Nashville Union And American

Knowing the anxiety that is felt by our citizens at this time on the subject of small-pox, a representative of this paper determined, yesterday afternoon, to find just how much truth there was in the numberless reports concerning its presence in Nashville.

Calling first upon Dr. T. L. Maddux, the reporter asked him if he would object to making a statement, for publication, with respect to his own knowledge regarding our city being infected with smallpox, to which he replied that he was willing to tell all he knew about it.

Reporter-How many cases are there in Nashville?
Doctor--Not a single case that I know of, and I have taken some trouble to gain information on the subject. There were seven cases in Edgefield. These cases were all in two families-six in one family having taken the disease from infected clothing brought from Louisville, and the seventh case was that of a lady who took the disease in that city, coming home sick. She has since died, and four others have died, but the other two are in a fair way to recover. Dr. Williamson, who attended these Edgefield cases, told me that there had been no spreading of the disease from the original seven cases. The two patients who will recover, had very light attacks, having both been vaccinated.

Reporter-It is rumored about the streets that there are a number of cases in the city.
Doctor-I know there are such rumors. In fact, I was told that there were eleven patients taken from one house last night, but I am in position to know, positively, that the report was entirely unfounded. I have talked with a number of the physicians in the city, and they all say that they don't know of a case of smallpox in Nashville.

But there is reason for anxiety on the subject, for we will have the disease here before long. It has become epidemic in Louisville, and there is a great deal of it in St. Louis and Memphis. However if people will get vaccinated, we will get along very well, for then if they take the disease at all, it will be merely a light form of varioloid.

Reporter-Then you give it as your opinion, Doctor, that there is not a single case of smallpox in Nashville?
Doctor-There is none that I know of. If there is any, it is hid away in the shanties of the poorer class. But I don't think there are any cases there, for I was asking Dr. Morton, the city physician, about it, and he said he did not know of any cases. Perhaps, though, you had better call upon him, and no doubt he will be able to tell you for a certainty how that is.

The reporter made several calls at the residence of Dr. Morton, but failed to see him.

Meeting Mr. Patterson, the city marshal, he asked him what he knew about there being any cases of small pox in Nashville.

City Marshal-Well, now, I can tell you just as much about that matter as any one. It is my duty to hunt up all cases reported, and to notify the city physician. There have been quite a number of cases reported to me, but upon inquiry, I have found that the stories were unfounded. There were two cases at the Kosciusko House, but the patients were sent to the Pest house immediately. There were eight cases reported to me; but when I went to examine them I found there was no smallpox there. The nearest I came to it was in finding a little child sick with the chicken-pox. If you see the city physician, he will tell you the same story that I do -that there is not a case of smallpox in Nashville.

With all this good authority, we think our citizens need feel no further uneasiness, at least not for the present. But every man, woman and child in the city should be vaccinated as soon as possible. In some places the people have been required, by city ordinance, to take this important precaution, and the violence of the dreaded disease has been greatly abated in consequence. Most of our physicians are furnished with vaccine matter which they feel perfectly safe in using, and they should be called upon without delay. In this age of civilization, a man has as much reason to doubt the utility of the steam engine, as to doubt the efficacy of vaccination.