Ten Cases of Diphtheria and Four Homes Under Quarantine
In August 1909, Newport’s health officer counted about ten diphtheria cases, quarantined four households, and waited on antitoxin from the State Board of Health.
There are about ten cases of diphtheria in Newport at the present time, none of them considered serious. The following homes are quarantined: O'Harra, Peterson, Savage and Dunlap. Dr. Phillips, health officer, has received a consignment of anti-toxin from the State Board of Health and hopes to effectually check the contagion.
“There are about ten cases of diphtheria in Newport at the present time, none of them considered serious.”
Public health officials still depend on quarantine, rapid supply chains and clear communication during outbreaks; in 1909 the arrival of antitoxin from the State Board of Health was the difference between a manageable scare and a wider crisis. The named households remind us that an epidemic is always a household story, not just a statistic.
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