Did you know? Monitoring wastewater (sewage) is one way we can track whether diseases are spreading in an area. This type of monitoring is used to detect the presence of the virus that causes mpox and COVID-19 in communities. Learn more about how wastewater monitoring works: How Wastewater Monitoring Works
CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System receives data on mpox from more than 200 sites across the U.S. including Allen County shown at U.S. Mpox Wastewater Data National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) at the CDC
This cast iron scale was used in the Corneau-Diller Drug Store in Springfield, Illinois, during the period of time when...
This cast iron scale was used in the Corneau-Diller Drug Store in Springfield, Illinois, during the period of time when Abraham Lincoln frequented the business. There Lincoln and his friends told stories, talked politics, and exchanged news. Lincoln was also a regular customer whose purchases were recorded in the store ledgers. According to Lincoln scholar Harry E. Pratt, author of “The Personal Finances of Abraham Lincoln,” among the things the Lincoln family purchased on October 12, 1860, was 50 cents worth of “cocaine.” At the time, cocaine was legal and regarded as an over-the-counter medicine, along with other products such as morphine, laudanum, chloroform, quinine, opium pills, mercury, and belladonna—all sold at the Corneau-Diller store.
In 1799, John McAllister, Sr., who arrived in America from Glasgow, Scotland in 1775 just before the Revolutionary War decided to import spectacles and established the first optical shop in America in Philadelphia. Read more in Vision -- something we take for granted. What did our ancestors do? by Diane L. Richard published September 18, 2014 on National Genealogical Society blog and Eyeglasses Through the Ages on Antique Spectables.com.
TUESDAY TIDBIT: In 1913, 36,710 deaths were reported to the Indiana State Board of Health. Of these, 7,475 were children under the age of 5, most of whose deaths were said to be preventable - from diarrhea, pneumonia, tuberculosis, whooping cough, and diptheria/croup. Source: Thirty-fourth annual report of the Indiana State Board of Health for the fiscal and board year ending September 30, 1915 (Fort Wayne: Fort Wayne Printing Co., 1917).
We are continuing to look at our medical artifacts today and specifically the practice of surgery. The utensils seen...
We are continuing to look at our medical artifacts today and specifically the practice of surgery. The utensils seen below are dated from the late 1800's to early 1900's. Anesthesia wasn't introduced until 1846 and patients were often given alcohol and opium as a substitute. The most common surgical procedure at this time was amputation, craniotomies (drilling holes in the head) and removal of bladder stones. Early surgeons prided themselves on their operating speed; some claimed to be able to remove a leg in under one minute.
Washing hands with soap for 20 seconds and not touching our face was the recommended way to prevent infection with the COVID-19 virus. Many articles appeared onlilne such as How To Wash Your Hands, Historically by Sarah Eilers published April 7, 2020 on NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Researching Epidemics in Chronicling America Newspapers by Arlene Balkansky published April 16, 2020 on The Library of Congress.gov. This guest post is by Tom Ewing, professor of history at Virginia Tech. He discusses his research on epidemics as covered in late 19th and early 20th century newspapers that are digitized in the Chronicling America online collection. Serial and Government Publications Division digital conversion specialist Robin Butterhof coordinated this post.
Epidemics in Indiana history: encore posted April 18, 2020 on the Archives of Hoosier History Live podcast on Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7 FM introduction starts with: Does history offer any lessons in taking on the challenges of a viral threat? To explore this topic that never has been more timely, Hoosier History Live will air our Epidemics in Indiana history show that originally was broadcast in 2014 amid widespread concern about Ebola and the possibility of an epidemic in this country. Did you know a malaria epidemic swept Indianapolis just as the Hoosier capital was getting under way in the 1820s? Some doctors blamed the epidemic on the swamps and marshland that were on the new city's site, which was chosen because of its central location. During this show, Nelson and his guests, two medical historians, explore the impact of that early epidemic, plus others that affected not only Indiana, but places far beyond our borders. The influenza epidemic of 1918, a cholera epidemic of the mid-1800s, the polio scare that prevailed for most of the first half of the 20th century and the AIDS epidemic that caused panic during the 1980s and '90s are among the crises we examine during this show. We also look into the devastating impact of tuberculosis during the late 1800 and early 1900s - even though "epidemic" may not be the most accurate term to describe the widespread TB cases (tune in to the show for an explanation).And we explore episodes of panic over potential epidemics, including a swine flu scare in 1976, when a vaccination program encountered various public relations problems. Fears of an epidemic proved unfounded. See malaria in South Wayne.
The Four Humors as Depicted in Art (4 Examples) "The four humors was a theory that dominated medical thinking for centuries. Because of this, it affected people’s lives and appeared in a lot of artwork throughout history."
