Evening journal., 1916-04-14
TAKE PRECAUTIONS
TO CHECK SMALLPOX
Board of Health Has Cen
eral Vaccination; Will
Enforce Quarantine
CASES DISCOVERED
AT MIDDLETOWN, TOO

Members OF the Board of Health at
special meeting tnis morning dis
,ussed the three cases Of smallpox
which have developed in this city
Turing the past two days and it was
decided to spare no expense in pre-
,enting spread of the disease. IL was
decided to serve notice on owners of
he houses in Washington street be-
tween Front and Second streets and
N Lafayette street. where the two
,olored men suffering with the dis
ease resided, to clean up the premises
ly this evening.
While the Health Board was in ses.
sion, City Physician d. v Myers and
City Vaccine Physicians p. A. NJ. Ro-
With, II. y. Willis and II. NJ. First were
eaccinating inmates of St. Joseph's Cot
ored Orphanagc, in French street near
Tenth street, employees of the Delaware
Pulp Mills, and residents in the vicinity
Of the section where the men reported
yesterday as in were residing. II was
said at noon today that fully five hum
drcd persons had been vaccinated Sec
retarv Bowers, of the Board of Health.
had several persons vaccinated this
morning at his Office.
The Health Board members decided to
engage men TO guard the houses in l-at-
ayette street and in Washington street
where the cases were discovered yestcr
day. Similar precautions will be taken
at No. SIG East Sixth street, where .
colored man named Townsend was
found suffering from the disease ON
Tuesday.
The cases reported yesterday we're
John Saunders. colored. OF No IL
Washington street. and William Hen
1erson, colorod. OF No. 403 Lafayette
street. Saunders almost caused
panic in the heart OF the city late
Yesterday afternoon when he entered
the Board OF Health Offices and said
he thought he had smallpox DR..
Myers who was in his Office on the
third floor Of the city building. saw
at a glance that the mans fears we're
we'll founded. DR.. Myers called DR..
A. +. Frantz, secretary Of the State
Board OF Health, who ordered Saun-
ders TO be returned to his home be-
cause there was no facility to take
him to the emergency hospital. The
wagon used by the county hospital
authorities had gone to Middletown
to get Mr.. and Mrs. James Hitch. col
ored, who with their two children
had heen found suffering with small
pox. Hitch was employed in this
city.
DR.. Myers instructed William
Ritchie. clerk in the health office. to
give Saunders a yellow flag and to
march him TO his home. Carrying this
emblem Saunders started down King
street to Front and out Front street
to Washington. Preceding him was
Mr.. Ritchie. also holding yellow
flag and bringing up the rear was
Executive officer Brooks with quar-
antine flag.
The trio caused much excitement
and within a short time a crowd was
trailing behind the three men. Saun-
ders entered his home and the flags
were posted at the doorway. In the
meantime Dr. Myers was busy yaccin'
ating employees OF the health board
and other city employees who had been
in the bull 'ng when Saunders en-
tered.
DR.. II. W. Briggs. who is acting
head of the Board Of Health during
the illness of Or. Julian Adair, or
dered the city vaccine physician to
take all precautions to check the dis
ease. They started at once to vac.
cinate the occupants of the houses
IN which Saunders and Henderson
lived. That work was continued un
IN late last night.
II was said at noon today that the
authorities had failed 10 find where
the disease had originally come from
There are nine cases Of chicken poA
n this city at the present time.