The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-11-07

neighboring country to set our people
an example, and that a humiliating
one.
What first attracted the Canadian
officials to Okanogan county was the
appearance of smallpox at Keremeos,
where several cases have broken out.
Physicians traced up the source of the
disease and discovered that the first
victim was woman who had stopped
in lodging house in Oroville, where
the first case in this place broke out.
The presence of smallpox at KeremeOs
was followed by exaggerated reports
Of the number Of cases in Oroville, and
member of the Provincial Board of
Health came all the way from Victoria
especially to make thorough exam
inatiOn OF conditions. He found that
there were only a very few cases in
and about Oroville, but what aroused
him and his associates was the dis
covery that the rooms from which pa
tients had been removed had not been
fumigated and disinfected, or no ap-
parent effort made at strict quaran-
tine, which was declared to be nothing
short of criminal negligence, a men
ace not only to the health of the COM
munity, but to all who are compelled
to stay in Oroville over night. 1t
might be hard to fix the responsibility
for such shocking carelessness in the
United States. 1t would not take long
in Canada to fasten the responsibility
on the right person, and after once
established such punishment as would
prevent repetition of the same over
sight would be meted out, and meted
out swiftly.
However, notwithstanding the action
of the Canadian authorities, the small
pOx situation is not causing any great
uneasiness in this place. 1t has never
taken the form of an epidemic, and 1t
is believed that if the proper precau-
tiOns had been taken in the first place
the disease would have spent its force
and disappeared with the first patient.
railroad man, who had contracted
the disease below Okanogan, was the
first victim in this community. That
was several months ago. He was re-
moved to hastily prepared pest house
far from danger of injecting Others
There have been five or six cases since
that time. All are about entirely re-
covered excepting two, Mrs. Fred Cad
bury and man named Woody, the
latter at the pest house. Besides the
half dozen cases in this place there
have been several cases at Nelson, and
considerable number at Loomis So
far as can be learned few stringent
restrictive measures we're taken at
Loomis to prevent spread of the dis
ease, the fact being that it was pro-
nounced chickenpox, and little atten-
tion was given to the ailment.
This is the worst season of the year
for the disease to make it's appearance,
as it seems to thrive during the cold
weather and is harder to eradicate.
Because the disease heretofore has
been SO mild as to hardly give the
patient any inconvenience Is no sign
that there may not be serious, and
even fatal, cases before the disease
runs its course, and hence every ef-
fort should be made to stamp out
the disease, no matter what may
be the expense and trouble. The pub
fishers of this paper supposed this
was being done at all times. Indeed
notice was published to the effect
that the rooms had been thoroughly
fumigated at the time of the appear
ance of the first case, and such infor-
nation was given a reporter. 1t is
now understood that proper precau-
tions are being taken to guard against
further spread of the disease, and
it is confidently felt that few if any
more cases will appear in town. The
continuation of the quarantine depends
upon the presence of smallpox, and
if the disease can be eradicated the
quarantine will be removed.
After studying the situation over,
and hearing later reports from along
the line there appears to be another
feature about this quarantine that
throws different light upon the sud
den zeal and exactions of the Canadian
officials showing that the action was
not altogether based upon the high
philanthrOpic ground Of protection to
the dear people over the border. 1t is
learned from a number of sources
that the most outrageous exaggera-
tions as to the health conditions In
this county have been circulated in
British Columbia with the object of
| creating such sentiment against
this part of the state that a strong in
fluence can be brought to bear to
force the railroad to run trains to
| the western terminus of the line, cut
| ting out the stop at OrOville. 1t is
being brought to bear to accomplish
this object even to coercion by threat
of increasing the stringency of the
| quarantine. There may be more in
this than the general public is aware
Of, because so far as the prevalence
of the disease is concerned the con-
ditions were far worse two months
ago than they are today. Indeed, at
this time the dieasse is disappearing,
and there are fewer cases now than
there were in September. Even II this
is the principle motive behind the
action of the Canadian authorities it