The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-18

| Street, whic.l was reported to the Rich
mond Health Department on last Thurs
day, and the group of cases found in
more concern to us than any cases of
this disease that have been in Rich
inond since | have been in Office" said
Chief Health Officer Il. C. Levy last
night. "All these people had been III
Tor some time when reported to the
Health Department. and no precautions
whatsoever had been taken to avoid
giving the disease to others.
The present situation is the direct
outcome of the cases or smallpox in
Locust Alley some weeks ago The
first of these cases was not recognized
by the attending physician, and hence
1t was not reported to us until three
other cases had developed in the house.
We at once issued complete state
ment of the situation in the daily pa
pers and warned every one who had
been exposed TO get vaccinated at once
OF course we put vaccinators in this
territory and vaccinated every person
within number of blocks in every di-
rection. Some persons, however had !
been exposed to the first unreported |
case at least two weeks before our
warning was issued. and 1t was there
fore too late to head off smallpox in
these cases by vaccination. Others
neglected 10 heed our warning. There
IS no telling how many persons were
aSposed TO these cases, since many of
-hem like the first of these Fulton
,ases, took no heed whatsoever of our
How Fulton Cases started.
Certainly the cases found in Fulton
asst week had their origin in this man
ler The first case was so mild that
The young man did not see doctor
He admits that he saw the warning in
the newspaper and that when he was
taken i'll he was satisfied that he had
smallpox: yet he took no precautions
for the protection of others.
we would not have discovered the
trouble even now but for our custom
Of having the medical inspector prompt
~ investigate every case of an adult
that is reported as having chickenpoN.
This was the way we found the first
case in Fulton on FriGSiy. and follow
ing this UP whole bunch of other
cases were found. some of them just
beginning and others we'll on the road
to recovery from attacks so mild that
they had seen no doctor. Besides this
we found a large number of persons
who have been intimately exposed to
these cases, both at home and at work,
but who have never been vaccinated
Some of these, in spite of our having I,
vaccinated them at once, Will very prob
ably develop smallpox,
1--WE have SIX vaccinators now at
work--two in the blocks about Eight
eenth and Broad Streets, two in Full
. on apl i,, ~ IL l.
which there are a number of unvac-
cinated persons who have been ex-
posed to these cases But it is abso-
lutely impossible 10 reach every per-
son who may have been exposed dur
ing the weeks that the disease has
been hidden in Fulton, unrecognized, |
and with absolutely no attempt at
quarantine. Sam Johnson. the colored
barber was at work at his trade fully
week at the beginning of his illness,
when he was certainly in condition TO
give the disease to others.
How 10 Prevent 1t.
Fortunately there is no need for !
any person either to have smallpox
himself or TO have ii break out among
the persons employed by him. Vacci.
nation furnishes complete protection il ,
properly done In addition to our own :,
direct efforts to reach with vaccination !
hose whom we have most reason to
believe have been exposed, the follow
ng general advice is given:
~. Every person who Inns never been
ynccinatcd should attend /
o this without delay. Every mother OF I
child who has never been SUCCESS {
ully vnccinnted should have the child
nccinnted mt once. Remember TINT the
mere act OF vacclnntinE does not pro- ,
ect. In order to protect, the yaccinn- )
ion must take r
80 Heads of families should imme- t
lately nee to 1t that not only every
member of the household
= promptly vaccinnted, hut they should
especially see that their servants and
all persons living the lot are also
DO not accept their word
for 1t, hut examine their arms and in ,
,ist that they be Nnccinnted If they do
not show good scar.
%. Heads of factories, department.
stores md other establishments should
have NIL their employees ynccInated
Many such employees are recently from
the country, where vaccination tx wo-
fully neglected.
Gives Facts to Public.