The Penn's Grove record., 1911-01-20
A MYsrEsIOUs PETTY PEsTILENCE.
More Suffering From Vaccination
Than From Smallpox.

hA0
The scare over smallpox which struck
PENIS Grove two weeks ago is rapidly
subsiding because there are so few new
cases and all the affected are recovering
rapidly. Mrs. William ("Sheb') john
son went to the hospital last Friday and
Edward Diver, at the Cove, was taken
there on Wednesday afternoon. No other
cases have been reported up to this Friday
noon.
In ALI Sc venteen cases have been re-
ported and eleven are in the hospital /.
| One developed there. Walter Peterson
who went to assist his wife cook had a
few eruptions to appear. Notwithstanding
he had been vaccinated.
Joseph Sharper, the colored ma near
Wrights school house was the worst case
His body was covered with an eruption
and he was confined to his bed for four
DAYS but was able to be about the middle
part of this week.
All the affected in the hospital are
doing finely and enjoying the best OF a
good time. The greatest trouble the
doctor, nurse and cooks have is to get
enough for them to eat. They enjoy beef
andp1amb immensely in their sickness ~.
In fact, there has not been a case OF sell
ious sickness. No II was "strIcken"
in the most general understanding OF the
meaning OF the word applied to smallpox.
The er~uptions are so light and their are
so few water blisters that it is neither
y~irulent nor dreaded by the patients who
feel better as soon as the rash and lew
pox blisters break out. The rash Is
about three. days in breaking out, three
days drying up, and three days clearing
off.
The Board of Health had a small build
ing brought from the powder works SO
the patients clothes can be fumigated and
they can take a chemical bath before
coming out. 1t is expected some will be
let out next week.
The Board OF Health has a man from
Camden fumigating the houses where the
affected lived, and the quarantine has
been lifted from some. Note the words
affected, not afflicted
While the physicians, state inspector,
nurses and fumigator say the pestllence
is smallpox, yet, because of it's very, very
mild form, many, many doubt it can be
smallpox, when there has been no death
nor even a case OF serious sickness.
In fact, the smallpox now in Penn's
Grove, has not proved to be as bad as
~chickenpox and measles. Because OF
that there seems to be no good reason
why the churches and schools should not
omen and business resume its normal
course. All have been vaccinated who
intend to be.
In fact, there is more suffering from
vaccination than there is or has been
from smallpox. Many have suffered
much from sore arms, headaches and
pains. One-third of the sou men who
work at Carney's Point are off because OF
vaccination.
The state inspector believed that he
had traced the origin to Grover Relghn,
who vent South to fish on the Bird.
There have been reports that those in
the fishing camp OH the Altamaha river
were afflicted. Two letters were received
from Darien this week. The II from
George Whitaker said: "All the boys are
we'll and happy"
One of the mysteries is, not one OF the
fifteen relatives with whom Grover Reign
associated for a month before going South,
has peer taken with the pestilence, nor
has one been affected in the families OF
those now in the hospital.
People in other towns need not fear of
smallpox from Penn's Grove, as the type
here is not as bad as bad cases of chicken
pox and measles usually are. All the
people in the nation better be inoculated
with it, if it makes them immune from
the v%irulent smallpox, instead of suffer-
ing the torture of cowpox vaccination.
Those who have it are not as much an
noyed as many others are scared.
ga rose by any other name would
smell as sweet" The epidemic in Penn's
Grove called by any other name than
'ssmallpox'' would loose all Of It's terror.