The theory of the four humors dominated medical thinking for centuries. The theory was first coined by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. He believed that the body contained four liquids, or humors. These were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
According to this theory, when a patient became ill, it was because their humors were imbalanced. Thus, to cure disease, these humors had to be put back into balance. This is why bloodletting is such a common depiction of pre-modern medicine. If someone were believed to have too much blood, in order to re-balance the humors, the excess blood would have to be removed via bloodletting.
Old newspapers contain countless ads touting miracle cures for all kinds of sickness, aches, and pains. Known as "patent medicines," many of these so-called remedies were either wholly ineffective or dangerous and deadly.
Without any regulation, patent medicines were sometimes deadly. The papers are filled with the tragic news of suffering caused by patent medicines. In 1906 Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act to crack down on unlabeled or unsafe ingredients. Following this, the number of patent medicines declined rapidly.
Happy birthday to Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), the French chemist and microbiologist who pioneered breakthroughs that changed the world's understanding of disease and disease prevention.
Learn more about this important scientist --> Louis Pasteur French chemist and microbiologist on Britannica.com
In a first, an orangutan was seen treating his wound with a medicinal plant
As the baby boomers, born 1946-1964, age and retire, their 20% of the population is having an affect on availability of medical professionals. Recent news stories about closing birthing hospitals and nearby rural hospitals in nearby counties will certainly affect rural health issues.
Approximately 1 in 3 Hoosiers lives in a rural area. People living in rural areas are more likely to die early from 5 leading causes than their urban counterparts. Learn more about how to reduce your risk of preventable diseases/injuries Health Behaviors in Rural America as a Public Health Issue.
Pharmacies were the wild west before the Food and Drug Act of 1906 was passed, with outlandish claims of what a drug could do, and even more shocking ingredients.
In honor of Indiana Archaeology Month, Gail, our archaeology specialist, brought out some of the craziest 19th-century medicine bottles in our collection.
Watch the full, insane story
Crazy Cures: The 19th Century's Most Unhinged Medicines September 23, 2024 IndianaStateMuseum on YouTube
They put WHAT in cold medicine? Before the 1906 Food and Drug Act was passed, the pharmaceutical world was the wild west, with insanely broad treatment claims and even more ludicrous ingredients by today's standards.
Our archaeology specialist, Gail, is here to expose some of the most insane over-the-counter medicines we have bottles for in our collection.
Written by an exterminator, it wanders into a surprising mode: one inflected not by disgust, but rather coy wonder and begrudging awe.
Childbirth
Today, we know that washing our hands is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs. ... Ignaz Semmelweis didn’t discover this fact until 1847. And even after he did realize it, the battle to convince the rest of the medical community wasn’t easy. Copied from Women were dying from childbirth at hospitals. This 19th-century doctor figured out why. by Simone Scully published February 6, 2017 on Upworthy.com.
Article from Sep 2, 1892 The Fort Wayne Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Indiana) Cholera, Fort wayne, Indiana
Lists of names in the article 1892 - Cholera in 1849 - first appearance in Fort Wayne - 76 persons The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Friday, Sep 2, 1892, Page 1. Remember to take 76 deaths in context as the population of Fort Wayne in 1850 was listed as 4,282 people from a 1950 Population Numbers in the Newcomers key to Fort Wayne on our Census page. A 1.7% death rate was 1.7 or almost two cholera deaths of every 100 people living in Fort Wayne at the time.
Cholera epidemics swept through Indiana and much of the rest of the U.S. in 1832, 1833, 1834, 1849, and 1854. The morning after delegate James Van Benthuysen’s death, the convention assembled, and Mr. Richey rose and made the announcement. The committee formed to make arrangements recommended “that the members will testify their respect for the memory of the deceased by wearing the usual badge of mourning for thirty days. (Report of Debates, 1:491-93; Public Health in Indiana, Indiana Historical Society Publications, Vol. 7, No. 6 [1923], 276-77, 284, 290)" from page 7 of 1851 Indiana Constitution history. Cholera most commonly struck during spring, summer, and fall. ... the treatment, at least before the American Civil War, was almost as bad as the illness. Doctors routinely prescribed calomel for cholera victims. Calomel contained mercury, and numerous people died from mercury poisoning or suffered other ill effects from this drug. Cholera epidemics continued in the United States until the early 1900s. As sanitation improved within the United States, including chlorination of water, the illness weakened. Copied from Cholera Epidemics, Ohio History Central, May 31, 2013, http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Cholera_Epidemics.
The Fink Cemetery in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana has a sign saying During the Cholera epidemics of 1849 and 1854, people died so quickly that coffins could not be provided. The dead were collected on wagons and buried at night in mass graves on the south and east side of the cemetery. See Find A Grave and Cholera Mass Graves of Fink Cemetery An unknown number of cholera victims are buried in two nondescript graves. on AtlasObscura.com.
