The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-04-12
SMALLPOX NEW
MENACE TO CITY
Eight Cases of the Disease
Keep Health Department
Busy Vaccinating.
IN VERY LIGHT FORM
Most Cases in the Columbus
School District; May Have
Come from ManitOwOc.

An incipient epidemic of smallpox in
Kenosha is causing apprehension to
the director of public health and the
health thermometer at the health Office
shows that there are at present eight
guarantees for the much-dreaded dis
ease in Kenosha and fear is expressed
that contagion has been rather wide
spread. The disease is not in the
virulent type and for the most part
the people i'll with it are not regarded
as dangerously sick, but there has been
"a steady increase in the number of
guarantees during the past two weeks
with a case or two being added to the
list of guarantees nearly every day.
Two patients, Mrs. Stella Smith, 1866
Salem avenue, and Mrs. Marie Howard,
400 Bond street, are at the Isolation
hospital, while the other six sufferers
from the disease are quarantined in
their homes. The list of sufferers in
cludes Edith Sandgren, aged 10, and
Gilbert Sandgren, aged 10, her brother.
They reside at TOO Newell street; Lu
cile Pine, IL years old, at 981 Erie
street; Russell Sorenson, II years of
age, at 984 Erie street, and Mrs. Ethel
Petersdorf. III Elizabeth street.
All In One School District.
1t is notables that all Of the cases Of
the disease have developed within the
Columbus school district and on that
account the public nurses are keeping
a very close watch on ali suspicious
illness IN this district.
The study of the history Of the COM
ing of the disease to Kenosha by the
health department indicates that the
first contagion was brought to Keno
sha from Chippewa Falls, where there
has been an epidemic of the disease for
some time. Another of the cases in
Kenosha is blamed to exposure to the
patient while she was visiting in
Manitowoc.
In battling the; spread Of the cpl
demic, hundreds of people have already
been vaccinated and vaccination is be-
ing urged upon many other people.
The mild form. Of the disease is be-
lieved to have caused several cases of
it to get by without report to the
health department. Today investiga-
ton was being made of two suspicious
cases which had been reported as
"chicken-pox" and it is believed that
final diagnosis will show that both of
these people are suffering from small
poX.
sect Vaccinated' Is Order.
"The disease has not appeared in a
dangerous form in Kenosha as yet, but
the increasing number Of cases OF
SMALLPOX makes it matter of great
concern to u.s." said DR.. Windeshelm
of the health department this morning.
"We are watching every angle con-
nected with the epidemic and we want
to urge upon all people who fear that
thew have been exposed to the disease
to get vaccinated at once. Out of the
mild type of smallpox very serious
cases may develop. It's difficult to say
lust where the contagion originated,
but it is here and what we are inter-
ested in now is stamping out with as
few cases as possible. So far the cases
among the children are almost entirely
from the one school district and we are
giving very close attention to the chill
dren in the schools of this district.
We are hopeful to prevent any extend
ed spread OF the disease among the
children. We want the people to help
us by reporting any suspicious cases
The department will promptly make in
vestigations."
Changed Law on Quarantine.
The regulations of the state board OF
health relating to smallpox and quar-
antines for the disease are not as rigid
as they were in former years. Armed
guards against homes in which small
box patients are suffering are not
longer regarded as necessary and the
quarantine regulations have been re-
Taxed considerable. The state law now
provides that people VINO nave been in
home where the disease is must be
successfully vaccinated before they are
permitted to leave the home and after
vaccination they are given many liber-
ties.