| Show DR WITCHERY i utah aug 10 1896 6 in your issue of the ath mat just vou have an article on diphtheria si m in which you refer to a report ail to have bare been made by dr J 8 witcher in defense of the people of our much maligned little town I 1 wish to say a few words first with reference to the gent lemans three abree days stay la in the town LOWD that he came into town at about 9 p m on the ard 3rd tast visiting and spending about ten len ates atee with one family that night he left his bia hotel alter after breakfast at about 8 a in on the aib visited a among she tn nick until about noon bad dinner and lell left town at about I 1 p m of the liao same day he is reported to hav oala both in salina and in salt bait lake we had thirty aix oix cases of diphtheria of a malignant lorm but lung ua before he be left here he stated elated that h bad found but four cases of dip in town we who live jive here and know everybody in town can only count seventeen persons who were abick from any cause at the time of the doo toia visit and several of these the doctor told the parents of the children that there were no symptoms of therla theria in their cases the disgustingly filthy condition of the reservoir irom from which the people of SCIPIO secure water is also referred to our reservoir is as free from disgusting filth as 68 any other out or of door reservoir reier voir can be it Is ia true that a few head had of cattle water there and ana no DO doubt the gentleman may have saga tome of them hem standing in the water drinking it the gentleman bad been hauling buntina g facts however he could easily have learned that not one fourth of the people of SCIPIO use ditch water for hauie bold purposes as we have ao an excellent supply ot of well water also that at the time ame be was here bere nine tenths of the water coming to town by aanal did not come from rum the reservoir at all but bat direct from springs at the to in canal made mountain a toot foot of the by our people some years ago tor for that pedal purpose with reference to the charge that wore there to is at present no restriction what ever to prevent the spread of the uis uia alises I 1 E will say sore throat made its appearance here last winter one member berof of a family only perhaps having it ii then after a while it 16 would appear in another family the symptoms differ much in different cases ing very after one or two children some time died sold and the people became a little some learing fearing it was diphtheria alaf teamed tet med mod was made to the county court and they mey sent seat dr keene hoin from fillmore to investigate the doctor reported absolutely no diphtheria but malignant sore bofo throat ad bat the disease was con COD troed Us u and snot mat we should be cautley leu at once sunday school and primary were discontinued and those who had sickness in their houses bouses were advised to go keep from associating with other people matters did not look very serious until about two weeks ago when we tied bad very verj stany weather cr ws aa ik dy duye this very bad effect affect upon sever to go have bare a al who had bad ap appeared reared to be improving nicely and we bad four deamas three in one family in eight days dr witcher was waa telegraphed for abonce at once and the county court was applied to 10 for the of health com coin lutlo anin joners nere the appointment was mud while dr witcher was waa nere and informed and one of the he jM MInnion applied to the doctor for with reference ree rence to quarantine tine etc we have no town organization and before the ap of the health commission there was no authority to force matters mattere but bat all that oat persuasion could do was done As AB soon boon so the commissioners were appointed wey they went to and lery every house where there to i sickness has baa been visited dally daily since and as strict quarantine regulations as seemed necessary have been adopted rod and I 1 am thankful to say bay that we have not had bad ft a death in town since except an old lady eighty nine years of age sod and no BO sore ore throat had been within several blocke of where she be lived and and all that were sick are recovering nicely we have but two cases in town now that are at all serious and they are improving the tribunes Tribune 8 report of dr witch ex egge statement says raya that luring during the doe to etoia brief stay in town nine new edese ae were developed those who have boas working with this malady irona from the commencement ORD can count but a six x now new daises from the day the doctor arrived until now six days daye also aleo that the people did not take kindly to nt medical edical 11 I 1 am at a loss ion 19 ond find a reason for this statement the visited just four families in abich there here were sick ick children in one he be anti toxia to three one young lady and two little boys bays I 1 have talked with the heads beads of three of the be four families with the young lady named and with the father of the lady of the fourth house who took the doctor to the ladys house and introduced him to the family and not one of these have manifested any but the he kindliest kind liest feelings towards the doctor octor il I 1 have investigated the matter thoroughly and can find but one slight circumstance that could have caused the doctors displeasure on being introduced to one of our citizens the doctor said something about having been sent by the state board of health the scipio man inquired watt was meant by state board ut health and was informed that it had recently been called into existence oy by the gover giver nor acal acting ng u under u d er a law of the lust last Logi legislature stature A law jaw book was secured and the doctor asked to point out the law jaw which lis be essayed assayed to do but tailed failed I 1 am tolu tola by the gentleman in question and by a gentleman who introduced the two and was present during the whole inter view thai there was nothing unkind or discourteous said but the me doctor lid did not evidently oday it this is the only circumstance that I 1 have been able to discover that could be called at all unpleasant in connection with the doctors very snort stay here anti and the curious part ot of this thie I 1 ast arnat the taci citizen referred bad no do need of medical assistance as he be bad no s akness iti in his bis family SCIP SCIPIO |
