In order to make the quarantine effective the board directed its executive officer to visit all of the counties bordering on Jackson county, and urge upon the officials the importance of confining the disease to that jurisdiction, and of prepar ing to deal with it should their respective territories be invaded. This duty was undertaken at once, every bordering county visited, and the quarantine made so effective as to re'strict the disease to the county. Before the proclamation was issued, cases had been imported from Jackson into Clay and Laurel, but the prompt action of the authorities after the visit of our inspector promptly eradicated it. Ten days after the quarantine line was effectually established, certain leading citizens of McKee made overtures to the State Board of Health for relief from the quarantine. Dr. W. M. Gibson, who was in charge of the epidemic which prevailed at Richmond, was promptly sent to their assistance; and after a conference, it was decided that he should have full control of the patients, with authority to establish a house of detention, and to take any other measures necessary to stamp out the disease. The Executive Committee notified him that the quarantine of Jackson county would be raised upon his recommendation, it being understood that the citizens of that county should agree to support him in every measure, and upon his statement that all suspicious cases were carefully guarded. REPORTS FROM INSPECTOR GIBSON. MCKEE, KY., August 11, 1898. State Board of Health, Bowling Green, Ky: GENTLEMEN:-I have the honor to report that I made the trip to McKee, Jackson county, as per your request. I found the fiscal court and the people somewhat excited, as all those people are when any event of importance is taking place. I found sixty-five cases of smallpox. In all six deaths have occurred since the breaking out of the disease; two deaths occurred while I was there; fifty-nine cases are located on Horse Lick, six cases on Laurel Fork, a distance of sixteen miles from Horse Lick. The fiscal court, after strong persuasion, consented to make sufficient appropriation to enable the health authorities to take steps to erect a pesthouse, also a house of detention, and they also employed me to take charge of the entire matter, and I shall do all in my power to have the cases and suspects kept under perfect restraint. The people are opposed to vaccination, but I shall vaccinate all who willingly apply; but, should you enforce the law, you will find it necessary to send four battalions of four hundred soldiers each, well armed; under no other circumstances can we enforce general vaccination. I have succeeded in interesting Dr. and Senator Clark, whom I think will have great influence with the people, and will be of great assistance to us. Thanking you very much for your kindness, I have the honor to be, with great respect, W. M. GIBSON, M. D., Inspector for the State Board of Health. Upon the advice of Dr. Gibson the quarantine was raised September 10th with the understanding that he should remain in charge until the disease was entirely stamped out. following report tells how and when this was done: RICHMOND, KY., Sept. 21, 1898. State Board of Health, Bowling Green, Ky: GENTLEMEN:-I have the honor to report that I have finished my work in Jackson county, Ky. I discharged the last case Sept. 17th. In all there were sixty-seven (67) cases. Nine (9) deaths, about eighteen (18) confluent cases; the remainder discrete; same very mild. Perhaps one hundred people were vaccinated; all others refused or declined; all suspects were vaccinated. I am under the impression that the disease is eradicated in the section of the country where I was located. I had the hearty co-operation of Dr. N. M. Clark, health officer, also Senator Clark and Judge Martin. I feel that the work done will elevate the Health Board and win the confidence of the best people in that county. Most respectfully, W. M. GIBSON, M. D., Early in 1899 the board found that it had not only exhausted the fund that it had been gradually accumulating for years, but that it was heavily overdrawn in bank. From this time on we could only send our inspectors to those counties whose fiscal authorities would agree in advance to bear the expense. Fresh importations from adjoining States were constantly occurring, especially from Tennessee, where little care against the spread of the disease appears to have been the rule from the beginning of the epidemic, and in many sections of the State an alarming prevalence existed. In all it was found that smallpox had reached 110 of the 119 counties. In its war against the disease, the board found that its authority to place in quarantine counties and towns whose authorities failed or refused to adopt proper precautions against the disease an indispensable weapon. This authority was exercised sparingly, but the knowledge that it would be used when necessary, when this was fully understood, had a most salutary effect on that large class of county officials, especially who constantly hampered the work of their health officials by refusing timely appropriations necessary for feeding, housing and nursing the indigent sick, and using this pretense of economy as a vote-making device for popularity and re-election to the then held or some higher office. This authority was resorted to at Lebanon Junction after every other remedy had failed, as will be shown by the following: Early in March, 1899, a railroad employe, whose run was between Lebanon Junction and Corbin, contracted smallpox, probably in Louisville, where it had existed for months, and came down with it at his father's home in Williamsburg, his father being an undergraduate physician, practicing under the time limit and examination clause of the medical law. The disease was not recognized as smallpox, and, as soon as he was able to travel, after communicating the disease to his family, he returned to his brother's at Lebanon Junction, covered with scabs, bringing the disease to them, as well as to several of his fellowemployes. |