The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-10-28
IMPORTANT LETTER
TO EVERY CITIZEN
ALARMING SPREAD or SMALL.
Pox CAUSES STATE BOARD
or HEALTH TO ISSUE AN EAR
NEST APPEAL FOR VAGINA
TON

The Bulletin II in receipt OF the f0
lowing letter With request to put
l iish from the STATE board OF healtl
lat Springfield. In regaris the abso
lnte Importance Of taking steps &
stamp out smallpox and prevent III
spread in Illinois.
The letter should be read by ever,
citizen and business man In Cairo
and especially by the city and county
health boards.
The letter Is as follows:
Springfield H.. Oct. Is. 1904
To the Local Health Authorities OF
Illinois.
Smallpox, the prevalence of which
/ has occasioned repeated warnings on
the part OF the state board OF health,
is still to be found in many parts OF
Illinois. In some places the disease
has become epidemic. Unless every
effort is now made to check the spread
of this disease 1t will prevail through
ont the winter to frlghtful extent
and with great mortality.
The mild type of the disease and
4
have led to carelessness as 70 vacci.
nation and other sanitary precautions.
Now smallpox is appearing in many
parts Of the state and hundreds are
being stricken.
As foretold by the STATE board OF
health in Its warnings, the virulent
type OF the disease has returned. Du
ring the month OF September in one
infected district. ten patients among
fifty afflicted died in period of four
days--one death In every five! In an.
other, twenty-five among two hundred
one death in every eight.
Neglect to Vaccinate is Criminal.
During Angus few cases Of small
pox improperly diagnosed as some
harmless disease, were found in GER
tain town of Illinois. No precautions
were taken to prevent contagion. Vac
eination was neglected In few
weeks contagion had spread into five
counties and the malgnan.
type of the disease appeared. Panic
reigned. travellers avoided the town
ana business was practically suspend |
ed Human lives were sacrificed to
pay for the failure OF the local auth
critics 70 appreciate and act upon the /
repeated warnings Of the state board /
Of health.
There is no excuse for an epidemic
Of smallpox That vaccination, prop
erly performed, will absolutely pre-
~ &c n ,
health officer in The country. That
general vaccination now, with careful
and quarantine OF every
smallpox or suspected smallpox easi
coming into the vicinity. vii! entirely
emove tae danger of an epidemic, il
90 well known to require repetition
The knowledge OF the certainty @.
he means II prevention places a re
upon health officers while.
hey cannot ignore.
Appeal to Boards of Health.
In projecting the people Of you
nmmEnlty as we'll as those II al,
,ther parts of the state the state
loard of health urges upon you taf
necessity of The adoption in your vi
Unity Of every possible means OF pre-
renting the invasion oil smallpox :
hat the Importance OF vaccination |
Urged upon your citizens, and that vac
ination be demanded in me case o.
ehool children, who are especially ,
usceptible to the disease.
Aside from the great loss Of life
which may be expected this year wher :
ver smallpox gains a foothoid the
unering and the horrors and fears
f panic: the loss financially to
community. In isolating. quarantining
urslng and providing for the needs
( patients is great. while the cessa
ion Of business and the turning OF
rade from outlying places into other !
nd safer channels entails business -!
Jss OF he largest proportions.
allure TO vaeeinate Means Logs .oi '
Life and Property.
Oue case of smallpox coming into @
in which the people are ,
OF generally xaccinated may cost /
undrcds Of lives and the loss OF
thousands OF dollars. When that small q
OK patient VIII come to a community. s
egardless of your. strietes, preoa4- e
ons. is merely a matter OF specula C
on. S
Forearn.ed with the warning hat n
his fatal and loathsome disease D
lreatens your locality in a virulent. g
Jrm: advised as to the suffering and n
cath and the personal and financial {,
,sses which is invasion will entail n
nd Informed as TO the cafe, certain a
nd nnvarying means of prevention,
would seem that local authorities y
Mould be able to limit smallpox 70
ie localities in which 1t is nos prev Y
ent
Anxious al all times to render ev'
y assistance to local health officers
times of emergency, the state
Dard Of health feels that this warn
g should be of more value than any ;,
iratiye or sanitary measures which a,
light be instituted after the disease 4
Is once gained fotthold in your vii ;,