Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1921-03-25
Smallpox Is On The
Increase /; Action Taken.

The Frederick County Board
of Health met in Wine hester on
Thursday afternoon and took
PROMPT measures to cope with
the smallpox situation in the
county At present stringent
measures will not be resorted to
except in the case of violations
of the quarantine regulations.
The board decided that if it Is
shown that any person has in
future. violated the quarantine
regula atoms, the entire people of
that particular community will
be subject to compulsory vacci-
nation, and the county will likely
erect at once a pest house where
such violators will be confined
under the laws Of the State.
The situation in the county is
not reassuring by any means.
| There are at present nearly fifty
cases of the disease in the coun-
ty, nine new cases having devel-
oped Thursday morning.
| One physician declared that
the situation in his locality is
beyond the control of the local
physicians and he urged an ap-
peal to the State Board of Hea It'll
for assistance in coping with the
epidemic.
In Winchester the number of
cases have increased from two
to six but the Winchester Board
of Health feels that the situation
here is not a all alarming.
1t is known that a number of
persons living in the county,
who had smallpox in their homes
and had been quarantined there
have violated the regulations by
1eav wing their homes and coming
to Winchester where they went
to places of amusement and pool
rooms, Tins giving every oppor-
tn nifty for the spread of the dis
ease.
Nearly all of the cases Of
SMALLPOX are located west and
northwest of this city, in line
from Capon Bridge down the
Northwestern pike to Round Hill
and with Round Hill the angle
of the right angle triangle,
thence northward to Gainesboro.
There is one case of the dis
ease at Harris Addition and five
within the limits of Winchester.
1t is said that the disease first
started in the family of man
well known for his radical relig.
ious views and the leader Of a
sect holding antagonism to ply.
sicians. Nearly all the members
of this mans family are either
down at present with the disease
or have been down with it.
They refused to call in a doctor
and members Of the sect contin.
ued to hold meeting while small
pox ragged in the mans family
The result has been, according
to the physicians, that the EN-.
tire neighborhood has been in.
fected, the disease has spread
and this particular locality il
now the center and hotbed of the
epidemic.
A number of schools were
closed in the county in the neigh.
borhood of the disease until all
of the children were vaccinated,
and other gatherings of people
have been called off on account
of smallpox.
A member of the County
IL ealth Board said to day that
nearly all of the cases are of very
vlrulent typ e; in some instances
the patients are covered fire. N
head to foot with pustules, with
! the sores also on the bottom of
their feet and in their mouths.
| Physicians warn all persons
not to frequent public places or
ming1e in a crowd; to maintain a
high hygienic standard of living
and above all be vaccinated.
The physicians of Winchester
have been kept busy the past
few days vaccinating citizens
and there is an epidemic of sore
arms in the community. Every
employe of The Star was vac
cinated. Winchester Star.