The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-24
SMALLPOX SCARE
SPREADING OVER
WHOLE COUNTY
Health officers Urge Greatest
Precautions on Part of
Citizens Generally
NEGROES ARE LEADERS
IN SPREADING DISEASE
Construction Camps Are Giving County
Health Officer Most Trouble-Two
Cases of Smallpox Reported
on South Highlands


While Jefferson county is one of the
largest counties in any state in the
United States and while the population
of it is greater in proportion than any
county in the state. the county health
department consists Of but one man,
Health Officer DR.. n. II. Rosser and it
is claimed that 1t would be almost a
physical impossibility for even three or
four people to attend to all of the varied
duties of this department.
This fact is interesting on account of
the epidemic of smallpox with which the
entire county is at present threatened.
DR.. Rosser has made no complaint re-
ga riding the amount of work he has upon
himself, but is facing the enormous task
as best he can with the limited facili-
ties at his command. 1t is doubtful If it
would have come to light had not an
Age Herald reporter dropped in at Dr.
Rosser's office yesterday afternoon for
the purpose of interviewing him in re-
gard to the prevalence of smallpox in the
district.
'The county health department has
nothing to do with the territory within
Incorporated towns, as each of them has
it's own health department., said DR..
RosserA 1.-THE outlying territory, how
ever, presents problems enough and the
great distance makes 1t physically i'm
possible for one man to personally attend
to each case needing the attention of the
health department.
"At present there are a number of
cases of smallpox in the county, the hot
bed of this disease being in Bessemer.
Most of them are among negroes and the
ignorance and general fear of the law
among this class makes 1t a difficult
matter to entirely kill out the disease.
| 80 far as the fumigation of places
where there have been smallpox patients
is concerned. we have to depend upon
the local doctors to see that this is prop
erly done. The mining companies as a
rule have their doctors to see that such
places are fumigated. OR main trouble
we find Ia among the railroad construc-
ton camps where cases of smallpox are
allowed to run on for several weeks be-
| fore being reported. The negroes from
these camps are then liable to move to
all the different sections of the county
and carry the dread disease with them.
1t would be impossible for one man to
keep an eye on all of these different
places.
"Our method of fumigation is to have
the people residing in the house where
there happened to be case of smallpox
purchase about 10 or 10 cents worth of
sulphur and fumigate their homes
with it,
The smallpox epidemic is being strenu-
ously fought by the city. vaccinating
SQUAD under Assistant Health Officer
Watts is going through the negro schools
and vaccinating those who cannot show
good scars A trip to the negro school at
Graymont Tuesday resulted in the vacei-
nation of 175 students of the school.
In the primary grade there were but four
or five children who had been vaccinated.
Had there been even a mild case of
smallpox in this school the entire school
would probably have been taken with it.
AS fast as they are discovered smallpox
patients are rushed to the pesthouse.
The alleys in which are crowded num-
bers of negro shacks are the places where
1t is feared an epidemic might break out,
and Chief Sanitary Inspector Burson,
with his corps of assistants, is keeping a
sharp lookout on these places.
1t has been found necessary to flag
| two houses on South Highlands, it being
impracticable to remove the patients be-
cause both were infants. These cases
developed without its being known just
| what they were at first. In both in
| stances adults in the two houses had the
disease in a mild form and were practi-
| cally well before the nature of the dis
ease was discovered, and the children
caught 1t from them
| One of these cases is near the corner
| Of Avenue G and Twenty-first street and
the other near the corner of Avenue 1
and Thirteenth street.
While the city is fighting the disease
so strenuously 1t is feared that 1t may
spread among the outlying districts in
the county by reason of the lack of coun-
| ty facilities to fight 1t.
| The epidemic has broken out in num-
der of spots and the need for absolute
| cleanliness of both person and surround
ngs is urged by the health officers Per-
sons are requested to report cases and
suspected cases Immediately to the health
| officers.
|