Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1893 — TO HEAD OFF CHOLERA. [ARTICLE]

TO HEAD OFF CHOLERA.

INSPECTION OF IMMIGRANTS IN CHICAGO. Systematic Work of the City Health Department to Guard Against Contagions Diseases—Terrific Cyclones at Work in Sections of the West. Guarding the Public Health. For the last two weeks a strict inspection of every passenger train coining into Chicago has been made by the city health department. Officers of the department have boarded each incoming train and carefully scrutinized all immigrants and every other person who looked suspicious from a doctor’s standpoint. Immigrants who are not vaccinated are immediately made to undergo that operation.. Every immigrant who has a blotch upon his cheek, a bad breath or a very red nose watches in apprehension until the inspectors have passed him. When the immigrants come in lots of 200 or 300 two inspectors go out forty or fifty miles, over in In-: diana, to meet them, and in order to have time to inspect each one thoroughly. Health Commissioner Dr. John D. Ware thinks the system is very near perfect. He believes that no cholera can reach Chicago from Europe, so-per-fect are the systems of inspection. “We have been inspecting trains for about half ayear,”Baid Dr. Ware, "but our new system has been in force only for about two weeks. We have now eight inspectors under Chief Inspector Dr. H. B. Wiborg. They are all young graduates of medical colleges, and they enjoy the work, although it is hard. The railroads all send us telegrams informing us how many imjnigrants each ..rain will have on board, and we prepare to meet them. The telegrams always tell us how many people are coming on the trains, and we go out far enough so that we can handle all of them. When we board g train we immediately look out for the. immigrants. We make them all show their New York quarantine certificates. These certificates are made out by the Government surgeons at Ellis island, and state that the bearer has been examined and found free from contagious diseases, and also tfcat he has been vaccinated. You see, all the immigrants are now vaccinated on the boats when they come over. Their baggage is thoroughly fumigated and disinfected at Ellis island, so we don’t have to look after it. The certificates show the name of the bearer and his destination. If he is coming to Chicago we take up his certificate, which Is registered at the office, and the man is kept in view. If the immigrant has no certificate and has not been vaccinated, we vaccinate him, but such cases arc rare. We can easily tell a sick man. If any of the immigrants looks sick or has marks or sores upon his face, we inspect him thoroughly. If he proves to have only sores, but nothing that is contagious, we let him go. If he has any contagious disease we stop him at the railroad stations and telephone the office for instructions. ■ Most all of such patients are taken to the pest house, at 26th street California avenue. We look only for ■cholera, small-pox, measles and such dangerous contagious diseases. You. can see that our system is nearly perfect No train roaches Chicago without such inspection. “Aside from an inspection there is the quarantine in New York. It is practically impossible for any person suffering from a contagious disease to get through there. Then if he comes by way of Detroit, Pittsburg or. Buffalo he meets other inspectors. We don’t get much of a chance at the really sick people. ”