Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-03-12


Says Scare is Ridiculous and That
State Of Maryland Law Makes n
Possible For a Few "know.lt-Alr'
Doctors to Retard Business Inter
ests Of Community.
Communicated
Great Cacapon, w. Va.
March 3, 1910.
AS | have noticed considerable
highly sensational matter in your pa
per lately concerning the socalled
smallpox in this section | would be
under many obligations If 0 would
give publicity to the following facts
in connection with 1t.
In the spring of 1905, following the
very severe winter OF 19o4-5 there
was al outbreak OF an eruptive dis
ease In the village of Great Cacapon
the pnstules Of which closely resem-
bled those of smallpox. There was
that its victims rarely experienced
more discomfort than ensues from a
common cold and there were no IA
talities. The earlier manifestations
were all very mild so that while the
/ eruption vas frequently profuse, per.
sons suffering from 1t went about
their usual %avocations as though moth
ing was the matter. Many of them
visited Berkeley Springs and mingled
with the citizens as usual. Suddenly
the cry of smallpox was raised and
Berkeley Springs placed guards on the
communicating roads allowing no n
to pass, effectually locking the door
after the horse was gone II there had
been any horse to go.
Nearly every one in the village of
Great Cacapon had 1t and two or three
OF them were quite sick but there
were no fatalities and no bad after ef-
fects.
At this same time the extension OF
the Western Maryland railroad was
under construction on the opposite
side of the river and men engaged In
this work, many of them the lowest
order OF negroes and foreigners were
constantly coming and going across
the river mingling with the citizens
still covered with the eruption. and
travelling up and down the Baltimore
and Ohio to Hancock and other places
but in no ease did the disease cross
the river. while the people OF Han
cock, now so hysterical, were per-
fectly oblivious. The disease confined
itself to the village and immediate vi.
cinity and practically disappeared
with the coming of warm weather.
II has reappeared in a small way
from time to time since in the neigh
borhood and this spring, following the
recent severe weather as before. ii
appears to be somewhat worse In
Berkeley Springs, than at any time
since the Great Cacapon outbreak,
when there were several hundred
cases. There are at present only two
cases in Berkeley Springs and they
are so far convalescent that their re-
lease is only a matter of a few days.
AS to professional opinions oncern
ing the name and nature OF the dis
ease; the same physician who main
tanned that the Great Cacapon out
break was not smallpox now main
tains that the cases in Berkeley
Springs are not smallpox.
The experts brought from a dis
tance to Great Cacapon stated that 1t
was smallpox just as those sent here
by the Maryland Board of Health
state that the trouble m Berkeley
Springs is smallpox.
Looked at from a practical stand
point we appear to be dealing with a
disease which. while the eruption Is
d~isagreeable the other symptoms
rarely cause serious discomfort OF dis
ability, and never death, notwith-
S; sanding 1t numbers among its vic
tins many Of the weakest and most
poorly nourished of the community,
living In the most unsanitary sur
roundings. Yet we are asked to call
this smallpox and place 1t in the
same class rs the recently reported
malady of a Man of War on the Pa
cifc coast, where, among a crew OF
young men selected for their sound
ness and vigor. fully nourished and
living in The most sanitary environ
ment, 1t has caused a large percent
age of deaths, Notwithstanding the
best care which the Medical Depart
ment of the Navy could supply. The
proposition Is absurd.
When to this is added the evident
s~luggishness with which this disease
travels the quarantine established by
Maryland's Board of Health be-
comes ridiculous II 1t were not such
a serious matter to the business IN