Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-09-04
DOCTORS BILLS ORDERED PAID
Nearly $4,000 for Vaccinations
during Smallpox Scare.
Aldermen Tabled Special Committees
Report Recommending Payment Mt
the Rate of 80 Cents Each and
Voted Full Amount.

The board of aldermen voted last even
ing to pay the bills. amounting to s5,5sSl 10,
incurred by the board of health in MAX
ing vaccinations during the smallpox
scare late I'm the spring. The special
committee appointed to inquire as to
why the figures were so large made its
long promised report recommending pay |
ment to the physcans concerned at the !
rate of SO cents a hesd for vaccinations |
and a reduction OF 20 per cent in the !
bills for materials
1t was moved to table the committee
report, and upon motion os Alderman
Boucher seconded by Alderman Du-
hamel, 1t was ordered that the mayor
warrant be drawn for the sum named,
Members of the board Of aldermen who
discussed the matter took. In general. the
position that inasmuch as the city ha
incurred the bills they should be paid
Mayor Burke compared the figures here
with charges for similar services in
Barre. Montpelier and Winooski. and the
counter assertions of members of the
board Of health resulted in several spicy
verbal tits
| The mayor quoted Health Officer Lind
| say of Montpelier as sa wing that go vac
cinations were made there in 1912 at
total cost of about 1929. or 81 cents n head
the sum including SIG for vaccine and
shields. In Barre. according to DR.. John
H. Woodruff, said the mayor. 100 persons
were vaccinated at IS cents each, includ-
| ing II cents for materials and II cents
for services there physicians were hired
at SIS for a day of six hours, with train
ed nurses at So The total cost of Barre
municipal vaccinations was given as
$472 Go These figures. however, according
to DR. Woodruff were not to be taken $
a criterion for Burlington. where doubt
less they should he doubled. AS many
persons in Barre We're vaccinated pri
vately, the total number was stated as
around 1900
The mayor quoted also a number Of
Burlington physicians. without giving
any names, to numbers of persons vac
cinated by them and the fees received,
to the effect that charges for private vac
cination here do not exceed 81, a rule
to families able to pay well for such
service. Members of the health board
declared that the Mayor had misquotcd
not only the Burlington physicians, hut
also the Barre and Montpelier health Of
fiCers, and the mayor retorted that he
had the statements of the latter, made
over their signatures. The local health
| officials declared that the Barre vaCcina-
tons did not include redresslng and that
much trouble there had followed this
; lack of continued attention to sore arms.
, The 5o-cent charge made in Wnooski,
1t was also said, did not include redress
ing.
I Mayor Burke said he resented the
I charge of mispuotation. Or. BceChcr,
q chairman of the health board, insisted
! upon knowing the names of the local
g physicians quoted, and the mayor, after
$ a protest. named Drs Hawley, Lyman,
4 Forbes. Colvin. Baylies. Couture, Bonn
= bard. Eastman, IIazen, Murray and
5 Pease Later he gave n list including
4 many of the Burlington practicing ply
n sicians. with details as to the number
, of vaccinat lions they had made and their
= usual private charges for the service.
Alderman Buell. asked If it We're not
u possible for accounts to have been KEPT
IL and fees to have been collected from
those able to pay, and it was explained
that vaccination was offered by the city
to all school pupils who came to receive
it; because the parents of some chose
l. to have them VaCCnated privately did no
n result in imposing upon them In an un
= fair way a share OF the public expense.
J. There was no sleight-of-hand per
n formance In Montpelier" declared thu
lie mayor. Vaccination was announced 70
If all. 1t is an outrage to have it handle,
= as it was here. Only three or four doc
g tors got together at first Then it branch
= ed out and others got a piece. 1t WASH
p necessary for DIR. BeeCher to follow m
ct arOund and check me up" Referring t
= one doctors fees. he added, when on
;. physician can go ahead and earn s5
"A IN one day it is an outrage and it
y. so regarded by the public"
DR. Beccher replied that he had hope
he would not have to be personal. bu
- there Were things in the report and t
Is the mayors remarks that called 70
le reply.
N The board Of health, ne said, orderc
" vac cination for the protection Of the com
&c munity and not for that of any in
20 dividual-it was to help the industrial
n social, school and college life of the city
~ as whole, to prevent closing the mill.
re places of amusement and the schools:
ne measure Ike the filtration plant for III
80 public health. The work had been den
to by the physicians whose bills have bee
IT, presented
IA Fifty cents was charged for vaccinattn
an and fifty cents for each of the first NV
w dressings; other treatment was fire.
m Speaking roughly, they had charged f.
g. not more than one-half the dressings, al
l., # was absolutely and definitely untrl
that conditions here were like those
Barre and other towns
as I'VE deemed 1t not safe and eficiel
u vaccination, in SIC meaning of the lay
II to leave these cases without any drcs
u ing with a SINGLE dressing. If o,
On bills were made at the regular rate, medic
- service alone would have amounted
"a $1,000
DR. Shea explained that 5000 dress
ings were made without charge, an
} The mayor intmatcd that cases her
m were not handled so well as In Barr
9TH mentioning tetanus, ana Or. Beech,
All Indignantly jumped to his feet an
,ur said;
Ter II object to the insinuation of Ma,
os- or Burke that we are responsible f,
VS. the tetanus."
lty DR.. Shea said If the mayor had il
be CURED about the results of vaccination
W. in other places his story would ha,
the been Il different one.
las DR.. Beecher said he had tried to a
ere quaint the mayor with what was beir
N'' done at the time of the scare, and f.
$40 timatcd that the mayor had not be,
iH very attentive. Some of the alderm,