Diptheria
Diphtheria used to be known as the "scourge of childhood." The bacterial disease was particularly hard on young children and often spread quickly through schools. The infection works in a horrifying way, simultaneously poisoning the victim and slowly suffocating him or her as the bacteria grow into a thick film in the throat. For most of history, there was little doctors could do to help someone with diphtheria. Copied from and read more information in How horses helped cure diphtheria published August 15, 2013 onSmithsonian National Museum of American History blog.
December 6, 1894 Fort Wayne News article about the health and sanitation departments complaining about diptheria and scarlet fever in the city with people mis-stating causes of death ignoring quarantine rules trying to stop the spead of these fatal diseases fromthe original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
Chances are, the soup can your great-grandmother threw away three generations ago is still in a landfill somewhere. Yikes.
Learn how you and your family can reduce landfill space in Allen County by reducing waste at home: acwastewatcher.org/reduce
[ Indiana was #2 at 56.1 pounds of buried trash per person ]
In 2022 the city of Fort Wayne decided to replace their waste hauler Red River after many years of collection problems after filing for bankruptcy. Which raised the question when did garbage pickup begin in a post February 15, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
June 23, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook Matt Reibs posted photos of 1950s The News-Sentinel newspaperfront page article A Health Menace, Baals Says Garbage Handling Deplorable mentioning former Mayor Baals and current Mayor Paul M. (Mike) Burns stating the disposal company has dumped the garbage on the ground, creating a rat infested area just east of the city and a very grave health menace.
Fort Wayne Reduction Dump 5225 Old Maumee Rd on toxicsites.us is ranked 42/100 when a score of 28.5 or higher qualifies a site for the Superfund National Priority List.
One year later, how do you feel about solid waste services in Fort Wayne?
Heart Disease
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in Indiana, and it affects different groups more than others. There are ways we can make positive changes to prevent heart disease and other chronic health problems.
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in Indiana, and it affects different groups more than others. There are ways we can make positive changes to prevent heart disease and other chronic health problems.
TUESDAY TIDBIT: Indiana had a flu epidemic at the end of 1889 and the beginning of 1890 - in Richmond alone, 1 out of every 5 people came down with it. The epidemic cost the state an estimated $3.5 million in lost wages and doctor's bills.
Source: Ninth annual report of the State Board of Health of Indiana, for the fiscal year ending October 31, 1890 (Indianapolis: William B. Burford, 1891).
Due to continued increases in flu activity in the community, health commissioner Dr. Deborah McMahan is recommending all local healthcare facilities implement temporary visitor restrictions. We are grateful to Parkview Health, Lutheran Health Network and all other healthcare providers in Allen County for their efforts to keep the community and their patients safe. See the full announcement on our website: Flu Activity Prompts Visitor Restrictions at Local Healthcare Facilities
Due to a rise in influenza activity, Parkview Health is taking action to protect patients, staff and the public....
Due to a rise in influenza activity, Parkview Health is taking action to protect patients, staff and the public. Beginning today, Thursday, March 21, and until further notice, all Parkview Health hospitals will implement the following restrictions on hospital visitors. These restrictions are being implemented at the recommendation of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health and Parkview’s Infection Prevention team.
· All visitors presenting to a healthcare facility for evaluation and treatment who have cold or flu-like symptoms (such as fever, cough or muscle aches) will be provided with a mask and asked to wear the mask while in public areas, including waiting rooms.
· Visitors under 18 years of age will not be allowed to visit patients, as well as visitors of any age who have flu-like symptoms.
· Visitors will be limited to two essential adults (at least 18 years of age) per patient – such as parents, spouse/domestic partner and spiritual counselors.
· Anyone not allergic to the flu vaccine should be vaccinated.
We appreciate your understanding during this time, and encourage you to take the proper precautions, including getting a flu shot, staying home if you're sick, washing your hands, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your upper sleeve, and wearing a mask if needed.
Advice for flu season from Dr. John Hurty, head of the Indiana State Board of Health from 1896 to 1921:
”If all spitting would immediately cease, and if all coughers and sneezers would hold a cloth or paper handkerchief over their noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing, then influenza and coughs and colds would almost disappear. We also must not forget to tone up our physical health, for even a few and weak microbes may find lodgment in low toned bodies. To gain high physical tone, get plenty of sleep in a well ventilated bedroom. Don’t worry, don’t feast, don’t hurry, don’t fret. Look carefully after elimination. Eat only plain foods. Avoid riotous eating of flesh. Go slow on coffee and tea. Avoid alcohol in every form. Cut out all drugs and dopes . . . Frown on public spitters and those who cough and sneeze in public without taking all precautions.”
"Olivia, my eldest daughter, caught measles when she was seven years old. As the illness took its usual course I can remember reading to her often in bed and not feeling particularly alarmed about it. Then one morning, when she was well on the road to recovery, I was sitting on her bed showing her how to fashion little animals out of coloured pipe-cleaners, and when it came to her turn to make one herself, I noticed that her fingers and her mind were not working together and she couldn’t do anything.
