The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-27
Public Is Asking Questions
About Reid Hospital and Is
Receiving a Variety Of An.
SWerS.
NEED OF PEST HOUSE
is GENERALLY FELT
Practically Only Dangerous
Contagion Now Is Smallpox
And Is Cared for Here in a
Poor Manner.


If the city council appropriated
money to construct a contagiOn ward
at the Reid Memorial hospital. would
it not be used more for erysipelas
and tuberculosis patients than for
those afflicted with smallpox! Would
Spring Grove residents permit this
city to erect such an addition to the
hospital. which is located within their
corporation? Was there not q mistake
made when the hospital was erected
and no ward was provided for the iso-
lation of patients afflicted with con-
tagious or Infectious diseases! are
questions asked.
Variety Of Answers.
A variety of answers are offered
and even the physicians differ. 1t IL
true the present agitation in regard to
the question of smallpox epidemic and
quarantine and the need Of \ pest
house has sunk wedge into the local
physicians and hardly any two speak
the same on the subject. Some de-
clare that the pest house should be in
an isolated location. remote from the
CITY, and in a structure that would not
require great outlay to replace. II tit
were destroyed for reasons of health
after years of service. Others are posi-.
tive in their assertions q contagion
ward ought to be built in conjunction
with the Reid Memorial hospital.
where patients might receive the aid
or trained nurses from that institution.
Vaccination Cure.
Practically the only dangerous con-
tagion which the physicians of this
day have to combat is smallpox. lf
the patient has been vaccinated he
has good chance for recovery after
a few weeks of illness. 1t is very like
Iy he will not be seriously i'll. Scar
let fever is practically obsolete. Very
few cases of this disease are report
ed annually in this city. Physicians
say the same condition Is noted
throughout the country. The disease
simply has run its course and is bo-
coming more of a rarity than anything
else. No reason is offered other than
the improved general health condi-
tons and the fact the disease has
been retarded constantly by physi.
clans. Diphtheria is being fought sue.
cessfully with anti-toxin. Since the
discovery of this agency and it's ef-
fective use, this disease has decreased
in its severity and the frequency with
which it has occurred. Withinsthe last
few years. 1t has come to be regard
ed more as a disease of children than
any other class of patients.
Mother 10 Needed.
Local physicians unite In saying. II
a child be afflicted with diphtheria.
1t would be next to impossible to caro-
for it without the assistance Of 1ts
mother. To remove it to a pest house
is advisable, IL the mother be taken
with 1t. For this purpose the city
| would require proper accommodations.
The local pest house fs not very
large. but II is very seldom there are
more than one or two cases Of diph-
iberia in the city at time.
Smallpox Is no respecter Of persons.
1t attacks the old and the young with
the same ayidity. Children suffer
less severely usually than do adults.
The same difficulties in the isolation
of children afflicted with this disease
would be encountered as when the
disease is diphtheria. But with adults
the case is different. Each one could
be cared for at the pest house. There
are two buildings that could be used
for the purpose. The larger structure
| had been considered as a detention
hospital until DIR. Charles C. Bond be-
came city health officer. and he has
not seen fit to make use Of il for any
purpose. Despite what DR.. Bond says
the buildings are in condition to re-
ceive patients at any time. although
| fires are not now maintained.
Could be Cared For.
Adult patients could be cared for nc
the pesthouse and their families pro-
tected- Under the farciaI quarantine
the entire family has been endanger-
ed when the disease once made fits ap-
pearance- Vaccination has been re-
sorted to. but naturally not until after
the disease has had chance to spread
through the household. There is al
ways the chance Of the vaccination
not proving effective. II the patient
were an adult, or even as old as four
teen. his prompt removal TO the pest
house would avoid the probability Of
further complications.
Gives Different Advice.
Under DR. Bonds regime A. healfh
officer. the effectiveness Of . quar-
antine appears to differ according to