Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-19
ISSUE OF WARNING
AGAINST SMALLPOX
Health Office Urges Vaccina-
ton of Employees in Stores
and Workshops.
STEPS TAKEN TO PREVENT
SPREAD OF THE DISEASE
New Case Develops and Twelve Pa
tients Are Reported in
Hospital.

Vaccination of thousands of Washing
tonians may follow the sending out by
the District of Columbia health depart
ment today of a communication urging
that this precautionary step against the
spread of smallpox be taken by employees
of commercial houses.
Two hundred letters have been mailed
out by Health officer William c. Wood
ward to the propretors of stores and
hotels. and others viii be sent out tomor-
row. 1t is planned 10 send the communi-
cation To apartment houses, private
schools, contractors. manufacturing estab-
lishments-in short to every institution.
outside the government departments.
where any considerable number OF per-
sons are employed or are thrown together.
The health department is determined
to employ every means at its disposal in
an effort to check the, spread of small
pox in the District One new patient was
discovered last night and four were dis
charged as cured today. This leaves
twelve patients in the smallpox hospital
The latest addition to the colony is Eliza
Jackson of 41o Richardson court north
west.
Disease of Mild Type.
No recent deaths from smallpox have
been reported. The disease has appeared
in unusually mild form. Health office
officials say many have been exposed to
infection. This is due to the fact that
persons suffering with the malady were
not aware of the nature of their ailment
and mixed with crowds on the streets. A
laborer. with a fully developed case OF
smallpox, was found laying cement
sidewalk in a residential section of the
city.
The first case was discovered in the
southwest section. but since then the
disease has appeared in every section.
That the malady is not yet at its height
Is the belief of the local health officials,
who urge persons who have not been
vaccinated within a period of five years
to take this precautionary step al once.
Vaccination is regarded by, the health
department authorities as practically
certain preventive. 1t is explained that
vaccination within period of two or
three days from the time of exposure to
infection may prevent the development
of the disease altogether. but IL delayed
longer Ii may serve only to make the
case a mild one. Usually smallpox does
not develop under ten days from the time
q patient is exposed to infection.
Probably the most severe smallpox
occurred in 1894. In that year the death
rate of the disease amounted to . per
cent. There have been several mild out
breaks since.
Text of the Circular.
The communication sent out by the
health department today calling attention
to the Importance of vaccination is as
follows:
"A word of caution concerning small
pox: One case Of smallpox among your
employees might seriously interfere
with your business. The occurrence
of several cases would almost GER
tainly do SO. The prevailing type
of the disease is mild. and some
patients have continued about their
usual employments and modes of life
during the greater part Of their sickness.
the nature Of the malady being discovered
only when later cases reported to the
health department were traced to the
earlier unsupported patient
What has occurred may and probably
will occur again, and a patient suffering
from smallpox, unsupported, may come
into your place of business as a customer.
visitor. or even as an employe. Your
first knowledge OF the visit, If your en-
plOyes are susceptible to smallpox, may
be an outbreak among them. Such
catastrophe can be avoided in only one
way-by vaccination.
Protection Measure.
1.-The health department strongly urges
that as protection to Your business and
in the interest of the general welfare you
insist upon the vaccination of all of your
employees. A successful vaccination is be-
lieved to protect against smallpox for
five years or more. 1t is advised, how
ever, that all persons be vaccinated, since
only in this way can. it be determined
whether persons previously vaccinated
are still protected. Vaccination will not
take upon a person immune to smallpox,
and in cases of partial immunity due to
the loss of the protective power OF q pre-
vious vaccination. Vaccination Will be
correspondingly modified, just small
pox is modified If such a partially pro-
tected person contracts the disease
Gases Under Observation.
A Treasury Department building char
woman has been sent to the detention
camp supposed to be suffering with
smallpox. and an elevator man in the
same building, brought into contact
with smallpox, has been sent to the
public health service for vaccination.
An order for the vaccination of 400
or 500 employees of the bureau of en-
craving and printing has been signed
by the Secretary Of the Treasury
This was made necessary by the case
of a girl employe, whose illness has
been diagnosed as smallpox, ana who
passed several hours at her labors un-
der conditions that made her fellow
workers liable to infection.
The Treasury Department charwoman
is supposed TO have contracted smallpox
at her home Her symptoms We're dis
covered while she was at her work.
She was hurried to the detention camp.
The elevator man lives in an apartment
house where a case of smallpox was
located. While he has shown no symp-
toms OF the disease. ii was regarded as
necessary that he submit to vaccination.
Invited to Attend Target Practice.
Secretary Daniels of the Navy Depart
ment has invited his colleagues in the
cabinet to attend the coming target prac-
t;oa "a tba Atlantic fleet which opppS on