Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-05-26
CRISIS At SHELL ROCK.
Local Health Board Defies State Eoaru
Of heaiJn.

81 F1SdIkIt.
Des Moues, May Ca few days
ago the state board of health was no.
titled of the presence of disease
among the school children of Shell
Rock, which had the appearance OF
the dreaded scarlet fever. Dr.. +. w.
Powers of Waterloo, member of The
board from the Tenth district, was
ordered to investigate anj make a
report. He found five cases, which he
pronounced scarlet fever. A petition
which was sent to the board of health
stating that the local board was neg.
lecting its duty was taken up, and the
local health physician who had been
in Office seventeen years, DR.. w. H..
Smith, was Immediately derosed.
Dr. Smith pronounced the disease
a rash. DR.. Powers saw in it scarlet
fever. and, with DR.. Linn of Des
Moines, who accompanied him on the
trip, took things in his own hands.
DR.. o. Coffee of Waverly was ap-
pointed health physician and he i'm
mediately placed quarantine cards up
on the houses where the cases could
be found.
The ire of the people was at once
aroused and the school board against
whom much of the attack of the ply
sicians was directed, declared pub
licly, individually, and severally, that
they would use physical force in re-
lieving the town of all the doctors
present if they didn't Immediately take
move on themselves. They threat.
ened to at once drive DR.. Coffee out
Of the city if he tried to fumigate the
school house.
DR.. Coffee afterward tried to faIni.
gate the houses where the disease
was present, but was driven from
every one save two, where he was al.
lowed entrance and proceeded to fuml-
gate them according to the orders OF
the state board.
These, however. were but the finder
which was being piled uIon the kind
ling flames of public opinion.
Friday night the excitement reached
its zenith when DR.. Powers and DR..
Linn were stopping at local hotel
there. While in their rooms the town
had become so aroused that mob
of ever 100 people surged into the
hotel building. calling the doctors
names and making many threats OF
personal violence. The mob, made
up not of the riff-raff of the place,
but OF the prominent citizens, became
so belligerant that the two doctors
secured a livery rig and drove 10
Waverly, a few miles away.
The physicians at once telephoned
Attorney General Mullan to send
armed deputies to Shell Rock and 10
see that the rules of the state board
of health are carried out. The attor-
ney general will today make a per
sonal investigation. Superintendent
Sharpe of the schools has ordered
them closed in accordance with the
orders of the state board of health.
Des Moines, May 23.-Attorney
General Mullan said yesterday that
the last news he had from Shell Rock
was to the effect that DR.. Powers
Of the state board of health and the
city authorities had agreed that the
disease which was assailing a num-
Der of people at Shell Rock was act
ually scarlet fever, and the city auth
critics had agreed to follow the regu-
lations of the state board.
1t was otherwise learned here yes
terday that the city council called in
outside physicians and upon their
diagnosing the disease as scarlet
fever the aldermen decided to submit
to the state board of health. DR.. w.
H. Smith resigned as health officer
and DR.. Buttin was elected to sue
coed him. DR.. Powers of Waterloo
visited Shell Rock again yesterday,
taking with him Attorney J. F. Will
Jams. They ordered the schools
fumigated. 1t was done and school
will be resumed today. Another case
of the disease, the sixth one, was
guaranteed yesterday.