Mr. Wolf, who lives in New Washington, had also acted as nurse. After a few days he came home. He and his family were treated in the same manner, no one but Dr. Keller seeing them. Soon after his return Mr. Wolf was taken with small-pox, and was at once removed to the Huber farm, his family remaining quarantined.

Peter Huber's brother, living in New Washington, was also acting as nurse, and was taken sick with small-pox shortly after Mr. Wolf. As he had had communication with his family prior to his illness, his family was also quarantined, Mr. Huber remaining at his brother's farm.

These facts were mostly learned after a visit to New Washington, which I made January 9.

For several days prior the papers had been publishing highly sensational reports in regard to small-pox at New Washington. Tiffin and Shelby had quarantined against freights and passengers from New Washington, other places were preparing to do so, and the day I left a petition was received from a number of citizens of Tiro, a small place near New Washington, asking this Board to assist them in maintaining a non-intercourse quarantine.

New Washington I found to be a town of about 1,200 inhabitants, situated on the Toledo and Mansfield Railroad, about twenty-five miles from Mansfield and twenty from Tiffin.

and

The conditions found were as above given, except that Mrs. Huber one of the children had died. Business was almost completely suspended; a number of families, in alarm, had left town, and the morning of my arrival the mail service refused mail from that point. I met the mayor, health officer (a board of health having just been established), Dr. Keller, and a number of other citizens. I informed them that the object of my visit was not merely to aid them in preventing spread of the disease, but to correct false reports and remove needless quarantine re

strictions.

I telegraphed the superintendent of railroad mail service, reporting no small-pox in the village, and requesting quarantine on mail matter from that point removed. (This was removed the next day).

The board of health, following instructions previously given, had secured a building for a pest-house, and had appointed two men to be ready to act as guards, should a case occur in town. They had also arranged with the school board to enforce vaccination of school children.

Three families in town had been quarantined for ten days, and no other person in town had been exposed.

The building for the pest-house was not furnished, and I asked them

2 B. H.

to place a bed and build fires in the house, which had not been occupied for some time.

A meeting of the township trustees was called, and they agreed to appoint two guards to prevent all communication with persons at the Huber farm.

The authorities of Tiffin were maintaining quarantine against all freight and passengers from New Wasnington, in spite of the protest of the mayor and board of health of the latter place; and at the request of the mayor I went to Tiffin to adjust this matter. I met the health officer and mayor of Tiffin, informed them as to the real conditions at New Washington, and requested them to raise quarantine. This was done at once. I advised the health officer to enforce vaccination of school children, and to provide for vaccination of the poor. I promised to keep them fully informed of the conditions at New Washington, and to aid in maintaining quarantine should it become necessary.

The authorities at Tiro, Plymouth, and other places, asking for quarantine, were advised as to the conditions found, and quarantine pronounced unnecessary.

On January 11, Mr. Riedel, who, after having nursed Mr. Huber, returned to New Washington, was taken with small-pox. He and his family had been quarantined for nearly two weeks prior to his illness. He was removed to the Huber farm, and no other cases occurred in New Washington.

The mayor of Attica, Dr. Harmon, called at the office prior to my visit to New Washington, to ask advice in regard to a woman and child who had just come to Attica. They had been living near the Huber farm, where they had been indirectly exposed to small-pox by associating with Mr. Wolf, who was then nursing Mr. Huber. I advised that the woman and child should be vaccinated at once and kept under surveillance for fourteen days. General vaccination was also advised, and by request I wrote to the school board of Attica, recommending the enforcement of a rule requiring all school children to be vaccinated. The mayor since informed me that these measures were carried out, and over 700 persons in Attica vaccinated.

SMALL-POX AT NORTH SOLON.

January 6 a case of small-pox was reported at North Solon, a small village in Cuyahoga county, near Cleveland. There being no telegraph station there, I wrote to the postmaster for particulars. The following day a letter was received from the health officer of Chagrin Falls, five miles from North Solon, requesting vaccine virus, and corroborating the

report of small-pox at the latter place. January 9 the health officer at Bedford, four miles from North Solon, reported that a woman, who had nursed the case of small-pox at North Solon, had gone to Cleveland. Dr. Ashmun, health officer of Cleveland, was at once notified of this report.

Senator Taylor, of Bedford, to whom we were referred, reported great

alarm concerning the case of small-pox at North Solon.

A letter was received from the postmaster of North Solon, reporting a panic and danger of further spread.

I visited Bedford January 12, met the health officer and members of the board of health, and also the trustees of Bedford township. The health officer reported that a Mrs. Mitchell, living near Bedford, had nursed the patient at North Solon, and was creating great alarm by her promiscuous visiting, she having been to Cleveland on one occasion.

On the following day, in company with Dr. Frizzell, of Bedford, the attending physician, I visited the patient at North Solon.

The patient, Mrs. Yungklaus, on December 12, had visited a sister living at No. 20 Maple street, Cleveland. While there, she called on a family living next door, and noticed that some of the children were sick with an eruptive disease; she was told they had chicken-pox.

She did not go into the house, but remained in the door a few minutes, and says there was a bad odor about the house, which made her sick, causing her to vomit.

She returned to her home that night, and on December 26 she was taken sick with high fever and severe pain in the back. A physician was not called until December 29, and he, not knowing of her exposure in Cleveland, did not recognize her disease, and pronounced it typhoid-fever. Several neighbors were in to see her about this time, and on New Year's day her son went to Cleveland and returned. The eruption becoming marked about this time, small-pox was suspicioned, and from that time on no one but the physician and nurse were permitted to see her. Mrs. Mitchell, a sister-in-law of the patient, who was reported as having nursed the patient, and afterwards gone to Cleveland, had not seen her since December 31, and had not nursed her at all.

