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MINIATURE OF POSTER SENT TO THE SUPERINTENDENTS
OF HEALTH.
NOTICE!
PREVENTION OF S9IAEL-POX.
Small-pox is one of the most contagious
and one of the most loathsome of all dis-eases.
It is now widely scattered over the United
States and is prevailing at twenty points in
our own State to-day. There is a danger of
a widespread epidemic among our people.
Under these circumstances every eruption
appearing after two or three days of head-ache,
backache and fever, or even after
merely a general bad feeling, especially if
most "prominent on the face and hands,
should be regarded as small-pox, and the
proper precautions taken promptly and con-tinued
until the patient is seen by a reliable
physician.
Be not deceived by false prophets who seek
popularity by prophesying smooth things
and call it chicken-pox. According to one
of the highest authorities, with a very few
exceptions, chicken-pox is confined exclu.s-sively
to childhood up to the age of twelve,
and is rare after ten. So if the patient is
past childhood it is almost surely small-pox,
although it may be a mild attack. But mild
cases can cause the severest form in the un-vaccinated.
Fortunately, thanks to the genius and
eourage of the immortal country doctor,
Edward Jenner, we have almost sure pro-tection
against the disease within reach of
all in vaccination. If properly done it is
practically as certain a preventive as a pre-vious
attack of small pox itself In Ger-many,
with its fifty millions of people, in
1S71, before vaccination was made compul-sory,
the number of deaths from small po.x
was 143,000, while in 1897, under compulsory
vaccination, it was only 116.
When small-pox is present in a commu-nity
those who have been vaccinated before
should be vaccinated again, as its virtues
disappear more or less with time.
There seems to be a prejudice against vac-cination
on the part of some. This preju-dice
is due to ignorance of the facts. The
effects of vaccination are really serious so
seldom that they need not be taken into
account. With the improved virus from the
cow there is not the slightest danger of
transmitting such human diseases as con-sumption,
scrofula or syphilis.
Having this sure preventive right at hand,
a panic on the subject of small pox is utterly
inexcusable. Those who are vaccinated—
but only those—can laugh at small-pox and
go on with their usual business in confi-dence.
Whenever small pox appears in a commu-nity
it is all-important that the sick person
should be separated from the well as soon
as possible. No one should visit him, and
only his physician and nurse should see him.
In fact, when small-pox is prevailing visits
of mere sympathy or curiosity should not
be paid to any case of sickness until its na-ture
has been declared by the attending
physician.
All persons who have been exposed to
smallpox should be vaccinated immediately
and detained or quarantined in comfortable
quarters for fifteen dajs from the time of
exposure—until the danger of their having
it has passed. Before leaving the house of
detention they should take a thorough bath
with warm water and soap and immediately
after that another with some suitable disin-fectant,
and put on clean clothes from the
skin out. The clothes in which they were
exposed should be boiled or otherwise disin-fected
before being worn again, or removed
from the house. The poison of small pox
can be carried in the clothes for an indefinite
time.
Upon the occurrence of small-pox in a
community the people should interest them-selves
in seeing that the regulations to pre-vent
its spead are obeyed, for the sake of the
business of the town as well as their own
personal safety. This applies with special
force to the operatives in factories and mills,
for the reason that the shutting down of a
mill is such a serious matter to them. Em-ployment
elsewhere cannot be expected,
because no mill would receive hands from
another mill among whose people the dis-ease
existed. Operatives at work are less
liable to contract the disease than if idle
and engaged in social visiting.
After the death or recovery of a person
who has had small-pox everything that has
been in contact with him should be burned
or disinfected in the most thorough manner
by the health officer.
Under the law (chapter 214, Laws of 1893)
vaccination, quarantine, etc., are under the
control of the County Superintendent of
Health, or the medical health officer of a
city or town, where there is one.
Ample powers are conferred by sections
23 and 25 upon the Boards of County Com-missioners
and the authorities of cities and
towns to enforce the necessary rules, the
language of one of the sections being that
they are authorized to make such regula-tions,
pay such fees and salaries and impose
such penalties as in their judgment may be
necessary for the protection of the public
health.
The reason for such laws is that the State
does not permit individual citizens, for a
mere whim or prejudice, to endanger the
health and lives and business of their more
reasonable neighbors.
