Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-06-05
City Given Undesirable Pub
licity Because of HI
Considered Action
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM
Small Number of Cases Of Mild Rash
E1cites Doctors and City Of.
6cials to Take Harmful
Action
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM

The people of Alexandria have
been needlessly alarmed, the city has
secured undesirable advertising all
over the country, the merchants have
lost thousands Of dollars of trade
from surrounding counties, the schools
have been closed just at examination
time, the most important period of
the entire school year, and damage
in every direction has been done as
the result of the action Of the health
committee of city council in taking
their drastic action Of Friday and
Saturday in connection with the go
called" scarlet fever epidemic.
Alexandria has no scarlet fever
epidemic, there is no cause for alarm
and the injury that has been done
was without warrant of law.
Despite the efforts on the part of
some people to swell the number of
cases of the "so-callcd" scarlet fever
and the exaggerated statement which
have been made by some members Of
the health committee the total num-
bcr of cases reported to the health
Office at IL o'clock this morning was
49, Up~to Saturday there had been
26 cases reported and today's mail
brought in Z more. Of these seven
notices two were dated June 1st.
and two June 9 while one doctor an
ticipated by dating one notice June
eth. This should put complete end
to the silly talk of several hundred
cases and will alse answer the state
,ment of one member of the health
committee that there was $40 cases
of scarlet fever in Rosemont."
The health committee held meet
ing on Friday night and two meetings
on Saturday At the first meeting
there was present Alderman Maurice
wilkins, chairman, Aldermen George
II. Robinson, and City Councilman
Tnylor Burke. DR.. E. A. German,
city health Offices was present and
the situation was gone over with the
result that the committee decided to
close the schools and also the moving
nicture theatres. Chief Goods noti-
fed the theatres Friday night that
after the performance on that night
they would not Ee permitted to reopen.
The second meeting of the commit
tee was held on Saturday afternoon
and they adjourned over until Sat-
urday night when they invited num-
Der of doctors to be present.
At this meeting Councilman
Brockett was present. Among
those who attended this meeting were
Drs. William NJ. Smith, president
Of the Virginia State Board of Health
DR.. Hugh Mcclure, DR.. Llewellyr
Powell, DR.. S. B. Moore, Dr. Kip
stein and DR.. Delaney. It was mani
fest from the beginning that the doc.
tors could not agree on any 4b-
ject connected with the purposes OF
the meeting. They were unable to
agree or the cause of the outbreak,
they could not agree that it was
scarlet fever and they could not
agree upon the necessity of closing
the schools and theatres.
DR.. E. A. German, city health Of.
ficer, reiterated his statement that
there was no need of alarm and de.
clared that from the commencement
he had seen no need Of closing the
public schools. He said in closing
the schools one of the bes:. meth,
DDS of locating and keeping track
of the spread of the disease was tax
en- away. Dri German said that il
\ the committee adhered to their for
mer decision in ordering the school:
closed he also favored closing thu
churches and all places where tn,
public gathered. d
DR.. William NJ. Smith, was tn
most outspoken in MS opinion tina
the necessity did not exist for tn
radical measures which had bea