'Are you feeling all right?' I asked her.
'I feel all sleepy,' she said.
In an hour, she was unconscious. In twelve hours she was dead.
The measles had turned into a terrible thing called measles encephalitis and there was nothing the doctors could do to save her. That was...in 1962, but even now, if a child with measles happens to develop the same deadly reaction from measles as Olivia did, there would still be nothing the doctors could do to help her. On the other hand, there is today something that parents can do to make sure that this sort of tragedy does not happen to a child of theirs. They can insist that their child is immunised against measles.
...I dedicated two of my books to Olivia, the first was ‘James and the Giant Peach’. That was when she was still alive. The second was ‘The BFG’, dedicated to her memory after she had died from measles. You will see her name at the beginning of each of these books. And I know how happy she would be if only she could know that her death had helped to save a good deal of illness and death among other children."
Roald Dahl, 1986
Olivia Twenty Dahl (20 April 1955 – 17 November 1962) was the oldest child of the author Roald Dahl and the American actress Patricia Neal. She died at the age of seven from encephalitis caused by measles, before a vaccine against the disease had been developed. Roald Dahl's books James and the Giant Peach (1961) and The BFG (1982) were dedicated to Olivia. As a result of her death, her father Roald became an advocate for vaccination and wrote the pamphlet "Measles: A Dangerous Illness" in 1988. Copied from Olivia Dahl on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Measles is an extremely contagious infection caused by the Measles morbillivirus and transmissible through aerosol droplets. Humans are the only known host for this virus.
The disease frequently struck Civil War soldiers in epidemic proportions, especially new recruits, since many had not been previously exposed. At one point at the beginning of the war, 800 of the 1,200 men in the 12th North Carolina Infantry were sick with measles. The Union army recorded 76,318 cases of measles, causing 5,177 deaths (a 7% mortality rate). The number of men lost is equivalent to five full regiments.
We now know that a measles infection causes "immune amnesia," effectively resetting the body's immunities against other diseases. It is very likely that many Civil War soldiers succumbed to secondary infections. Considered a "childhood" disease today, measles can be prevented by immunization.
Image credit:
Engraving by Ambroise Tardieu, 1788-1841, “Exanthèmes," The Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, via The History of Vaccines, accessed March 31, 2023, <https://www.historyofvaccines.org/.../measles-appears-boston>.
NEWS RELEASE: Indiana Department of Health reports first measles case in five years IDOH has confirmed a case of...
IDOH has confirmed a case of measles in a Lake County resident. The risk to the public is low, but IDOH continues to investigate the case along with local public health officials.
Measles is a highly contagious vaccine-preventable respiratory disease caused by a virus. About 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to measles will become sick and 20% of those will be hospitalized.
Mosquito-Borne Disease the 20th edition of Public Health Fast Facts a collaboration of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health and United Way 2-1-1 of Northeast Indiana.
Poisonous Plants
During warmer months, we spend much more time in nature. We sent a handful of poisonous plant questions to expert James Wolff with Purdue Extension - Allen County, so we could all be a little more prepared.
During warmer months, we spend much more time in nature. We sent a handful of poisonous plant questions to expert James Wolff with Purdue Extension - Allen County, so we could all be a little more prepared.
The most common plants that can cause adverse reactions to the skin if contacted are poison ivy, poison sumac and poison hemlock. Poison hemlock is becoming an increasingly common weed in the area.
Awaiting the Polio Vaccine (4/22/21) posted April 26, 2021 by Indiana Historical Society on YouTube In 1955, the United States waited with bated breath as the FDA contemplated approval of Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine. The polio epidemic, a viral disease that causes paralysis usually within children, caused wide spread panic in the 1940s and 50s. Explore how Hoosiers played an important role in the production and distribution with Lilly Company Archivist Michelle Jarrell.
Images shows On February 23, 1954 Dr. Jonas Salk gave the first polio vaccine during field trials to children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The vaccine was produced by Eli Lily and Company in Indianapolis.
[ link in image doesn't work - similar article - A Tale of Two Viruses Daly Walker was struck by polio when he was a boy. Today, he compares America’s response to polio in the 1950s with COVID-19 today. ]
"Historical accounts of mid-twentieth century American medicine primarily focused on its successes, including the development of new interventions, such as penicillin to combat bacterial infections or chemotherapy to target cancer. More recently, historians have examined the politics of medicine, revealing challenges, setbacks, and ethical dilemmas. The case of the first polio vaccine, developed by University of Pittsburgh researcher, Dr. Jonas Salk, is particularly instructive, as it shows that public reception of new interventions was not always positive."
Polio nearly gone, but fight remainsThe world witnessed only 223 polio cases last year, the lowest level in history and an impressive advance from the hundreds of thousands of children afflicted annually as recently as the 1980s. However, the eradication quest is not over, and the next steps look difficult. Read the rest of the Washington Post editorial April 11, 2013.