Let everybody be vaccinated promptly.
RICHARD H. LEWIS, M. D.,
Secretary State Board of Health.
Object Description
Description
| Title | Page 1148 |
| Full Text | MINIATURE OF POSTER SENT TO THE SUPERINTENDENTS OF HEALTH. NOTICE! PREVENTION OF S9IAEL-POX. Small-pox is one of the most contagious and one of the most loathsome of all dis-eases. It is now widely scattered over the United States and is prevailing at twenty points in our own State to-day. There is a danger of a widespread epidemic among our people. Under these circumstances every eruption appearing after two or three days of head-ache, backache and fever, or even after merely a general bad feeling, especially if most "prominent on the face and hands, should be regarded as small-pox, and the proper precautions taken promptly and con-tinued until the patient is seen by a reliable physician. Be not deceived by false prophets who seek popularity by prophesying smooth things and call it chicken-pox. According to one of the highest authorities, with a very few exceptions, chicken-pox is confined exclu.s-sively to childhood up to the age of twelve, and is rare after ten. So if the patient is past childhood it is almost surely small-pox, although it may be a mild attack. But mild cases can cause the severest form in the un-vaccinated. Fortunately, thanks to the genius and eourage of the immortal country doctor, Edward Jenner, we have almost sure pro-tection against the disease within reach of all in vaccination. If properly done it is practically as certain a preventive as a pre-vious attack of small pox itself In Ger-many, with its fifty millions of people, in 1S71, before vaccination was made compul-sory, the number of deaths from small po.x was 143,000, while in 1897, under compulsory vaccination, it was only 116. When small-pox is present in a commu-nity those who have been vaccinated before should be vaccinated again, as its virtues disappear more or less with time. There seems to be a prejudice against vac-cination on the part of some. This preju-dice is due to ignorance of the facts. The effects of vaccination are really serious so seldom that they need not be taken into account. With the improved virus from the cow there is not the slightest danger of transmitting such human diseases as con-sumption, scrofula or syphilis. Having this sure preventive right at hand, a panic on the subject of small pox is utterly inexcusable. Those who are vaccinated— but only those—can laugh at small-pox and go on with their usual business in confi-dence. Whenever small pox appears in a commu-nity it is all-important that the sick person should be separated from the well as soon as possible. No one should visit him, and only his physician and nurse should see him. In fact, when small-pox is prevailing visits of mere sympathy or curiosity should not be paid to any case of sickness until its na-ture has been declared by the attending physician. All persons who have been exposed to smallpox should be vaccinated immediately and detained or quarantined in comfortable quarters for fifteen dajs from the time of exposure—until the danger of their having it has passed. Before leaving the house of detention they should take a thorough bath with warm water and soap and immediately after that another with some suitable disin-fectant, and put on clean clothes from the skin out. The clothes in which they were exposed should be boiled or otherwise disin-fected before being worn again, or removed from the house. The poison of small pox can be carried in the clothes for an indefinite time. Upon the occurrence of small-pox in a community the people should interest them-selves in seeing that the regulations to pre-vent its spead are obeyed, for the sake of the business of the town as well as their own personal safety. This applies with special force to the operatives in factories and mills, for the reason that the shutting down of a mill is such a serious matter to them. Em-ployment elsewhere cannot be expected, because no mill would receive hands from another mill among whose people the dis-ease existed. Operatives at work are less liable to contract the disease than if idle and engaged in social visiting. After the death or recovery of a person who has had small-pox everything that has been in contact with him should be burned or disinfected in the most thorough manner by the health officer. Under the law (chapter 214, Laws of 1893) vaccination, quarantine, etc., are under the control of the County Superintendent of Health, or the medical health officer of a city or town, where there is one. Ample powers are conferred by sections 23 and 25 upon the Boards of County Com-missioners and the authorities of cities and towns to enforce the necessary rules, the language of one of the sections being that they are authorized to make such regula-tions, pay such fees and salaries and impose such penalties as in their judgment may be necessary for the protection of the public health. The reason for such laws is that the State does not permit individual citizens, for a mere whim or prejudice, to endanger the health and lives and business of their more reasonable neighbors. Let everybody be vaccinated promptly. RICHARD H. LEWIS, M. D., Secretary State Board of Health. |
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