The husband and three children of the patient were vaccinated, and were not permitted to see the patient.

A sister of the patient, the one whom she had visited in Cleveland when she contracted her disease, was acting as nurse.

The patient, when I saw her, had reached the stage of desiccation, and was in a fair way to make a good recovery. The disease was of the

confluent type.

No one in the neighborhood had been exposed since December 31

thirteen days prior to my visit, and most of the people in the village had been vaccinated.

I left full printed instructions for disinfecting and cleaning the house, clothing, etc., which the husband and physician promised to have carried out.

Dr. Ashmun, health officer of Cleveland, has furnished the following report of the cases of "chicken-pox" in Cleveland:

C. O. Probst, M. D., Sec'y State Board of Health:

CLEVELAND, O., January 14, 1889.

DEAR DOCTOR: Your telegram of yesterday was duly received, and in answer I would say that the condition of affairs here in regard to small-pox is about as follows: In the latter part of October, a man went from here to Canada, near Toronto, and in the family where he visited some children were sick with what he was told was "scarletfever." He came to his home here, and in about two weeks had an eruption, which his physician pronounced "chicken-pox." In about two weeks after he was affected, a man boarding in the family, and a boy ten years old in same family, were affected in the same way, none of the three being much sick, and all had been vaccinated. After the abovementioned boy was well and out of doors, the boy in the family you refer to as at No. 20 Maple street (should be No. 22 Maple street), was in his company a good deal, and after a time had a similar eruption, and was seen by the same physician who had the care of the first cases, and who again declared it to be "chicken-pox." A sister of boy No. 2 was also affected in the same way, and there is no doubt that Mrs. Yungklaus received her infection from this last house, where she called at the door. These cases are all well, and no new cases have been found so far. The marks left upon the skin indicate definitely that they were all "modified small-pox" in character, and I have no doubt came from an exposure in Canada.

It is to be hoped enough has appeared in our papers to attract attention to any future cases, should they occur, and we are in readiness to place them in hospitals when found. Yours sincerely,

SMALL-POX AT NEW HOLLAND.

G. C. ASHMUN, H. O.

January 9, while in New Washington, a telegram was received from our office stating that a case of small-pox was reported at New Holland. Vaccine virus had been requested and was sent.

Dr. May, attending physician, gave the following report of the case: About two weeks prior to the outbreak, a book agent dined at the house of Mr. S―. The man presented signs of recent illness, such as bloodshot eyes, blue nose, and a scurfy eruption of the face. Within two weeks Mr. S.'s daughter was taken with small-pox, and it is presumed she contracted the disease from the book agent.

The patient was isolated, the family vaccinated and quarantined. General vaccination was advised and the health officer requested to telegraph the appearance of each new case. No other cases occurred.

SMALL POX AT OBERLIN.

January 13, the Cincinnati Enquirer contained notice of a case of small-pox at Oberlin, the patient being a student at the Theological Seminary in that place. I telegraphed the health officer for particulars, asking if vaccine virus was needed. That night I received a telegram from Dr. Bunce, of Oberlin, asking for virus immediately. This was sent, and a telegram asking for particulars.

January 14, I received a message from the health officer reporting one case of varioloid, two persons exposed, all isolated. Also one from Dr. Bunce, saying: "Said to be three cases; if so, one thousand students exposed. College keeping it quiet." I telegraphed the health officer this report and he answered: "Same as reported yesterday."

Letters were received representing that the facts regarding the conditions at Oberlin were being suppressed. I telegraphed Dr. Noble, attending physician, for full particulars. Dr. Noble answered: "Very mild varioloid; all exposed vaccinated and under observation." The following letter was also received from Dr. Noble :

Dr. C. O. Probst, Secretary State Board of Health:

OBERLIN, OHIO, January 16, 1889.

DEAR DOCTOR: Your telegram was received last evening, but as I could hardly give you a clear idea of the situation within the limits of a message, I did not reply. The facts are as follows: A student in the seminary was taken with high fever and severe headache, and some backache, Monday night week (January 7). In forty-eight hours some hard lumps, to use his own words, appeared in his scalp and on his forehead. The fever declined when the eruption came, and he felt much better, went to his recitations, and on Thursday night went to the chapel where all the students, 1,200 in number, assembled. I was requested to see him Friday night. Found about 100 papules scattered over the head, face and body; many of them were changing into vesicles. Pronounced it varioloid of the mildest type. Called in Dr. Dudley Allen, who agreed with me in my diagnosis. The case is so very mild that had I not been very familiar with small-pox twenty years ago, think I should have called it chicken-pox, but the forty-eight hours of fever preceding the eruption, the decline of the fever after eruption, and above all the hard shot-like feeling of the papules, make, I think, the diagnosis certain. Now, as to what we have done. First, we have isolated the patient, and two men who have been particularly exposed. Second, we have vaccinated all who have been brought in contact with the patient in any way. Third, we have requested all who may have fever with backache and headache to report to a physician at once.

So far as I can judge, we have taken all reasonable precautions, and I don't believe we shall have any trouble.

Respectfully,

C. D. NOBLE, M. D.

P. S.-I should also say that we have fumigated the rooms in the seminary occupied by the patient, using nine pounds of sulphur in two rooms, and washed the wood-work and floors with a solution of acid carbolic.-N.