Iron lungs were a necessity during the peak of the polio plague in the 20th century. A Texas man continues to use one today after he became paralyzed from the disease.
The world is so close to eradicating polio – but increasing vaccination coverage is urgently needed to meet this goal before the end of 2023. Learn more in a report from CDC and WHO: https://bit.ly/mm7219a3
Did you know? Vaccination has eliminated polio in the United States, but polio still remains a threat in other parts of the world . A polio threat anywhere is a polio threat everywhere – putting children who are not immune at risk of paralysis or even death.
Global partners set a goal to eradicate polio in 1988. Since then, cases are down by more than 99%, but challenges remain in the last mile of polio eradication.
Scarlet Fever is a bacterial infection most common in children ages 5-15 years old caused by “group A strep.” Washing your hands often is the best way to keep from getting or spreading group A strep bacteria. Learn more here: Scarlet Fever
Sepsis
How many of our ancestors who died too young likely had an infection that become sepsis? Even with modern antibiotics and other treatments, people of all ages still pass away from sepsis.
Maternal sepsis is a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States. Early recognition is key to saving...
Maternal sepsis is a leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States. Early recognition is key to saving lives. If you are pregnant or recently gave birth, look out for: Fever above 100.4 F Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath Feeling confused or just "not right"
Learn more about the signs of maternal sepsis, and call 911 if you experience these symptoms Pregnancy & Childbirth at Sepsis Alliance.
Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency. Healthcare professionals should immediately evaluate and treat people who might have sepsis. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3yCv6YJ
Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency. Healthcare professionals should immediately evaluate and treat people who might have sepsis. Find out more: About Sepsis
Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. One in three people who dies in a hospital had...
Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. One in three people who dies in a hospital had sepsis during that hospitalization. Understand more about this life-threatening medical emergency: About Sepsis
🚨 Today is World Sepsis Day 🚨 Sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection that requires urgent care. The good...
Patient Was Ill Three Weeks Without a Doctor's Care and His Father Went to Work Every Day--The Smallpox Situation.
According to reports made to Dr. Macbeth health commissioner, Earl Stephens, of 537 Hough street, has been suffering from smallpox for three weeks without a doctor's care, and his father has been going to his work every day in that time.
Macbeth was called to the Stephens home yesterday afternoon, and found Mrs. Stephens and her two sons, Joseph, aged twenty, and Earl, aged eighteen, sick with smallpox. A younger child, a girl, is also sick and shows preliminary symptoms of smallpox. Earl has partially recovered, and the parents informed the doctor that he had been sick for three weeks, but they did not summon a physictan, as the boy was not seriously ill and they thought he only had "some kind a rash." During the entire period the father has been going to his work daily at the Olds wagon works.
Another new smallpox patient is Herman Kraft, of 1025 Washington boulevard. He is twenty-one years of age and an employe of the Wabash shops. He was taken to the isolation hospital. The Stephens patients were left at home and the house was quarantined.
Two patients were discharged from the isolation hospital yesterday, leaving seven inmates at the institution. Dr. Macbeth says there have been about thirty-five cases altogether in the city this winter. Most of the cases were of a mild form, but there were a few which proved serious. Mrs. Albers, of Superior street, has smallpox of a most malignant type, and for a time it was thought she could not recover, She is now on the mend, however.
Pupils at Franklin Building Have Been Exposed for Several Days.
Dr. A. H. Macbeth stated this morning that it will be necessary to close Franklin school in Bloomingdale for two or three weeks on account of the fact that the children have been exposed to smallpox for the last three weeks.
The disease made its appearance first in the family of Mrs. Anna McGuire, who lives on Franklin avenue, north of the school building, and attacked Ethel, the 17-year-old daughter. Her attack made its appearance February 22, but was not treated by a physician. Four weeks ago last Tuesday Addlson McGuire, a son 20 years of age, became ill. and on Thursday of this week he went to a physician, who diagnosed the case as Cuban itch.
Yesterday the health department was informed of the matter and Dr. Macbeth made an investigation and found that Mrs. McGuire has had smallpox in a light form and that an older daughter, Miss Grace McGuire, who is a teacher in one of the schools outside the city limits, has been visiting home frequently, although staying most of the time with an aunt on Superior street.
He and his assistants worked all night in an effort to reach the families that had been exposed and five placed under quarantine, but all will be released as soon as the members of the household have been vaccinated and the houses disinfected.
Mrs. James E. VanHorn, who lives next door to the McGuire family, was removed last night to isolation hospital suffering from the disease, and it is believed some of her five children are pupils in the school.
Nursed Each Other and Used Home Remedies- Other SmallPox Cases.
