The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-11-13
. ,,,.',...'' ! r =. Il

) ssSSSi ~ n..ms ~ in the erup,iys
, stages 81 The disease, and thus made
y The inferiiaH widespread,
J. The snt~sfsars 81 the iiSnAse has
! noi been ranhnr,i 10 iiFaiilehofe ai"nr'
: foT tuition paIais fFam Chesterfield y,
~ and Dover Nrf. among 'h"~ w.
Z shaw sirns ~ the dis.as. ~ iis early
! s,a,.as Not anly aeTc the children
> ,n..,Y,i hat adults as well suffered
T,,n, ,br disease, Most 81 th-sc at
!. ,sn,l,.i their daily places ~ employment
] wiILout loss ~ work. although several
claimed 10 be- indlseased,
; Tase after ease Was reported 10 the
l.raI phYsieians, and ~ many of these
, IN. .tuI,iians we're laid NJ the deaf ~
M. chestnut. Attention was finally di
r.rIrd "a the smallpox situation through
a combination af eifrnms,Anees, aud
aros. aut ~ one ~ th. so-called eases
Of rhlrkrnpoN,
M. patient was Miss Esther Gibbs,
the daughter Of Mr., and Mrs, George
Gibbs ~ High street, 4 week ago last
Monday, little Miss Gibbs was taken
ia. aud nr. ". II. Lane was summoned
10 attend the patient. The symptoms
we're ihos. 81 rhiekenpox. and n the
disease was ~ prevalent among the
school children. she Was treated for
that ease. The child was confined 10
the house for four DAYS, hnd In that
time showed hni mild symptoms, On
| Friday ~ last week, Mrs. Gibbs called
| nr Lane on the telephone aud asked
| him IL the medicine that her daughter
WAS taking was causing the erupiions
on her face aud body. Being IT once
suspicious, br, Lane again visited the
Gibbs home aud Immediately ordered
the house and It's inmates placed under
quarantine. Feeling certain that the
ease was one 81 n suspicious nature aud
exhibited several signs Of smallpox, DIR.
Lane notified Dr. Tucker 81 the local
health board. and asked him IL he
would look into the ease, On Monday
morning Of this week. Dr. Lane con
suited DIR. llolion. and in company with |
the latter visited the Gibbs home where 4
the two physicians made an cxamina
iion of the girl DIR. llolton AZ once |
agreed with DIR. Lane that the symp 1
toms were those of typical smallpox 1
ease in its mildet form. DR., liOliOn 4
asked DIR. Tucker IL he would take care /
of the ease. rs he. DIR. Holton. had
been called TO Montpelier on important
business which could not be pni of.
DR.. iiolton left Brattleboro for the
north Monday noon, but. before leaving
requested DIR. Tucker t0 watch the ease
aud IL il should develop into anything
serious Ia wire him nj Montpelier.
In response Ia these requests DIR.
Tucker visited the Gibbs home Monday
afternoon. but AT that time stated that
he did not desire 10 pass an opinion ON
the ease without further examination.
He said, however, that he thought the
child had chickcnpoN. Later in the
evening he changed this opinion aud
declared the ease looked like smallpox.
Action was taken ~ once and the
house was quarantined.
Tuesday forenoon DIR. Tucker sent u
telegram TO Montpelier, requesting DIR.
Holion TO return to Bra'ilehoro. and ,
in response DIR. 1iolton reached Brattle
borO Tuesday afternoon. II was NJ !
once decided To take active measures. !
Examination of several more of the ,
so.called chickenpox eases showed that
in nearly every case, the patients were !
all suffering from smallpox in its milder I
forms, although one or two were seri I,
ously i'll. Tuesday evening n private !
conference between some Of the local I
physicians and the school board was !
held and il was finally decided TO close !
the schools the next m0fnino.
When DIR. lIolton reached Brattleboro ;
afternoon and learned of the n
serious turn which affairs were takinp. :
timing all suspicious eases, and immo- i,
iiately sent word to Dir. Charles ;. I
Caverly vi Rutland. president of the (
state board of health. asking him 10 n
visit Brattleboro at the earliest oppor.
unity. u
As the result of the local conference s
Tuesday evening. when the children re- n
ported AT school Wednesday morning $,
hey were notified that smallpox was !,
PREVALENT in the schools and in the u
own and that schools would be closed a
until further notice. Principal Smith
# the high school did not aid in the Is
work of dismissal. his son being one of Il
he patients Il
At Q o clock Wednesday morning Il
Dr.. Caverly reached Brattleboro and in Il
ompany with DR.. Holton visited sew.
raj of the patients in the vicinity Of b
iigh, Oak and Green streets. Seven
f these he pronounced typical small
ox cases. Stringent measures were al
nee taken in every one of the so-callcd
hickenpoX eases and the houses of the ,
atients and those with whom they II
rere known to have come in contact T.,
'ere placed under strict quarantine J..
)r. Caverly returned to Rutland on ~
Wednesday noon, requesting that ~, ~
hould the epidemic assume great pro- ", "
ortons he should be called at once. w
Following the closing of the school -
Wednesday morning, orders were, issued ~. ~
performances at the local 81
lotion picture theatre, the Nicoet, s ~
nd in response to these orders that 81 81
place was closed until VI
lrther notice. Late Wednesday after.
Don an informal council of the local
hysicians was called and the health
Ulcer and the board Of selectmen were
oseted together for some time. As III
'sult of these conferences orders were
sued Wednesday evening prohibiting w
ny gatherings of any description. All cit
nblic gathering places were ordered
osed, and churches were ordered to w
lspend services until further notice W.
he parochial school was closed M
'ednesday morning.
Lodges were notified to cancel all
ates for entertainments or MEETINGS.
nd the Clawson- Hamilton commercial
'llege was also closed. Probably the che
'ganization which felt the edict most abb
as Brattleboro lodge, New ENGLAND ed,
rider of Protection. A big banquet ni2
I'd installation had been planned for tie
'ednesday evening in honor of the Tor
st anniversary of the local chapter ed!
elegates from the supreme and Grand tie
dyes were present, and contingents all
ON Keene, N. H. Bellows Falls, -
reenfeld, Mass, and from other near,
: towns were prepared for the event
,od in great variety had been cooked
r the banquet. A class Of 200 can AZ
dates were to be initiated, but all WI
as called off at the order Of the local =
ard. The revival campaign planned
: the local churches has also been -