The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-02-02
SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC THREAT.
ENED.
The Situation at Bossard's Regarded
AS Quite Serious Owing to Number
Who Have Been Expoesd to Infec
ton.

ton.
In compliance with the request of
County Supervisor Pitts, Health Ofi-
Ger Reardon went out to Bossards,
Sumter county, Saturday afternoon to
investigate the reported case of
smallpox at that place. He reports
that he found Mr.. Madison Yates suf-
fering with one of the most typical
and virulent cases Of continent small
pox he has seen in fifteen years. Mr..
Yates was suffering considerably and
his body Is covered with hundreds of
large pustules. The pustules are in
the roof Of his mouth, eyes, face.
soles of his feet, palms of his hand,
and In fact all over the body. The
patient was very i'll, but had not yet
finished breaking out" as they say
during the pustular stage. Rigid in
quiry as to where Mr.. Yates contract
ed the smallpox, brought forth the
information that several cases of
smallpox are in the Mechanicsville
section near Bossards and that no
quarantine had been established and
the patients had gone around in the
country before they had completely
| rcoverd.
Unfortunately Mr.. Yates, Just be-
fore he was sick enough to be con-
fined to his room, and before sending
Tor a physician went around the
country good deal, and so did MEM
bers OF his family. People went to
Mr. Yates house. also. before he
round out he had smallpox. Mr..
Reardon quarantined the Yates resi-
dence, placed board of health yell
low quarantine card on the house.
notifying every one to keep out IN
der penalty of the law, and signed
the card as acting county health Off:
Ger.
1t was impossible to say Just what
the results Of Mr.. Yates illness will
be as the case had not sufficiently de-
veloped to forecast results, but 1t is a
very severe type Of smallpox. Mrs.
Yates had never been vaccinated, but
the health officer vaccinated her. AS
she has been exposed to the disease
for more than ten days he has little
hopes of preventing her contracting
smallpox, but hopes that the vacci-
nation will take" and at least miti-
gate the disease.
Mr.. Yates brother, the only other
member of the family, was success
fully vaccinated about seven years
ago. Therefore his chances of con-
tracing the disease, although con-
stantly exposed for ten days, are re-
mote, but he submitted TO vaccina-
ton anyhow to be on the safe side
In case his old vaccination or immun-
ity has run out"
There Is no disposition to frighten
the people. but the health officer says
that hundreds of people are coming
into Sumter from the infected section
every day. He does not know as yet
how many more cases Of the disease,
If any more there be, in that section.
and he Is not authorized to remain
out there long enough from his city
duties to make a close investigation.
But he thinks that for at least one
week there should be a smallpox ex-
pert stationed in that community to
visit every house and hunt out any
cases there may be, vaccinate the
people generally, and quarantine and
disinfect.
Unless this is done he fears that
there Is going to be a serious out
break and that Sumter and Bishop
vile are in danger of having serious
outbreaks Of the disease, as both
those places are being visited by hun
dreds from Bossards and Mechanics
vile neighborhood. He desires to
impress upon Sumter people the i'm
portance Of having themselves vacci-
mated Immediately.
The citizens Of the rural districts,
B'shopville and Sumter can do more
than any one else to check the out
break by hunting up the physicians
and the health officer and being vac
cinated without further delay. Vac
cination Of everybody will kill out
smallpox quicker than anything else.