Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 180, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1914 — SMALLPOX SCARF IN TOWN OF BROOK [ARTICLE]

SMALLPOX SCARF IN TOWN OF BROOK

Disease Bas Been Lingering There » Since March and Recently Several Have Had It - * . The Brook Reporter publishes the results of a careful investigation the publisher made as to the extent of smallpox cases in that town. As is apt to be the case when any infectious disease breaks out in a community very aggravated -reports are circulated and this is particularly the case when any effort is made to conceal the fact of its existence. The mere fact that the disease made its first appearance in Brook last March and has not been broken up indicates that some one, apparently the health officers, have been mighty careless or mighty incompetent, The disease was in a mlld'form, some of the doctors saying it was chickenpox, and no pits were left, although no measure, to prevent scratching was employed. There were no deaths, none were nearly sick enough to die, but the disease has hovered along for foilr months and has invaded a number of homes when a rigid quarantine would have halted it and left fewer infected homes and spared the community the injury which exaggerated reports of the extent and virulence are responsible for. Now after four months all public assemblages have been halted and the quarantine regulations established with greater rigor. Many years ago while George E. Marshall was editor of The Republican, he adopted the plan of printing the truth about epidemics right at the outset and keeping all informed as to the extent of the disease. This had the most wholesome effect. It inspired the doctors to greater activity in ridding the community of the disease; it caused all not infected to join in the demand tor rigid quarantine; it avoided the circulation of false and exaggerated reports; and above all it was the honbst and fair duty of the city to the adjoining towns and outlying districts. There ls. no reasonable excuse, we believe tor allowing any infection .to linger for Ifour months in a town like Brook and every good citizen there should make it His duty to see, that the cases now existing are effectually quarantined and positively cured before they are -released and that every infected home is most thoroughly fumigated. It is to be hoped that every town and city in this part of Indiana will 'hereafter follow the plan of publicity at the very outset of a pestilence.