The Penn's Grove record., 1916-05-12
MAINTAIN TEE RIGHT
PENNs GROVE. n. j., FRIDAY, MAY 70, 1910
BOARD OF HEALTH HYSTERIA
KllmingtOn'S Smallpox Scare Over.
No Need Of Soaring People There
Nor In PennS Grove

Wilmington during the past month,
has had thirteen cases of mild smallpox,
mostly among the colored people. No
one has died, and no one has been ser
Dusly ill; yet Wilmington's Board of
Health seems to have been afflicted
Eorse with mental microbes of hyster-
"a, or the members would not have acted
50 rashly and unreasonably as to throw
she whole city in a panic by ordering
all schools, churches, saloons, heaters
and amusement places closed when the
disease had not become epidemic, and
was a comparatively small number in
d city of over 100000 inhabitants.
Undoubtedly most of the Board knew
little and were guided in their actions
by fresh young health inspectors, or
Doctors who saw vaccination fees.
Some declare the disease was only
black measles as no serious malignant
types of smallpox developed, and several
were soon dismissed from the hospital.
The whole affair has become the jest and
ridicule of newspaper reporters and edi-
tors, so that a new Board of Health was
put in who soon recalled the rulings Of
the old Board.
This outbreak was probably a resusi-
tation of a similar outbreak five years
ago when the disease spread to Penns
Grove and caused an expense of 5000
to the taxpayers. We questioned then
whether it was genuine smallpox. after
viewing the afflicted. studying medical
books and hearing the testimony of per-
sons who had had malignant smallpox.
An expert called in did not pronounce
it typical but atypical, after the type of
smallpox. Johnson's cyclopedia is the
only book available that mentions '.be-
nign" smallpox. If what Wilmington
and Penns Grove had five years ago, and
what Wilmington has now cannot be
classed as black measles, it surely is
benign, or the very kind of smallpox.
Smallpox of the malignant type very
rarely occurs now
While it is advisable to take all rea-
sonable precautions against malignant
bacteria diseases, yet it is wise for a
board OF health to not get hysterical
over disease which people in years past
never got excited over before there be
tame so many laws, and ~oficious board
of health inspectors, who must show up
something on the least provocation that
they are giving something for their
money.
Last December Penns Grove had a
health inspector who would have had a
big scare over a few cases of rubella,
German measles, or ~roseola, but for
members of board of health making a
personal investigation and not accept
ing all the opinions of one who desired
to make a good record Of disease discoy-
cries and also by imposing heavy fines.
Penns Grove is comparatively free of
contagious diseases. 1t has been for a
year to the amazement Of many. Yet
the state inspector and some officials be-
lieve a high salaried inspector is nee
essary and that citizens should be fined
$500 to "a for the services of a little
car to tell citizens how to live.
Undoubtedly many need to be nudged
to clean up their s~lovenly dirtiness and
to make needed repairs to premises, es-
p~eeially where premises are rented.
Much good may be lone by a man with
a personal moral force to the benefit of
esthetic taste, if not needed to preserve
health, yet, we repeat what Archdeacon
Cunningham, of England, says in
christianity and PoIitics":
Modern rulers who make fresh at
tempts to coerce free people for the
common good, would do wen to assure
NAat NnC pdI Culd pIOJcCl
at which they aim are really for the COM
mon veal and that their action will be
recognized as really public spirited.
They have also need to be sure that the
agents by whom pressure is brought to
bear in any given direction are honest
and tactful. A free people can only be
led and can never be successfully
driven"
For fhnca raacone - ha1- 1900
sary for local men of means, leisure
time and who are endowed by the per-
sonal moral force of the God-spirit to
exert themselves for the good of the
common veal. Under a democracy.
time, study and official duty must be Civ
en- at self-sacrifce by some men. In a
monarchy the sending of a little ear
from powers above can be done where
people have been trained from child
hood to obey orders without asking the
reasons why.
Yet where people are so mentally OBJ
fuse and prejudiced as not to follow
advice, and will not see merits in the
ability of those who know. force will be-
come necessary to move the ~obstinately
sluggish and the Indifferent.
All who receive notices from a board
VI neaitn are expected TO take notlce ana
act. While the fines of the Sanitary
Code of Penns Grove have been reduced
that does not mean that the Code is not
to be a rule of conduct. The new oc-
casions have brought new and onerous
duties on the old citizens of Penns
Grove and all should feel before they are
made to feel they have a civic duty to
perform towards their neighbor as well
as to themselves.