Category Archives: Clay County

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXXVII

QUARANTINE IS FARCICAL.
Smallpox Situation Steadily Growing
Worse – Change of Sentiment

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CLAY CITY, Ind., Feb. 23. – The so-called quarantine for smallpox at this place seems to be a miserable failure in every respect, except in the way of killing business and saddling on the town an enormous debt. Person broken out with the disease get out on the street and mingle with the crowd, and the only action taken so far to prevent a repetition of the act has been to send them home on a promise to be good.

A pesthouse was rigged up several weeks ago, but no person has been required to occupy it yet, thought the quarantine has been violated repeatedly. Many person have been released from quarantine while covered with sores, and permitted to go on the streets and into places of business while in this condition. Persons who do not care to come in contact with the disease have frequently been compelled to go out of their way or retreat from such cases.

It is reported that butter is being brought to market from farmhouses where there are smallpox patients.

All the practicing physicians, except Dr. Wolfe, now agree that the disease is smallpox. There seems to be a much greater per cent of bad cases now than formerly. Public opinion has undergone quite a change since Dr. Hurty first pronounced the disease smallpox. Then he was denounced as an alarmist and a crank. Now almost everybody says he is right and that an “effective” quarantine would be the proper thing. About a dozen houses have been carded within the last week, and unless more stringent measures are resorted to it will be a long time till the disease is stamped out.

“Quarantine Is Farcical,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 24 February 1900, p. 2, col. 5; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXXVI

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APPEAL FROM CLAY CITY.
Board of Health Asked to Enforce
Quarantine Regulations.

Six new cases of smallpox were reported to the State Board of Health from Clay City yesterday. One new case has appeared in Delaware county and one in Vermillion county. The board also received an appeal from Clay City asking that the quarantine regulations in that place be enforced. It is claimed by those who signed the appeal that the regulations are being utterly disregarded; that person afflicted with the disease are permitted on the streets, and that the cards put up by the local health officers are immediately torn down.

“Appeal From Clay City,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 23 February 1900, p. 8, col. 1; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXXV

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MORE VIRULENT CASES.
Smallpox Epidemic at Clay City Is
Increasing in Intensity.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CLAY CITY, Ind., Feb. 21. – There is little, if any, decrease in the number of new cases of smallpox reported to the local authorities, half a dozen having developed since Saturday. The new cases, too, are of a more virulent type than those which developed earlier. Moreover, Dr. Freed, who so long insisted that the disease was chickenpox, now admits the correctness of the smallpox diagnosis and the gravity of the situation.

This gravity is increased by the comparative laxity of the quarantine, but public sentiment is slowly changing in this regard and more rigid steps will be more kindly regarded than those taken heretofore. As an example of the need of more rigid precautions, it may be noted that one patient, released from quarantine but still broken out, was standing on one of the most frequented corners in town today, and discussing his case with whomsoever would stop to talk with him.

The case of Charles Klinger’s wife was reported to the authorities the 10^th; the house was not carded until the 11^th, and the card was removed the 18^th. At the home of Isaac Griffith, the card was taken down yesterday, but Griffith is still in bed, and will be for several days. Many other cases of this kind exist.

“More Virulent Cases,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 22 February 1900, p. 2, col. 4; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXXIV

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KEPT FROM THE SCHOOLS
Terre Haute Children Who
Have Not Been Vaccinated.

Two New Smallpox Cases – Troubles of
The Liquor Men – State Politics –
Electric Cars in Collision.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Feb. 20. – More than five hundred pupils of the city schools were turned away to-day because they had not been vaccinated or could not furnish a certificate of a successful vaccination within seven years. It is thought that many of these pupils will be vaccinated.

Two new cases of smallpox have been reported. They had been watched by the health authorities for some days as suspicious cases. The fact that they were under surveillance, as also all who had been exposed to them in the preliminary stages of the disease, gives hope that no other case will be reported form the same exposure. There is only one case in the pesthouse now, that of a traveling man named Arthur McDaniels, who was taken from one of the hotels at this own request.

“Kept From The Schools,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 21 February 1900, p. 2, col. 3; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXXIII

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DEATH FROM SMALLPOX
Second One Occurs at Clay City – Sev-
eral New Cases Reported.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
BRAZIL, Ind., Feb. 19. – Mrs. Sarah Reed, aged thirty-five years, who lived at Clay City, died to-day of confluent smallpox. This is the second death in this county from the disease.

Several new cases have been reported in Clay City, and it is feared that it will prove more malignant than the disease has been in the past.

“Death From Smallpox,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 20 February 1900, p. 2, col. 5; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXXII

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CASE IN THIS CITY
The Cold Weather Causes Smallpox to
Break Out Afresh.

A well-developed case of smallpox was discovered yesterday afternoon at the home of John Brigham, 806 Bates street. The patient is Mrs. Maggie Sperling, who came here on a visit from Monticello, Ill., about two weeks ago. A physician was called Sunday morning to see the little daughter of Mrs. Sperling, who was supposed to be suffering with convulsions. While examining the child he noticed that the mother was broken out with eruptive sores.

