Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1903 — The Smallpox Situation. [ARTICLE]

The Smallpox Situation.

The smallpox situation in Union township is worse than was at first supposed, but still not bad enough that any fears need be entertained that it will get beyond control, and not soon to be stamped out. The county health officer was up there again Saturday evening, and got hold of the whole situation. It seems that S. B. Moffitt was not the first to import a case from Wisconsin. A young man named Garriott, son of Albert Garriott, came back from the same poxy region several weeks ago, and soon came down with the disease. He had more than he needed himself and gave a brother and sister each a dose. Thus three now have the disease in that family. In a family named Hopkins, a mile east of Garriotts, there are two cases. These also, without doubt, came from the Garriott seed, rather than from the Moffitt importation. The health officer put both families under quarantine but the Garriotts acted very ugly about it, and may violate it. But if so, it will be at the risk of being prosecuted. As a precautionary measure, a protracted meeting which Rev. Byrd has been conducting at Brushwood’church, was Monday ordered discontinued. Protracted meetings in smallpox neighborhoods, are dangerous institutions, and often-times people who are wholly immune to conversion, are dead easy for smallpox. The disease prevailing up there is of a mild type, and not very contagious.