The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-11-13

lent IN tnilu luIIh n'ltaboutr ioI wv
past several months, hut 50 apparn,l
innocuous have been the symptoms tha
not until Tuesday afternoon did tb
health authorities decide on the natur
OF the epidemic. Since then active meas
ures have been taken by the authoritie
under the direction Of DIR. ii. ID. Hol
ton, secretary Of the state board o
health. to check its spread. All the pub
lie and private schools in town hav,
been closed and orders hre been issued
forbiddng all church services or publ,
gatherings OF any kind. All the houses
in which there are now cases OF the dis
ease have been placed under strict quar-.
antine, DIR. Henry Tucker, local health
officer. having been placed in charge OF
the situation by agreement OF the local
| physicians aud the sclectmen. Since
Tuesday evening no public meetings of
any kind have been held and there will
be no services in any of the churches
Sunday
Bnttleboro is not alone in the serious
situation which now exists. Cases Of
|
Dover, Londonderry and Vernon, and in
IIinsdale, n. H., there are several cases
OF a disease similar in its nature TO that
which is so prevalent in this town.
The feature of the situation which
causes most concern in Brattleboro is the
utter uncertainty on the part of the ply.
scians as to the number who have been
exposed. Up to the first of this week
there was little suspicion among the doc
tors that there was a case of smallpox
within so miles of this section. There
were a number of cases of what they
considered mild and peculiar type Of
chicken.pox but these caused no feeling
OF apprehension and the quarantine re-
strictions placed upon them were not
severe. Ten or dozen cases of this dis
ease made their appearance among the
pupils of the third and fourth grades OF
the high school building. In addition to
the cases diagnosed as chicken-pox there
have existed in town during the past sew
eral weeks or longer number OF cases OF
so mild a nature that the victims did
not consider it necessary even to call a
physician. They were i'll for a day or
two with slight fever headache and
mild rash but gave their condition no
serious thought. Some Of these people
thought the trouble to be sort Of dis
temper due to the extremely dry weather
of the past summer while Others were
of the opinion that they were suffering !
with ivy poisoning.
1t was not until tuesday afternoon |
that DR.. Holton came to the conclusion |
that there was smallpox in Brattleboro.
After visiting four cases that afternoon
in company with DR.. Tucker, the secre-
phoned to DR.. G. S. Caverly of Rutland,
president of the board, and he came to
Brattleboro Wednesday morning. After
an inspection of several cases he con-
firmed DR.. Holton's diagnosis in every
1t was then decided that all
of the cases Of the eruptive disease which
had occurred were in reality mild form
of smallpox and the work of investigation
and quarantine started Immediately.
Nothing will do so much toward
checking the spread of the disease as the
town. Indeed, if this cooperation is
not Forthcoming Immediately there is no
eling to what an alarming extent the
situation will develop. The greatest diff
iculty with which the local health au-
,horities have to contend is the skep-
icism of the public regarding the nature
If the disease For the sake of public I
afety this skepticism should be dis.
)elled at once. There is no shadow of {
loubt but what the epidemic which con-
ronts the town is genuine smallpox. {
The cases thus far have been a mild type .
,ut there is no telling when serious t
ases will develop. Medical records show
hat smallpox increases in virulency with I
he coming of cold weather. Not only 1
re the local physicians agreed that the t
isease is smallpox but Miss Elsie p. t
IcClosky, superintendent of the Brattle- /
oro Memorial hospital, feels positive OF h
his. Miss McClosky has had much ex- C
erience with smallpox, having had the o
isease herself and being at one time at
he head of a large smallpox hospital c
uring an outbreak in Pennsylvania. C
1t has been suggested by several promi- b
ent business men that the town get
,me eminent specialist in smallpox to p
ome to Brattleboro for the purpose of h
the diagnosis of the local ply h
clans and prescribing quarantine regu "
tions Their idea is not that the local ft
octors or the state board are wrong W
ut that the statement of man Of wide W
,putation on this subject would help to p
,nvince everybody of the gravity of the b
tuation. W
Dr.. Holton stated last evening that F
hat was needed more than anything d
as a suitable building in which to de- p,
in suspected cases. He said the town ei
lthorities ought to erect at once in So
me, isolated portion of the town large it
anne building which could be used for 81
lis purpose. DIR. Holton says he thinks m
e local health authorities have the stu pl
ion well in hand and does not antici- ca
tie a wide spread of the disease al W
ough he is free to admit large ele- Ii
ent of uncertainty on account of the va
definite knowledge as to the number of
ople exposed Yesterday morning in be
half of the state board of health he is M
ed the following statement: th
} THE PEOPLE OF BRATTLEBORO w w
Smallpox has been discovered to have d
en- present in Brattleboro for some dc
me- The cases have been of a mild G;
aracter, having been quarantined as ca
At the present time 80 an
ses are under quarantine as undoubted du
lallpox. It is impossible to say at this
ne how many have been exposed. 1t is II,
portant that this disease should be "
lmped out as soon as possible. To
is end we invite the cooperation of L.
cry citizen. The necessary means to WI
,omplish this purpose are such as may ia
IN harsh to some, but careful consid- Nj