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CORRESPONDENCE.

THE SMALL POX CASES AT POMFRET.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT,
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 1894.

Dr. J. H. Hamilton, Richford, Vt.

Dear Sir-On the 13th of this month a death occurred in this city which was diagnosed at the time by the attending physicians as confluent varicella. This child, Ruth Coston, had been sick for fourteen days. Previous to that, and up to the 14th of September she was staying at Pomfret, in your state. Two cases have developed in persons who were exposed to this child, which have been diagnosed as small pox. The original contagion may have come from your state, or may of course have been received while traveling to this city.

Will you kindly inform me as to the prevalence or otherwise, of small pox, cow pox, chicken pox, or measles in the vicinity from which this child was brought, and in other parts of your state?

Very respectfully,

WM. C. WOODWARD, M. D.,

Health Officer.

P. S.-The death of one of the cases referred to has just been reported. W. C. W.

Accompanying the foregoing letter was the following clipping from the Washington Post of October 23:

"The suspected case of small pox mentioned in yesterday's Post, was ascertained upon careful investigation by Health Officer Woodward and Police Surgeon Nevitt to be a well defined case. The patient is Mary Mundel, a colored woman, and as stated in The Post, she has been removed to the small pox hospital, in the extreme eastern part of the city, where Dr. Nevitt is caring for her. The woman lived in the house of P. J. Coston, 433 Fourth street northeast, and was employed as a nurse. She was in charge of a little daughter of Mrs. Coston, who had returned September 14, from a visit to her grandfather, in South Pomfret, Vt. Fifteen

days after returning, the child became ill, and October 18 she died. She was supposed to have been afflicted with chicken pox. None of the other members of the family became ill. A little more than a week ago Mrs. Mundel washed the clothing which had been worn by the little one, and Monday, a week ago, she became ill. Dr. H. R. Street attended her, and as the case did not improve under ordinary treatment, he became convinced that she had small pox, and so notified Health Officer Woodward. The investigation was made Sunday night, and the woman removed to the pest house. Dr. Nevitt thinks the patient's life may be saved, although her condition is serious.

The house on Fourth street northeast has been thoroughly disinfected, and every possible precaution taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Mr. Coston is a law clerk in the department of the interior."

WOODSTOCK, WINDSOR CO., VT., Oct. 29, 1894.

Dr. J. H. Hamilton, Secretary State Board of Health.

Dear Sir-Yours of the 25th inst. enclosing communication from Dr. Woodward, health officer of Washington, D. C., is before me. I have written Dr. Woodward as you suggested, informing him. that there has been no case of small pox, varioloid, chicken pox, or measles, or any other contagious disease, in either Pomfret or vicinity during the year, nor is there any now. The family where the little girl stopped this summer are in good health and have been, as far as I can find out, all summer. The child left here well-much better than when she came in the early part of the summer. I am happy to state that our entire community is in a state of exceptionally good health.

Yours respectfully,

M. H. CHANDLER, M. D.,
Health Officer.

WOODSTOCK, WINDSOR CO., VT., Oct. 31, 1894.

Dr. Hamilton, Secretary State Board of Health.

Dear Sir-I have just received notice of a case of small pox, in the neighborhood (Pomfret) where the little girl that died in Washington spent her summer; but as the child has been away from here six weeks, and this case has just appeared, there was no direct connection. The father, Mr. Coston, has sent papers right along to this man who has the disease and the papers and letters were sent right through the sickness of the child. So we concluded that the infection came that way. We shall use every means to stamp it out. Dr. Sherwin of the state board is heartily co-operating with me in the matter.

Very truly yours,

M. H. CHANDLER.

I have notified the health officer at Washington to have mails fumigated and will notify Coston to abstain from writing, or sending papers.

M. H. C.

Dr. J. H. Hamilton.

WOODSTOCK, VT., Nov. 19, 1894.

Dear Sir-I wish to condemn some property belonging to Capt. Bruce who has had small pox. I wish to burn all bedding, carpets and other articles of furniture.

Now is there any legal remedy for him to recover for the loss of these articles? If there is not, there is a very material defect in the law which should at once be remedied.

Very truly,

M. H. CHANDLER, M. D.

STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,
SECRETARY'S OFFICE,

RICHFORD, VT., Nov. 21, 1894.

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Dear Dr. Chandler-Everything should be destroyed that cannot safely be preserved, at the expense of the owner if of sufficient ability, otherwise at the expense of the town.

Truly yours,

J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISING SURGEON-GENERAL,

MARINE HOSPITAL SERVICE,
WASHINGTON, D. C., Nov. 17, 1894.

