Delirium and Chaos at the Pest House
Patients suffering from smallpox break into a violent frenzy, forcing the Health Officer to intervene.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
No new cases of smallpox developed yesterday, but Health Officer Sparling had his hands full at the pest house. He went out to attend to the patients about noon and found them in a general state of eruption. Three of the men were delirious and acting in a manner similar to Indians when enjoying a war dance. Y. W. Small, who furnishes supplies to the pest house, returned to the city last evening and gives a vivid account of the actions of the delirious patients. Dr. Sparling has the assistance of two nurses, a man and a woman, but it is difficult to keep any semblance of order. One of the men, clad in nature's garments, took an ax and chased the male nurse around the building. Dr. Sparling grabbed the ax and finally got it away. Then the fellow wanted to kill the doctor, and called for a gun. It is needless to say that he did not get it, and after a great deal of labor quiet was restored. Dr. Sparling will remain with the sick all night.
“One of the men, clad in nature's garments, took an ax and chased the male nurse around the building.”
This account captures the era's brutal methods of handling public health crises, where smallpox victims were isolated in 'pest houses' and treated as dangerous nuisances rather than patients in need of compassionate care.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.