Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-20
SUSPECTED CASE
Of SMALLPOX At
MILFORD TODAY
Pati ent Placed in Town Lookup
and the State Board of Health
Notified.
TOWN AUTHORITIES
TAKE RIGID ACTION
snecial Dispatch to Every Evening

special Dispatch to Every Evening
MILFORD JAN. 20.
The discovery of n suspected case of
smallpox IN this town, yesterday after
noon. and the fact that the suspected
victim had mixed freely with townspcople
and exposed them 10 any contagion that
he might have, if the first symptoms are
borne out by later Developments, put the
local Board Of Health officials IN n guam
,lary for the time bclng Milford has no
pest house or place for conhning persons
suffering from contagious diseases, 80 in
this contingency DR. Frederick L Ruhl,
secretary of Milford's health hoard, or
,lcrcd the man to the steel and concrete
town lookup. where he viii I've confined for
4 few davs. while the incubation of the
smallpox germs, II that IS what he IS SUI
rering with develops. Milford is on the
dividing line between Kent and Sussex
counties
The sufferer IS we'll known about
Milford. doing odd Jobs and bits Of work.
and among his regular EMPLOYERS 's DIR.
L IoHand Occasionally he sleeps iii
me O. Dr Lofiand buildings Yesterday
afternoon he complained Ia DR. Lotiand
of feeling sick The physician gave the
man one look and then took another.
You 20 Ia that loft and stay there till
sec YOU again, said the physician
Dr Loiiand then got INTO communica-
tlon with Aiilfords health board and 3
visit was paid TO the occupant of the ply
;clan : loft According 70 this preliminary
Inspection the man was suffering from all
the symptoms Of smallpox in its first
stages
Or Ruhl telcphoncd 70 Dr T. : Con
well. secretary OF the State BOARD Of
Health, at Dover and explained tho situa-
tion and received instructions as to what
10 do. DIR ConwelI told Dr Ruhl that II
was the duty Of the Milford board to
quarantine the man if r. had smallpox
and protect the remainder of the COM
nunity. Following this conversation the
victim was ordered Ia the lookup where
he will he kept in durance until all doubt
sS 10 whether he has the smallpox il de-
tcrmncd
Because the man has moved freely
bout the town and come INTO contact /
with many. makes the situation the mere
serious II his CASE should prove as sus- ]
fcctcd
MILFORD TAKEs PROMPT ACTION
| member ~ the State Board II
tieaIth Of Wilmington. when asked about .
he Milford case, said that If the case
hcing watched proves 10 Nc smallpox, ,
Milford citizens should be vacclnated as
soon ~ possible - prevent any spread
i. the disease Because the Milford health
authorities have taken such prompt ac-
ion. there is no necessity Tor the present
i the State Board taking any further
,teps he said.
PHILADELPHIA SAY rCr UP RARs
D0yzP I.N m
State Health Commissioner Chester II.
Wells came 10 tho capital TODAY to con-
suit with Dr. J.. : Conwcll. secretary Of )
The State Board OF Health, relative to
conditions IN Georgetown and also to
discuss the suspected case 1T Milford,
Communication with the Philadelphia
health authorities regarding the eases
discovered there Of 3 FANNY who had
been living st DagShoro for ten days and
whose illness did not develop until they
returned Ia the Quaker City was not
comforting The Philadelphia authorities
wanted TO be kept informed regarding de-
veiopments IN Delaware, and there was
the lniilnation that Il the jurisdiction Of
the State Board OF Health should be dts
regarded and its D0wcr> placed below hat
uf he local boards then the Pennsylvania
authorities would protect that common
wealth with measures they would at once +
institute
The rumor that because Attorney
General Reinhardt had asked his former
deputy from SIISseS county. Daniel J.
LAYTON, TO reconsider bis resignation, led
to the assumption by some that the vac
cInation refusal cases at Georgetown /
would be dropped On this point the
attorney-gcncraI IS silent, but the de-
Ineauor OF the State health board officials
does not carry out this SurnIse In ref
erence to continuation OF the vaccIna-
tlon order al Gcorget own, even though
eases Of smallpox now announced have
been cleared up, State health official
Sald today
1t Is our intention IL continue the
vaccination of Georgetown citizens even
though well defined cases Of smallpox
nave recovered sufficiently TO be removed
from quarantine The statement that
Georgetown has no smallpox, cannot be
made truthfully until nouse-to-house
anvass or some other rigid investigation
i made There may be smallpox there
IN some family and the townspeople, or
perhaps the other members OF the family,
lguorant Of that fact. That IS one Of the
facts that brought about such stringent
forts on the part Of the State board
during the month Of December
w hen the rash. or chlCken-pox, as
some called II. made ITS appearance, VIC
instituted as thorough house-to-house
canvass Is We could and discovered many
other cases. Ii Indian River hundred
her, were 200 light eases Of smallpox
found that the people were ignorant Of.
FOR that reason IN order to protect others
and people who live outside Of George
town. some precautions should be taken
IL eliminate all chance
The State board members arc waiting
today 10 hear from Attorney-General Rein
hardt, before going further with tie cases
At G,corgetoRn or the Situation at Lewes.
There are no hearings scheduled for
/ his week with the exception Of the cases
lald over from last Saturday until next
Saturday at Georgetown
II was said mere today that the State
Board Of Health viii probably call on the
Georgetown Board Of Health To enforce
the vaccination order
The State Board il was said viii seek
i court ruling on its authority, which has
been questioned by Georgetown jus
tIue II VIII insist on its orders being
carried out. either through it, own
goncieS or local authorities