The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-09
FEARS MENINGITIS EPIDEMIC.
HAYNE APPREHENSIVE
SPREAD OF DISEASE.
Deaths and Cases at Five Different
Piaces-Five More Dead Mt Camp
Health Officers Want Cultures of
All soldiers Made at Cantonment
Hospital,


from meningitis reported yesterday
at Camp Jackson. the appearance of
the disease at five different points in
the State. some of which has been
traced direc to workmen employed
at cantonments. caused a somewhat
apprehensive statement by DIR. James
a. Hayne. secretary Of the State board
of health. The State board of health
officer expressed to the Stat, Council
OF Defense the belief that q general
epidemic is likely to develop over the
state and a resolution was adopted
by the council to memorializc the leg
islature to provide funds at once to
combat the contagion. DR.. Haynes
opinion is that, although officers at
Camp Jackson have lifted the quar-
antine, no soldier should be allowed
to come to Columbia unless he has
first been cultured to determine IL he
is a carrier. The same opinion Is
held by DR.. Skottowe b. Fishburne,
city health officer. DIR. Hayne has
called on the public health depart
ment in Washington for the assist.
ance of an expert in handling the sit
uation.
Information has been received al
the State health Office from five points
telling of new cases and deaths from
meningitis. Two of these are at
Greer. One death and one case are
reported from Society Hill. One pa
tient died in Darlington and three
carriers there are under quarantine.
One death is reported from Estil and
case has developed at Hopkins,
Richland county. No new cases have
developed in Columbia.
Quarantine was lifted in Columbia
yesterday on the last carrier. This
was the wife of an officer. The officer
made application for q furiough
Christmas, when the quarantine was
still on. When culture was taken.
he was found to be q carrier. II
later developed that his wife was a
carrier also. The wife OF another Of
ficer from the supposedly free units
at Camp Jackson was also under
quarantine for a brief period last
week, when her husband was found
to be carrier. No cultures are now
being made Of men from the sup
posed!y free areas at the canton
ment and this is tho contention be-
tween city and State health officers
and officers at Camp Jackson.
DR.. Hayne emphasized that thou
sands OF young men and young wo.
men will be travelling back to col
leges within the next few days and
crowded trains afford splendid oppor-
tunity for transmission Of the germs.
The statement from DR.. Hayne yes
terday upon his return from Atlanta
reads:
"On Sunday. December 80, the State
health officer left for Greenville, ow-
ing to the death Of his grandaunt.
Mrs. Rufus X. Porter. wife of the
former pastor Of the Central Presby-
terian church OF Atlanta. her husband
having been dead so years. The re-
mains were taken to Atlanta and bur-
led by her husband. The health Of
hcer saw In The State of Monday that
the quarantine had been lifted from
Camp Jackson. this being the ii'-st
intimation he had OF lifting the quar-
antine. although being in his ottco up
to late Saturday afternoon, Decem.
Der 20. On his return to the office
on January 3, he found the following
letter from Maj. Adna r. Chaffee. ad
jutant and acting chief of staff of
the Eighty-frst Division at Camp
Jackson.
The commanding general directs
me to inform you that effective Sum
day. the goth instant. on the recon-
ihehuation or the division surgeon.
he intends to raise the quarantine now
In force at Camp Jackson. In doing
this. he will see that men from any
injected area in the camp are kept
In strict quarantine, and are not al
lowed to leave the area. Men from
areas not under quarantine i'm the
camp will be given passes to visit
the city at first only in such numbers
as VIII not cause unnecessary excite
ment IN the city OF Columbia. This
notification is sent you in accordance
with the last paragraph of the com
manding generals letter dated Decem-
Der rs. 1917. The city health author