Dr. J. H. Hamilton, Secretary State Board of Health, Richford,
Vermont.

Dear Doctor-The two cases of small pox that you have reported as existing in Pomfret are of particular interest, inasmuch as the first one raises the question of the transmissibility of the disease by mail. Judge Coston of the interior department of this city, as you will see by the inclosed newspaper paragraph, returned from Pomfret to Washington early in October with his child, who was sick en route. There is no doubt that his child had a very severe case of variola. She died October 13. Judge Coston went on the assumption that it was chicken pox and accordingly took no special precautions. It was thought at first that the child might have

taken the small pox in Pomfret, but I believe the records show that there was no case of small pox there prior to the case of Captain Bruce, ere which the child had arrived in Washington. It is reported as per the inclosed newspaper slip, that Judge Coston was in correspondence with people in Pomfret while attending his sick child, and the first case reported in Pomfret, namely, Mr. H. N. Bruce, is reputed to have taken the small pox in this manner. I have caused the various authorities to be examined in this office and can find no definite statement of the transmissibility of small pox by mail, though, of course, I am convinced that it can be thus transmitted, but a well proven fact would be of scientific and practical value. Will you help me out in this matter, and have your local officer make a report on the origin of the case of small pox in the person of Mr. Bruce?

Respectfully yours,

WALTER WYMAN,

Supervising Surgeon-General, M. H. S.

Judge Coston left Pomfret Sept. 14. Arrived at Washington Sept. 15. Child's first symptoms developed Sept. 30; died Oct. 13.

"Capt. H. N. Bruce of South Pomfret has very many friends who will be pained to learn that he is afflicted with small pox. He is, however, able to be about the house, and does not seem to be very sick. On the 15th of September Ruth Coston, a young miss who had been visiting her grandfather, W. W. Gibson, returned to her home in Washington, D. C., and shortly after was taken ill and died October 13 of a disease which her physician named chicken pox. A colored servant girl in the family was also taken ill and removed to a hospital, where her disease was found to be small pox. During the time of their illness letters and newspapers were sent from the family to Mr. Gibson, and by him the newspapers were loaned to Capt. Bruce for reading. The contagion doubtless came to Capt. Bruce in one of those papers. Miss Ruth Coston probably caught the disease while en route from Vermont to Washington. That is the long and short of the story. While small pox is certainly a very contagious disease, it is considered by many physicians less dangerous to life than scarlet fever, and one circumstance immensely in its favor is that vaccination will prevent small pox, while the only known safety from the contagion of scarlet fever is in isolation. Every possible precaution will be taken against the spread of the disease, and the community will feel a deep interest and sympathy in Capt. Bruce's behalf. We call attention to the notice of Dr. Chandler, relating to vaccination.

There has been one new dévelopment in the small pox business, but it is not at all alarming. Mrs. H. N. Bruce, who has been shut up with her husband and caring for him, has an attack of varioloid. She had been vaccinated, and could not have genuine small pox; yet varioloid is identical with it except in severity, very

uncomfortable, but not dangerous. It is also contagious, and small pox may be taken from this as well as from the original case. The health officers think, however, that sufficient care has been taken to prevent its spreading from that house. Capt. Bruce is constantly gaining, and he and Mrs. Bruce will be most heartily congratulated when their day of emancipation arrives. The strict quarantine maintained upon the neighbors who might possibly have been exposed to the first contagion, will be raised the last of this week if no new developments are forthcoming, and they will be entitled to a little jubilation."

STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,
SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
RICHFORD, Nov. 26, 1894.

Walter Wyman, M. D., Supervising Surgeon-General.

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Dear Doctor-I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 17th inst., asking for further report as verifying the case of small pox, the contagion of which was supposed to have been transmitted through the mail. I have asked the health officer to report the facts.

Very truly,

J. H. HAMILTON, Secretary.

STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,
SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
RICHFORD, Nov. 26, 1894.

M. H. Chandler, M. D., Health Officer.

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Dear Doctor-As no authentic case of transmission of the small pox contagion through the mail is on record, it is very desirable that the case of Capt. Bruce be fully explained or verified. Will you kindly give all the facts-whether the patient had been away, when he might have contracted the disease, how soon the first mail was received from Judge Coston, etc.? You can readily understand what is required.

Very truly,

J. H. HAMILTON.

[I received no reply to the above letter, but in conversation with Dr. Chandler, he informed me that his patient had not been from home where he could have contracted the disease and that he had the reading of the papers at the proper time to have contracted the disease.-J. H. H.]

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