Yesterday morning the city Health Board was notified and immediately sent Dr. Ferguson to investigate the report. He reported that the woman had a well-developed case of smallpox, and while the little daughter was not broken out with the disease, Dr. Ferguson was under the impression that she was suffering from the first stages of it. The Health Board at once had the patients removed to the smallpox ward of the City Hospital, and the Brigham family was quarantined. There have been few exposures, and little danger of the disease spreading is apprehended.

Ever since the cold weather the State Board of Health has been receiving reports from the districts infected with smallpox, which indicate that the number of cases is increasing. Reports were received from various parts of the State yesterday stating that smallpox had broken out again. Dr. Mayfield reported that several families had smallpox at Saltillo, and the Town Board of Health had refused to do anything to prevent the spread of the disease. The State Board will demand that the Town Board act at once. A number of cases were reported from Campbellsburg and vicinity. Dr. Hurty also received a telegram from Scottsburg asking him to visit that city, and it is thought there are new cases there.

“Case In This City,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 20 February 1900, p. 6, col. 6; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXXI

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CRIMINAL INDIFFERENCE.
Attitude of the Clay City People to
the Smallpox Epidemic.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CLAY CITY, Ind., Feb. 16. – New cases of smallpox are of almost daily occurrence in this vicinity, owing largely to indifference to the disease. This indifference is partly accounted for in the fact that only one death has occurred and in the additional fact that some professional men and many of the nonprofessional stoutly maintain that it is not smallpox and not dangerous. Several family, released after about two weeks’ quarantine, have been quarantined a second time owing to other members of the family having contracted the disease. Cases have existed in some families for days before being reported to the health officer, the father of one of these families going to and from his home and attending to business down town as usual.
One young man, sent home on the 15^th of January, all broken out with the disease, was at work in his shop, as usual, on the 27^th.
Last Saturday a man thickly broken out stood in the postoffice lobby, along with fifty or more persons.
The persons quarantined at G. J. Kaysor’s continue to drink from a dipper chained to a pump at the sidewalk for the accommodation of the public.
A young man named Drummond was running about the streets last week, thickly broken out, and had to be forced to go home and the house carded.
There are many other cases like those mentioned.
W. T. Damer, quarantined for twenty-one days, and sick throughout the period, was released on the 14^th inst. He was literally covered with the eruptions. For many days Mr. Damer could not stand. Many cases like his could be cited.
It is reported that between twenty-five and thirty houses in the township, outside of Clay City, are carded, and somewhat fewer in town, which shows a large decrease for the town. The township schools, including Middlebury, a mile away, reopened on the 12^th inst. There were three new cases in Middlebury the first of the week, but the disease is being rapidly checked there.

“Criminal Indifference,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 17 February 1900, p. 2, col. 3; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXX

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Smallpox Dying Out.

Dr. Hurty, secretary of the State Board of Health, said yesterday that he was receiving very few reports of new cases of smallpox and thought that the good work done by the county health boards in the way of vaccination and other observances of the health laws had about mastered the disease. Dr. Cole, health officer of Greene county, reported one new case of smallpox at Jasonville, Greene county.

“Smallpox Dying Out,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 16 February 1900, p. 3, col. 4; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXIX

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Disease About Stamped Out

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Feb. 14. – The Board of Health is hopeful, not to say confident, that the threatened epidemic of smallpox in Terre Haute has been prevented. For six days now only one case has been reported, and it of a very mild type which had been under surveillance for several days. In all there have been eight cases, none of which was of a serious nature. The Board has given orders, however, to require vaccination on the part of all school pupils after this week; not compulsory vaccination but making vaccination necessary for further attendance on school.

“Disease About Stamped Out,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 15 February 1900, p. 2, col. 4; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).

Smallpox Epidemic, Part XXVIII

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CLAY CITY SCHOOLS
Will Probably Open Again Monday –
Calls for Virus.

The Clay City schools, which have been closed for weeks on account of the smallpox epidemic which has been raging in that city, will probably be opened next Monday. The State Board of Health has forwarded instructions to that effect, with the proviso that no child shall be admitted unless vaccinated, and further that none shall be admitted from infected families.

The Portland Board of Health has asked the State Board of Health for vaccine virus and will order the vaccination of school children.

Smallpox Patient Released.

The Board of Public Health Thursday ordered the removal of N. C. Burnham from the pesthouse to his home, No. 330 North Beville avenue. He was the smallpox patient confined at the City Hospital contagious disease pavilion and was declared to be cured of the disease. His wife, who was with him and helped to nurse him, was also allowed to go home with her husband.

“Clay City Schools,” The Indianapolis Journal (Indianapolis, Indiana), 10 February 1900, p. 8, col. 3; digital image, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ : accessed 6 December 2014).