Evening star., 1925-04-30

All Government employees in the
District have been requested by the
Public Health Service to submit to
vaccination against smallpox, and
there were indications today that
President Coolidge was among the
first TO signify compliance with the
request.
There have been 10 deaths from
smallpox here since January /, out
of "a cases. Two of these deaths
occurred yesterday. DIR. Cummings
considers the disease to be in a
virulent form.
The Public Health Service has ar
ranged to send surgeons to the various
departments, so that the administra-
ton OF vaccine to approximately
$1,000 employees can be accomplished
with the least possible interference
with Government business In the
Veterans Bureau. where several thou
sands are crowded together daily.
vaccination began several days ago
because a woman clerk had continued
to come to work after she had been
exposed to smallpox.
While White House officials refused
TO discuss President Coolidge's vac
cination, it was pointed out that he
receives and shakes hands daily with
several hundred people and occasional. |.
ly attends public gatherings IIer.,.
Maj. ]. F. Coupal. the White House
physician; Secretary Sanders and Z.
T. Clark, personal secretary to the
President, all fatty refused to say
whether Mr.. Coolidge actually had
submitted to vaccination. If such a
step had been taken, DIR. Coupal said
he would not feel at liberty ID dis.
cuss it.
Moss Approves Proposal.
The recommendation by DIR. Cum
ming that all employees in the Gov
ernment be offered vaccination was
submitted today to Assistant Secre-
tary of tthe Treasury Mckenzie Moss.
who approved it. Arrangements then
were made for notifying all the Gov
ernment departments officially of the
recommendation of the Public Health
Service, and preparing to cooperate
with them in taking care of the flood
of requests expected.
While the Veterans Bureau was
one of the first establishments in the
Government to go about a wholesale
vaccination of every one and recon-
mend it, the Treasury Department al
ready had vaccinated a large number
of employees, it was revealed today.
DIR. Cumming emphasized that his
action was not taken in criticism of
the work of District Public Health Of
ficer DR.. William c. Fowler, but in
cooperation with him.
The severity of the present small
pox, which is of the hemorrhagic
type" said DR.. Cumming, "and the
high mortality of 81 per cent make
it very desirable that Government EN-
pIoyes in the District avail themselves
of the protection afforded by vaccina-
ton. This measure is also indicated
in order to minimize the danger of
the spread of this disease to neigh
boring States where many of these
employees reside"
Can Save Time Loss.
DR.. Cumming pointed out that the
vaccinations could be done during the
day at the various bureaus at times
prescribed by those in charge, thereby
reducing loss of time by employees to
the minimum.
While the smallpox here is believed
by DIR. Cumming to have reached a
stage amply justifying the recon-
mendation made by him today, he
estimated that the disease here had
mot hardly reached the epidemic
stage"
Smallpox has been prevalent
throughout the United States in some
of the principal cities, DR.. Cumming
said Detroit had bad epidemic last
Winter, he said, and other cities
which have suffered within the year
have been Denver, Los Angeles and
Kansas City. The disease, he said, is
now prevalent in St. Paul and Min
neapolis.
Surgeon l.. r. Thompson, in charge
of the industrial hygiene and SAM.
tation division of the Public Health
Service, has been designated by Surg
Gen. Cumming to have charge of the
program of cooperation with the Gov
ernment departments.
The expenditure of Public Health
Continued on Page 4. Column A.