Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-12-06
FLU" CONTROVERSY
CONTINUED BY DOCTORS

At the request OF the chairman OF
the Red Cross and number of
prominent business men OF the city.
whose business suffered as result
OF the report in Tuesdays Courier.
corrected the statement "that there
are now i2S cases In the county" l
gave the facts exactly as DR. Smiths
records showed them, which Is the
only record kept, and | had no idea
OF entering into discussion or
mud singing contest. but since that
seems to be the doctors chief stock
in trade. am once more compelled
Ito go to press"
DIR. Smiths latest Is Just as far
from the true situation as his pre-
vlous effort to keep business away
from Sixth street. His records
showed, at the time he reported to
the Courier on Tuesday 1874 cases
since the beginning of the epidemic:
with 81 cases when he reported. as
occurring since November 2Sth, He
evidently has received some reports
since then. II Is true. the Courier
did not print the report just as DIR.
Smith gave Il to them as he report
ed 60 cases since last Friday and at
the editors request, and to avoid a
mistake he had the doctor re-read
the figures to him. overheard the
report and corrected It myself be-
fore It was published.
/ heartily agree with the idea that
the medical profession should try to
protect the people against contag-
ious disease as we'll as treat them
after they have acquired II. and with
that object in view insisted that
the city schools remain closed when
the county health officer lifted the
: ban in the country. To further as
sist in preventing the spread OF the
Influenza | gave vaccine to 157 peo-
pie free OF charge; people who were
: unable to pay my fee for vaccination.
and to great many others who do
not believe in tipping fifty cents for
a professional service-people who
were willing to pay reasonable fee
and be sure they would not develop
; an infected arm from dirty cheap
needle. Realizing that the cheap
est Is not always the best.
will admit nothing regarding the
three families mentioned In yester-
days article because have never
: attended any OF them; neither have
they ever consulted me at my Office.
So IL the doctor means to infer that
have failed to report any of my
own cases he Is wrong again as
usual, so | am not in line as vio-
: lator OF the law, but I might ask
the doctor why he has not reported
his city cases to me as city health
: officer? And why did he not report
| the cases OF mumps he attended last
, summer. and quarantine them to
protect the community? I also won
/ der II It has occurred to him that
/ he is violating the law every time he
= accepts his salary as county health
! officer and when he was county ply
: sician, since no man can hold a leg
r lslative and administrative job at
/ the same time according to the Ore
| gon law. He should be compelled
to return to the taxpayers OF the
county all such money paid him.
, (Ref. Gibson VS.. Kay, IS Ore. 5S9.)
1t certainly Is unbecomlng any
member OF the medical profession to
commercialize an epidemic, and We
all know what the surgeon general
did to DR.. Smiths attempt to stimu-
r late his country practice by opening
: the schools before the flu was under
: control. II is also unbecoming a med.
: ical man to knock other members
of the fraternity, and 1t Is unbe.
coming a gentleman to use the dirty
foul, abusive profanity DR.. Smith II
r frequently heard using with refer.
C ence to fellow practitioner.
t still maintain that what we need
Q most Is true statement OF how
many cases there really are when Q
!, report Is made, and not how many
= there have been, because they re-
cover in four or five days to'a polnt
l where they are no longer dangerous
( to others. There we're two new cases
: reported to me yesterday. Avoid
1 crowds and avoid the influenza.
DIR. j. o. NIBLEY,
City Health Officer