advantages Of
nccui3tion, so that POW they are be-
lieving in it.
Great care is being used by the
State Board to watch for and prevent
any future outbreaks. SO soon as Il
case is reported efforts are made to
see that it is properly cared for and
that all means are employed tD pre-
vent its spread. In most cases Or
Young makes personal visit of invcS-
tigation and it is usual to have the
work Of handling and preventing fur
Their contagion done under the super
vision of the State Board. though act
ually performed by the local boards
In some cases the local boards have
shown an apathy. which has rccesSi-
tated the use of strong measures by
the State Board, but the experience of
last fall has in the main changed this.
In onesof the cases Of this spring it
has bee9 claimed that the germ was
transported in paper money, which HE
victim handled, ami DIR. Young says
th2t5yvhile he knows nothing about the
merits Of the case il question, it Ger
tainiy Is not an impoSsibility rs paper
money, especially old bills, would carry
the germs. He thinks that as y pro-
lection fer health the proposed light
r"in to take the place Of the 81 Ger
tiic;,tcs would be a good thing pro-
vided it was not made too bulky.
Discussing tho bill which was bo-
for" tho Massachusetts, Le~isHt urc, tn"
past winter, rrovit.ing for the state
supervision Of barber shops. DR.. Yong
said that such - thinr must certainly
result in good. He believed hat many
Of the BARRIERS favored something Of
that nature. as it could not but prove
beneficial to them. 1t insured clean
shops with proper saflitary arrange
mentS, consequently less danger to the
health of the patrons Of the establish
mCnt. Under such conditions many
men who EOw shave themselves Woul1
patronfze the barber shops, as the
main reason for their staying away
now WAS fear of the dangers therein.
TO the doctors mind one of the
greatest dangers in the barber shop
w@s the use of alum and other sub
stances to close UP small cuts upon the
faces OF patrons of the shops. In the
using of the same piece upon hundreds
of different faces there was danger Of
incubation in the case of persons
afflicted with certain troubles. He is
of tn" opinion that it would be much
better for patrons of barber shops if
the BARRIERS would use tissue paper
towels to dry the faces Of their GUS
toners. if they cannot afford Il single
towel to each person shaved. by us
ing one towel upon two different faces
he believed there was danger and
thought il was a practice which should
be stopped. In many shops it has al
ready been done away with. Another
thing the doctor felt that the BARRIERS
should StCriiiZe their brushes ana
raZorS each time they Nera usel