Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-06-21
STAMPING OUT SMALLPOX.
pesuIts Of Kxperiments Carried On
In Cleveland, O.-FOrnaldshyos
- Disinfecting Agent

According to B. o. Flower, writing in
the April Arena, published in New
York city, DR.. Martin Friedrich, head
of the health Office of Cleveland, o., has
opened the way for the stamping out
Of the scourge of smallpox without re-
sorting to vaccination. Previously to
being promoted to the head of the
health office DR.. Friedrich was for
three years in the employ of the city
His experience during that time con
vinced him that vaccination was
not an invariable preventive of small
pox, but, on the other hand, that, after
disinfection with formaldehyde of a
house in which the disease was found,
never another case could be traced TO
that house. DR.. Friedrich says:
81 laid these facts before Mayor johnson
and proposed to stop vaccination entirely
and Instead OF 1t disinfect thoroughly with
formaldehyde every section OF the city
whore smallpox had made It's appearance
also to give the city a general cleaning up
The mayor not only consented to my plan
but also gave me all aid needed forme
two squads Of disinfectQrs, preferring med
ical students for the work. Each squad
consisted OF 20 men. with regular sani-
tary patroiman at their head, and each
man was provided with a ioImaldehyde
generator. Thus equipped they started out
to disinfect every section Of the city where
the disease had shown its head, and every
house In this section. no matter II small
pON had been within or not, and every room.
nook and corner OF the house, special at
tention being paid to winter clothes that
had been stored away, presumably laden
with germs. II took over three months to
do the work. but the result was most graft
flying. After July 2 seven more cases de-
veloped. the last one August 23
"In order to give you an adequate idea
OF what we did here to get rid Of smallpox.
have to mention the Investigation depart
ment. consisting OF physicians who were
thoroughly familiar with every phase Of
the disease. They were day and night at
the disposal OF the health department.
They had to Investigate every suspicious
case In town. and whenever they found 8
case Of smallpox they asked the patient the
following questions:
who visited you during the last two
weeksl
Whom have you visited during the last
two weeks7
Have you been at any public meeting
during that time and who was present, to
your knowledge?
Where do you work!
Where do the children attend SCHOOL,
Where does your family attend divine
worship?
This information obtained, they started
out to all the indicated addresses. They
asked the foreman, preacher and teacher
for all absentees during the last month
from shop, church or school, and then vls-
tied the house OF every one Of them They
'phoned their findings TO the health Office.
and disinfectors with formaldehyGe gem
orators were kept ready 10 follow the step
Of the investigators and dis!nfect where
there was the slightest suspicion OF an ex-
posure to smallpox. Along with this the
regular sanitary police force was given or
ders to make house-to-house canvass to
tell the public to clean up their yards
barns and outhouses. and abate all nui-
sances that could be found. As result OF
II Cleveland Is now free from smallpox,
and from the worst infected city It has be-
come the cleanest"