Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-17
Health Department Reports a
Case Today.
SCHEME OFQUARANTINE
ALL CASES LIKELY TO DEVELOP
IN SIXTEEN DAYS.
All Other Inmates Probably to Be Vac
cinated Discovered
Last Night.

Smallpox has broken out in the District
jail This statement emanated from the
health office this morning, and with 1t the
announcement that probably as many as
1S6 prisoners wifi be held under quarantine
| for the full period of sixteen days. within
which time all medical authorities agree
| that any additional persons infected with
| the disease will have developed the tell
| tale rash.
All last night and today the health office
officials were busy perfecting the scheme of
quarantine. and 1t is stated as likely that
every one of the 45O inmates of the Jail will
be vaccina ted.
Much OF mystery surrounds the case of
smallpox In question. The patient Payton
Sweet. negro, fifty-four years old, is now
In one OF the wards at the Smallpox Hospi-
tai His ailment was discovered to be
smallpox shortly after 10 O'Clock last night,
and he was Immediately removed to the
nefghboring institution.
Sweet was admitted to the iail as a pris-
oner on July 10. 1905, and since that date
ne has been continuously confined there At
the time Of his admission he was vaccina ted
but when subsequent observation was made
To-Day 1t was found that the vaccination was
not successful. He was taken sick last
friday with an attack of vomiting and at
| that time received treatment from the hos
pital steward The case did not come under
observation again until yesterday afternoon,
When 1t was discovered that Sweet was
broken out The eruption had appea red
according to the statement made to the
hospital steward by the patient about a
| day or two ago. and was at first regarded
Dy him as the result Of MOSQUITO bites:
| later 1t became apparent to the patient and
| TO some of his fellow prisoners that 1t was
| due to some other cause This together
with his general to
| led to the sending for the hospital stew
ard and for the acting attending physician
| to the jail
Origin Not Known
Where, when or how Sweet came In con-
| tact with smallpox cannot be ascertained
| either by the health office or by the officials
at the Jail. During his period of incarcera-
| ton. which has already been much longer
| than the period necessary for the incuba-
ton OF any smallpox germs which he might
nave brought into the jail with him, Warden
harris declared this morning. Sweet has
been visited by one, nor during that
time has he received any clothing or any,
thing from the outside in which the In
fection might have been carried
sweet acted as barber in the south wing
or the Jail, in which he was confined but
warden Harris said this morning that 1T
was uncomfortable that Sweet could have
contracted smallpox from any of the pris-
oners he shaved when none of them either
Derore or since was discovered to be suf-
fering from the dread disease
Sweet was assigned to cell No IO3 on
the top Hoor of the south wing of the Jail,
and this cell, as well as every other part
! OF the Jail in which the negro WAS known
| to have been, have been dfsinfected Ali
told, In the south wing there are confined
| today 1855 prisoners, and Warden Harris
! VINO declares that he would rather err on
! the side of overprecaution than otherwise
| said that he would be best satisfied to
nave that whole wing quarantined One
| effect of this drastic order would be that
within the next few days, would be com
PEELED to spend a somewhat longer time
IN jail. one order in this connection has
been finally made. namely, that each day
the names of all prisoners whose terms end
within the ensuing twenty four hours will
be forwarded to the health Office and not
one Will be released from custody without
the sanction of the health authorities.
May Never Be Known.
Because medical science has not yet been
able to isolate the smallpox germ, the
source of Sweets Infection will probably
never be known. One theory was advanced
this morning, and while it could neither be
disputed nor affirmed 1t involves such seri-
Gus consequences that the health office Is
reluctant to concede it's FEASIBILITY The
Idea suggested was that the smallpox germ
which brought about Sweets Illness was
carried into the jail on the wind from the
Smallpox Hospital. The latter institution
is not very far distant from the jail. and
the breezes must at times blow over the
hospital and thence Into the Jail. To abso-
iutely demonstrate this theory of course
1t would be necessary to prove that the
smallpox germ can be carried by the wind.
but while this cannot be done neither can
1t be proven that the germ cannot be trans
mitted from individual to individual
through the agency of an air current. The
Smallpox Hospital has not been long
enough established in its new quarters to
have by It's record. shown that 1t Is a
source of danger, but If analysis of the
situation should determine such to be the
case. 1t would mean that the pest house"
would not be tolerated at a point where 1t
constantly subjected between 400 and 500
men and women to danger.
Any hypothesis other than this would be
gladly welcomed by every resident of the
District vino believes that the Smallpox Hos
pltal. only recently completed has been put
will be spared to run to earth the source of
the infection in the case of the negro Sweet.
During the period when quarantine Is in
force at the District jail not one of the
prisoners will be permitted to receive a Wis
tor. Warden Harris declaring that he felt
that this would be fair neither to the pris-
oners nor to the public No services will be
held Sunday, as has been the weekly
custom, and all prisoners consigned to Jail
by either the Police Court judges or the
grand jury will be confined in the north
wing. which Is comparatively remote from
the place here Sweet quartered
Prisoners committed to jail today were
confined in cells outside the section which
Is under quarantine.