The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-01
THREE NEGROES
HAVE SMALLPOX
Impossible to Say How Far Con
tagion May Have Been
Spread
LEVY URGES VACCINATION
Little Hospital Overcrowded by
Those Who Failed to Take
Precautions.
LEVY URGES VACCINATION

Two colored men and a colored WON
an, all suffering with smallpox, viii
be removed to tho City Smallpox Hos
pital early this morning From in
formation gathered last night By
Health Department inspectors, all three
cases have given opportunity for wide
spread infection, and serious results
are feared unless there is prompt and
general vaccination.
The case of George Whitfield. n col
ored man, thrty-seven years of age.
living at 1900 North Seventeenth Street,
was reported to the Health Depart
ment late yesterday afternoon, and an
investigation was at once begun by
Medical Inspector b. e. Summers. Whit
field had been i'll since Sunday, Janu-
airy -, He saw n physician on that
date. but there was then no eruption,
and not appearing To be very ill., he
was not seen again until yesterday.
Than the physician found that he was
we'll broken out with smallpox. the
eruption having appeared on Tuesday.
Whitfield works in the yards of the
Senboard Air Line Railway. and was
last at work on January %. He had
never been vaccinatcd.
Harris Woman Spread Infection.
Investigation OF this case brought
out the source OF the Infection, it hav-
ing been from Bertha Harris, a col
orcd woman, twenty-ninc years of age.
with whom Whitfield boarded. This
woman has been going about town
with 4 mild case OF smallpox for the
past three weeks, and there is no way
of telling TO what extent she has
spread Infection.
She Went TO Dinwiddie. Va, on De-
/ - 4 \
later. According to the health officials,
she evidently contracted the disease
while away, as she was taken i'll on
January .. She saw Il physician at
that time. but. not being very i'll, and
having no eruption, only one visit was
paid She broke out about January ..
but the attack was mild, and she CON
tinued TO so about DR. Summers and
pr w, Is. West, diagnostician of the
Health Department, last night located
John Corpedge. a colored man, twenty
three years OF age, who lives in the
same house, and who works in Seaton's
coal yard. Coppedge has Il well de-
fined case OF smallpox, which he evil
IDENTITY caught from the woman with
whom he boarded. He has been i'll
since January 20, and had an eruption
since January %. He had never been
vaccinated, but had been al work dur
ing the earlier days of his illness, de-
livering coal
Neither IInd Been Vnccinatch.
The fact that smallpox OF severe
type can be contracted from a mild
case is established by the fact that
Whitelds case. which caused the
health officers to be called in, is OF n
decidedly severe character. although
undoubtedly contracted from the mild
case OF the Harris woman Not one
OF the three showed any sign of ever
having been vaccinated The house
was promptly placarded and 1uaran-
tined, and all three cases will be re-
moved to the City Smallpox Hospital
thls morning. Faccinators for the
Health Department Will lie put 10 work
early this morning In the vicinity.
cannot urge on the people too
strongly the necessity of being vac
cinated.' said Chief Health Officer %.
Levy last night. Vaccination,
When successfully performed, is an alb
solute preventive of smallpox.
There is not the least need for
alarm on the part of any one who pro-
tects himself by vaccination. As for
those who think they will escape with
out vaccination. there is always the
strongest kind Of chance OF their being
mistaken. This Harris woman has
Deen going wherever She cared to for
the last three weeks. Any person at
All may have been next to her on the
street cars or in the crowded streets.
But no matter how close such contact
may have been. those vino are proper
~ Naccinated need have no fear
OF NiruIent Type.
We are having good, old fashioned
smallpox again. For many years this
disease has been so mild that the pco-
pie have ceased TO dread 1t. and have
gotten careless about vaccination This
Is all wrong II is folly to walt until
exposed. Every one can protect himself
against any exposure which may occur
by being vaccinated with good virus
We Will vaccnate without charge all
who come to Room 400. City Hall. any
day between and II o'clock"
The budget which will be acted on by
the City Council tomorrow night con
tains the item of $4,000 for a new
building for smallpox patients The
old building. which has been used for
colored persons has fallen in ruins.
These colorcd cases will have TO be
put In the same building with the
white cases which are there and If.
according to Chief Health Officer Levy.
there are many more cases of either
color the Health Department will be
In quite predicament as to where
they viii be quartered.