The county health officer made sensational discovery in Pleasant township this morning. The report came to the city last night that there had been several cases of smallpox in the family of Mr. and Mrs. M. Thurber, in Pleasant township. No report had been received from any physician and the report was considered unfounded. An investigation made today proved that the rumor was true. Cases of small-pox developed in the Thurber household several weeks ago and since the first case each member of the household has contracted the contagion. When the doctor arrived this morning the last patients were just convalescing. The house had never been quarantined and no physician called in. Members of the family nursed each other and used home remedies. It is feared that many have been exposed. The residence will be fumigated at once.
Other Small-Pox Cases.
Della Clinger, a old girl from Bryan, O., is ill of smallpox and has been removed to the isolation hospital. She has been visiting relatives at 33 Elizabeth street, near Spy Run avenue, just outside the city. The little girl's parents were stricken with the contagion shortly after she left home to come to Fort Wayne visit. She had been exposed before she reached the city.
James E. Van Horn and his four children, of 1714 Franklin avenue, have been removed to the isolation hospital. Mrs. Van Horn was stricken with the contagion a short time ago and the other members of the family are now ill.
The twelve day-old child of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Eisenhut of 1007 West Third street, died, Tuesday morning of capillary bronchitis. The babe's mother lies at her home of smallpox and the city health departmont was called upon to bury the little one's remains. The case is particularly sad. Mrs. Eisenhut is not in a serious condition as a result of the smallpox but the shock of the death of her baby weighs greatly upon her. Mrs. Eisenhut was formerly Miss Emma Merachberger, and she is well known in the city.
After the birth of the child on March 12, the physicians noticed an eruption on the body of the mother, but it was thought to be nothing unusual. Later it developed that she suffered from smallpox. Dr. Macbeth when notifed of the case immediately quarantined all persons who had been exposed. The body of the babe was then placed in casket and taken to Lindenwood cemotery, where it was interred.
Whole Family Attacked.
Mr. James E. Van Horn and his four children, who reside at 1741 Franktin avenue, were removed Tuesday to the isolation hospital. The mother was stricken with smallpox some time ago, and now all the members of the family have the disease.
Man and Wife On Elizabeth Street Not Under Detention Are Stricken.
There is fear of a spread of pox on Elizabeth street. The authorities seem to have been negligent in their duty. About two weeks ago the health officer discovered acase of small-pox in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Klinger, at 33 Elizabeth street. The patient was moved to the isolation hospital at once and the Klinger home was fumigated but not quarantined. The neighbors thought at the time that the proceeding was a singular one. Since that time and are now confined to their beds at home. It is possible that they will be removed to the isolation hospital.
The entire neighborhood is alarmed today and many the complaints have been made against the authorities. The first case on Elizabeth street was traced to a woman whose child was stricken with small-pox in Fort Wayne. The child was taken to isolation hospital and the woman accompanied the child there as nurse. The woman never had the small-pox and left the hospital when the child recovered. The next day after the child was sent to Elizabeth street cured the woman was stricken small-pox and had to be taken back to the hospital. Residents of Spy street blame the health department of Fort out Wayne for the conditions existing out there today.
Man Afflicted With: Small-Pox Has Hard Time Until Health Officer Comes.
The county health officers report that a man of the name of Stuckey, who was employed at the Lloyd Hursh saloon at Grabill as bartender, is ill of small-pox and is now quarantined in a house at Grabill. A few days ago Stuckey was taken ill and began to break out. The case was supposed to be small-pox and Hursh turned him out of the residence portion of his saloon and while sick of the contagion he sat on the steps of the place all night as residents would not come to his aid for fear of contracting the disease.
Late yesterday afternoon the county health officers under the direction of Health Officer Proegler, placed the man in the room of an unoccupied house and arranged for proper care, attention and nursing. It is not known how many have been exposed to the man before he was placed in quarantine.
HEALTH COMMISSIONER SAYS HE FAILED TO REPORT SMALLPOX CASECOURT NOTES.
This afternoon before Justice Tancey, Health Commissioner MacBeth filed an affidavit against Dr. Marcus Greenewald, of 1713 Wells street for failure to report smallpox.
Smallpox was the first major threat to General Washington, endangering the lives of thousands, including military and civilian alike, the continued viability of the Continental Army, and the success of the war for independence from Britain
"In the early years of the American Revolution, George Washington faced an invisible killer that he had once battled as a teenager. While the earlier fight had threatened only his life, at stake in this confrontation were thousands, including military and civilian alike, the continued viability of Washington's army, and the success of the war for independence from Britain.
The unseen killer was smallpox, which Washington described in 1777 as a potentially greater threat "than…the Sword of the Enemy." Smallpox was typically brought to eighteen-century America by either English immigrants or recently-arrived slaves. Unlike in Europe, however, the majority of the American population led relatively isolated lives on farms and plantations. Outside of the coastal cities of Boston, Philadelphia, and Charleston, there was little chance of acquiring the disease. For example, there were no smallpox epidemics in the colony of Virginia prior to 1747.
