Norwich bulletin., 1913-10-14

1 lily, whose physician he nAd been, was not .smallpoox but only chicken pox, and that he very much doubted if there, were any cases of smallpox in those 1 that the authorities had under quar- 1 antine led Dr. M E. Fox, health ofncer 1 for the town to call in Dr. N. E. Lewis l of this city and Dr. J. T. Black of 1 New London to examine all the sus- pected cases under quarantine. The 1 two doctors pronounced them genuine 1 smallpox, pr Fox said, and this in 1 the opinion of the Montville health of 1 ficer. should prove beyond question l the character of the disease by which 1 several persons of Montville are af 1 dicted.
 pr. Lewis Gives Opinion. 1 In speaking of the Lacosse child's l case Monday evening, Dr. Lewis said l that all the indications were that it l had had smallpox and also that aA | the family of five or six people have l had it, but the child is now in a con- l YaIescent stage at which it is very 1 difficult to say exactly that 1t IS small l pox. But the indications were all for i smallpox and not chicken pox. The 1 pitting is such as would be expected 1 in smallpox and is found on the palms 1 of the hands and the soles of the feet. ! which he said was almost a certain in- i dication that it was smallpox. As for the man Sauntree, Dr. Lewis says he has as bad a case of smallpox as he ever saw, as he is covered from head to foot with it all over his body. 1 There is also no doubt about the dis
 ease in Miss Barbara Cornet's case.
 Traced to Lacosse Family. Dr. Fox wishes to emphasize the fact that members of the family of lSidOre Lacosse, living next to the Methodist church in Uncasville, were examined with special care Monday morning by Drs. Black and Lewis and that all, with one exception, that being the father, who is vaccinated, have been ] victims Of smallpox. The peck marks and pits show very distinctly. The source of the disease was traced to ! this family.
 Nearly two months ago an elder sister ni the L.acosse child who is now afflicted by the disease,' stated Health Officer Fox, visited friends in Ocum, i this state. A shore time after she came to her home in Montville a child in the family in which she was visiting there was found to have smallpox and so pronounced by Dr. George Thomp- son of Taftville. It is the opinion of Health Officers Fox. Black and Lewis that the disease was so communicated to MontVilIe. Subsequently, the rest of the family. numbering seven, contract ed the disease. The children went to school, where it was communicated to Miss Barbara Cornet, the teacher, and to others"
 Keep Up Quarantine.
 Dr. Fox states that he considers the quarantine established and the meth- ods and precautions taken to prevent the spread of the disease are justified in every respect and that a rigid quar- antine will be maintained until all cases are definitely located and there is no longer fear of a further spread of the disease. A guard has been placed at the LacoSSe house who has orders ing or leaving the premises. There is
 also guard maintained at the house
 of Peter Sauntree, another victim.
 Dr, Fox feels that much of the
 criticism brought about by the order
 of Saturday morning to prohibit cars
 taking on and letter off passengers in
 MentVlIle is uHWarranted, The orders
 were issued principally at the instiga- tion of Health Officers Black of New London and Lewis of Norwich who deemed that course adViSa bie. Later through the efforts of pr. Fox, this order was amended so that ears would be allowed to stop to take on or leave passengers having a qucsa2tne pass pr. Wilson's Views.
 In a statement made by Dr. Wilson he gives his reasons for believing that
 the Lacreix child has the chickenpox
 and not smallpox. T was called to attend the Lacroix child six weeks ago
 6&dI1lndIl0if
 had a typical case of chicken pox.
 The child had only a slight fever one
 day and the next it was up and around
 the house as 1t has been since then.
 There were none Of the characteristics
 of smallpox. Before that had at
 tended an older sister who had also
 had chicken pox in a light form,
 which the younger sister later con-
 tracteds 1 was at the Lacroix house
 twice, the second time and except fer
 a slight rash, the child was all right,
 "The time of the incubation of the
 small pex is from 10 days to two
 weeks Now the Lacroix child was
 taken i'll six weeks ago and since that
 time she has been playing with all the
 children in the neighborhood. Had
 she been a victim of smallpox the dis ease would have broken out at least
 four weeks ago. the disease being very contagious and without doubt many
 of the children who had been exposed
 to it would have contracted it. As it is none of the people in that neigh
 borhood have been stricken by the dis
 ease.
 'The symptoms of smallpox, said
 DT, Wilson, are vomiting, headache and terrific pains in the back, The victims are very sick and they are obliged to take to their beds and that
 they would not be apt to be wander ing about the house as the Lacroix
 child and her sister had,
 Although I am referring particu l larly to the Lacroix child whom
 treated, and l know nothing about the
 other persons in the town who are
 supposed to be smallpox victims. yet I am quite certain that there is no
 smallpox in the town At least two
 of the other persons who are sick are
 not confined to their beds and are
 about the house. talking with people
 out of the windows of their houses. It
 there is an epidemic of any disease
 in the town, it is not smallpox was his emphatic remark. There was a
 similar scare in the town six or seven
 years ago and at that time it was found not to be small pox.
 Calls Quarantine Absurd
 street railway and steam railway is
 absolutely absurd and fails of it's p1r- pose People living in the town wish
 ing fo go to New London and Nor wict. either walk to the limits estab- iishad by the order, or use autofno- piles or wagons and carriages SC that these cities are exposed to the dis-
 ease, On the whole the embargo is net effective in the least, To auaran- tine the house in which the victims
 are is the only effective and proper method,
 As far as not notifying the health
 officer is eeneeFHed I had Ra oeeasi0n if4 a ease Of chicken Bax. Had it been smallpox I certainly should have met the requirements of the letR fer the welfare Of the e4F4falaHity and fer f44y own PF6teeti9A,
 Referring ta his Jack 6f ezBsBiehea iH smallpox eases, BF. Wilson stated that he had had considerable expert fr,.r r14 tI,.,