Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-16
CAUSES EXCITEMEN T
DR.. RAMAGE, GOVERNMENT EN-
PLoYE, ILL OF SMALLPOX.
Was at His Desk Thursday Last
Spread of Disease Not
Feared.

Some excitement has been caused in the
bureau of corporations of the Department
of Commerce and Labor by the announce
nent that DIR. Burr j. Ramage an en-
ploye of that bureau has been taken to the
detention hospital, suffering from smallpox.
Fourteen of the employees who came into
immediate contact with DR.. Ramage before
he left the building last Thursday have
been vaccinated, and all others who apply
for such treatment will be accorded similar
treatment.
DR.. Ramage who Is special attorney Tor
the bureau of corporations, had been Ill lot
several days. although attending to his
duties. Thursday he became worse and
went to his home, 1911 X street northwest
His case was soon diagnosed as smallpox
and he was later removed to the detention
hospital. his house in the meantime being
thoroughly fumigated and placed under
quarantine. Francis l.. Halves, clerk IN
the bureau, who went to his boarding place
in the residence of DIR. Ramage yesterday
afternoon. was appr!sed of the character of
the doctors Illness and has since been de-
tanned under the rules of quarantine.
Clerks Vaccinated.
When the information that DIR. Ramage
was suffering from smallpox was first con-
veyed to Chief Clerk Choate of the bureau
of corporations, by telephone from the res
idence of the sick man, the other employees
of the bureau were Immediately notified
and given the opportunity of being vacc.-
mated Quite a number of them submitted
to this operation at the hands of an en-
| ploye of the bureau. who is graduated
! physician. and who had supplied himself
| with vaccine points. The remainder have
! since been attended to by physician from
! the board of health
| DR.. Ramage is about forty-ive years CT
! age and married. His contraction of the
| disease cannot be accounted for On Sun
| day, November 6. he went to Great Falls on
canal boat, and it is the opinion of some
that 1t was on that boat that he became
affected.
Smallpox is not regarded as so dangerous
a disease because of its rate of mortality
as because of the rapidity of it's spread and
the early infection of a large neighborhood
of population from single case. Quaran-
tine rules always rigidly enforced IN
densely populated centerS because of this
popularity of the disease, in order that 1t
may be stamped out with CELEBRITY. Many
more deaths are caused by typhoid fever
| than smallpox, and several other common
| diseases are responsible for mortality
! greater than is generally accredited to this
| ailment.
Views of Health officials.
! 1t was ascertained at the health depart
| ment today that the officials do not believe
| there were any eruptions at all on the
| patient when he was at his desk Thurs
day DR.. Fowler of the health department
had the room in which Mr.. Ramage worked
and the two rooms adjoining disinfected
Monday night as a precautionary measure.
The officials of the health department do
not anticipate any serious consequences
whatever from the fact that Mr.. Ramage
was on duty In his Office last Thursday prior
to the development of smallpox