Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-04-16
SMALLPOX
Epidemic Threatened At South
Pittsburg Unless Active CO.
Operation EnsueS.

/ wish to call the attention of the
people and especially the medical pro-
fession, to the fact that smallpox ex-
lists in our county in the vicinity of
South Pittsburg and Deptford, and
a number of people have been exposed
to the same before the attention of
the health authorities was called to the
matter. Since finding this disease, |
have been using every precaution to
arrest its progress by rigid quarantine,
vaccination of exposed parties, etc.
but must say that my efforts have been
largely handicapped by disposition on
the part of some of the people to pro-
nounce this something other than small
pox, and failure to report the same
to the County Health Officer There
seems to be tendency among the peo-
pie to keep these things secret when in
their homes This, | assure you, is a
very grave mistake as well as viola
tion of the state law, which reads as
follows:
''Sec, 1. Be it further enacted by
the general assembly of the State of
Tennessee that whenever any case of
smallpox, yellow fever, cholera, bubon-
ic plague, typhus fever, diptheria,
membranous Group, scarlet fever, or
other communicable disease exists, or is
even expected to exist, in any house
hold, it shall be the duty of said
household, or any other person IN such
household, possessing knowledge of
said facts to Immediately notify the
municipal or county health authorities
of the town or county wherein such
disease or diseases may exist or may
be supposed to exist.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That
when any physician, surgeon, or prac-
titioner of medicine shall know or sus-
pect that any person or persons whom
they have been called to visit, or who
has been brought to them for examin-
alton, or any other suspicious inform
alton received relative thereto, or are
infected or even suspected with any OF
the aforementioned diseases, he shall
and it shall be his duty to Immediate
ly notify the health authorities of the
town or county in which said diseased
person, or persons, are found.
You SEQ from the above the duty OF
everyone as law abiding citizen,
and, if the people and the physicians
will comply with the above law, il
will greatly facilitate the efforts of the
health officer in eradicating this loathe
some disease
/ wish to be fair and courteous tc
everyone in this matter and especially
the physicians, and will be as liberia
as is consistent with reason in hand
ling this disease, but | must adopt
such measures as will afford protec
tion to the general public.
Now, then, in view of the fact tina
we are threatened viii widespread
epidemic of rather malignant form
of smallpox, the county Board o
Health have deemed it advisable tt
institute general vaccination in thi
immediate community, which, / as
sure You is the only means Of suppress
ing this disease and | most earnestly
solicit the hearty cooperation of TIN
medical profession and the genera
public in this and all other efforts il
stamping out said disease, and if salt
assistance is rendered, we think smal
pox in Marion County will soon be
thing of the past.
Most respectfully,
J. L. RAULSTON, NJ. d.
Chairman of the B. of H