In fact, very few Virginians were exposed to smallpox prior to the American Revolution. One of the few Virginians who was exposed was George Washington, who contracted the disease during his only trip away from the American mainland while visiting Barbados in November of 1751. Washington was only nineteen years old at the time and the illness, which lasted nearly a month, left him only with slight scarring. The brush with smallpox, however, did provide Washington with immunity from further attacks of the disease, the benefits of which would not become apparent until many years later.
The coming of the American Revolution, however, made the spread of smallpox more widespread. Soldiers arriving from England and Germany frequently brought smallpox to American shores. In addition, recruits from all over North America joined the Continental Army, increasing the scope of the disease. Within days of taking command of the army at Cambridge, Massachusetts during the summer of 1775, Washington wrote to assure the President of the Continental Congress that he had been "particularly attentive to the least Symptoms of the Small Pox," quarantining anyone suspected of having the disease in a special hospital. Washington further promised that he would "continue the utmost Vigilance against this most dangerous enemy."
By the fall of 1775 Boston--which was under British occupation--suffered from a widespread smallpox epidemic that threatened to spread throughout the ranks of Washington's army. Reports even surfaced that the British deliberately sent infected people out of the city to expand the epidemic into American lines. In response, Washington forbade refugees from Boston to come near the American camp in order to avoid the risk of exposure. After the British left the city in March of 1776, Washington sent in a force of 1,000 smallpox-immune American troops to occupy Boston in order to avoid further spread of the disease. Smallpox continued to plague the Continental Army as well as the civilian population. Epidemics broke out in both Boston and Philadelphia in the summer of 1776, and the retreat of an American force sent to take Quebec was blamed on a number of factors including the high prevalence of smallpox amongst soldiers.
While Washington believed wholeheartedly in the efficacy of inoculation, in May of 1776 he ordered that no one in his army be inoculated; violations of this order would result in severe punishment. The summer campaigns were about to begin and Washington could not afford to have a large number of his men incapacitated for a month, vulnerable to attack by the British. Washington eventually instituted a system where new recruits would be inoculated with smallpox immediately upon enlistment. As a result soldiers would contract the milder form of the disease at the same time that they were being outfitted with uniforms and weapons. Soldiers would consequently be completely healed, inoculated, and supplied by the time they left to join the army."
Mary V. Thompson
Research Historian
Mount Vernon Estate
The vast majority of the soldiers who died during the Revolutionary War succumbed to disease, not combat wounds. And the worst scourge the American army faced was smallpox.
Deadly and highly contagious, smallpox swept across America repeatedly during the War, spread by the movement of armies and refugees. The disease was painful, disfiguring, and debilitating. For around 40% of those who contracted it, smallpox was fatal.
Because many British soldiers were immune, having been exposed to the disease in Europe, and because they practiced inoculation, the British were far less vulnerable to the disease than were the Americans. The American army on the other hand, without much natural immunity and without a uniform practice of inoculation, suffered greatly. At its peak smallpox incapacitated about 35% of Washington’s army. Smallpox was a major factor in the failure of the Quebec campaign, with the disease killing or rending unfit for duty nearly half of the American army.
At the time of the war there were only two known ways to combat the disease—quarantine and inoculation. Inoculation was dangerous and controversial. Unlike vaccination (with which it is often confused), inoculation involved cutting into the person’s skin and rubbing the wound with a string or piece of cloth contaminated with the blood of a person suffering from a mild case of the disease. The inoculated person nearly always contracted smallpox as a result, but typically only the mild version that then rendered him immune to the deadlier variant. About 2% of those who were inoculated died as a result.
There was widespread fear and distrust of inoculation and at various times it was illegal in at least six states (including Virginia and Massachusetts). Washington, who had survived a bout of smallpox in the early 1750’s and was therefore immune, strictly insisted on quarantine and vehemently opposed inoculation. After learning that some officers were surreptitiously being inoculated he issued a general order on May 26, 1776, declaring that, “Any officer in the Continental Army, who shall suffer himself to be inoculated, will be cashiered and turned out of the army, and have his name published in the newspapers throughout the continent, as an enemy and traitor to his country.”
But by January 1777, Washington was being forced into a major change of heart. The army was being ravaged by smallpox, and there was widespread fear that the British were using infected refugees to deliberately spread the disease among the American army. Quarantine simply wasn’t a feasible way to contain the spread of the disease. Dr. William Shippen, the American director general of hospitals, was urging General Washington to inoculate the army. Finally, in early February, Washington reluctantly consented. In a draft of a letter to John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, Washington wrote, “The small pox is making such head in every quarter that I am fearful it will infect all the troops that have not had it. I am divided in my opinion as to the expediency of inoculation, the surgeons are for it, but if I could by any means put a stop to it, I would rather do it. However I hope I shall stand acquitted if I submit the matter to the judgment and determination of the medical gentlemen.”
Officially, though, Washington kept his reservations to himself. On February 6, 1777 he wrote Dr. Shippen, directing that inoculations proceed at once. “Finding the small pox to be spreading much and fearing that no precaution can prevent it from running through the whole of our army, I have determined that the troops shall be inoculated. This expedient may be attended with some inconveniences and some disadvantages, but yet I trust in its consequences will have the most happy effects. Necessity not only authorizes but seems to require the measure, for should the disorder infect the army in the natural way and rage with its usual virulence we should have more to dread from it than from the sword of the enemy.”
Because the effect of the inoculations would be to render much of his army sick and out of commission for four weeks, absolute secrecy was required. Washington also trusted that poor weather would prevent any significant British attack on the army at its winter quarters during the recovery period.
Thanks to the inoculation program, most of the American army became immune to the disease and the potential disaster that threatened the cause in the winter of 1776-1777 was averted. In the words of one medical historian, “I think it is fair to claim that an intelligent and properly controlled application of the only method then known of defeating the ravages of smallpox, which in the years 1775-76 threatened to ruin the American cause, was a factor of considerable importance in the eventual outcome of the War of Independence.”
The mass smallpox inoculation of the Continental Army began on this day in 1777.
The painting is “Allegorical portrait of Thomas François Lenormand de Victot” (1783) by Nicolas-René Jollain. de Victot died in April 1782, while serving with the fleet of Admiral de Grasse.
TUESDAY TIDBIT: In March 1907, inspectors from the Indiana State Board of Health went to Purdue University to treat an epidemic of smallpox that had allegedly been spread by 2 fortune tellers. The school ordered all remaining students to get vaccinated or else be expelled.
Source: Twenty-sixth annual report of the State Board of Health of Indiana for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1907, statistical year ending December 31, 1907 (Indianapolis: William B. Burford, 1907).
TUESDAY TIDBIT: In August & September 1893, the city of Muncie had an epidemic of smallpox. The Indiana State Board of Health initiated a quarantine, and also ordered: 1) all schools and churches closed; 2) all mail at the Muncie post office to be disinfected; 3) all luggage on Muncie trains to be disinfected & all passengers to carry a certificate stating they'd been vaccinated; 4) all garbage in the quarantine district to be incinerated. Schools were allowed to reopen when they had vaccination certificates for their students.
Source: Twelfth annual report of the State Board of Health of Indiana for the fiscal year ending October 31, 1893 (Indianapolis: William B. Burford, 1894).
It is believed smallpox originated about 3,000 years ago in Egypt or India, and went on to become one of the most devastating diseases mankind has ever faced, decimating populations for centuries. ... No effective treatment was ever developed for smallpox. In its deadliest form (variola major) it killed as many as 30% of those infected, and between 65-80% of those it did not kill were left with scars, most prominent in their face. One third of all reported blindness in 18th century Europe was due to smallpox. Copied from Smallpox: A Vaccine Triumph Storyby by Leart Shaka on jref James Randi Educational Foudnation. The small pox vaccine was discovered by Edward Jenner on May 14, 1796.
The last naturally occurring case of indigenous smallpox (Variola minor) was diagnosed in Ali Maow Maalin, a hospital cook in Merca, Somalia, on 26 October 1977, from An anniversary worth celebrating by Phil Plait posted October 26, 2009 on Slate.com. December 9, 1979 World Health Organization declares eradication of smallpox. See photo of smallpox immunization devices on flickr of the The National Museum of American History. The Rise and Fall of Smallpox by Jesse Greenspan published May 7, 2015 on History.com states: On May 8, 1980, the World Health Organization officially pronounced victory in the fight against smallpox, confirming that no known cases of the dreaded killer existed anywhere on the planet.
The first week in July 2014 the FDA announced they discovered decades old vials containing variola. The variola virus, better known as smallpox, cost some 300 million lives in the 20th century alone. Smallpox was eradicated in 1975, thanks to heroic vaccination and containment efforts by the World Health Organization and other scientific agencies. Copied from Could There Be More Smallpox Samples Still Out There Somewhere? The FDA found mysterious old vials labeled "variola" and determined that they did indeed contain the smallpox virus by Rachel Nuwer published July 9, 2014 on Smithsonian.com. The peace gun by Alexandra Lord published August 27, 2015 by The National Museum of American History.
Teeth are often a vicitim of disease, accidents, poor diet and related health issues. George Washington's had false ivory teeth contrary to stories about his wooden teeth. Read more in False Teeth at George Washington's Mount Vernon.
Adult Oral Health
Oral Health for Adults by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. December 2006—The baby boomer generation will be the first where the majority will maintain their natural teeth over their entire lifetime, having benefited from water fluoridation and fluoride toothpastes.
Over the past 10 years, the number of adults missing all their natural teeth has declined from 31 percent to 25 percent for those aged 60 years and older, and from 9 percent to 5 percent for those adults between 40 and 59 years. However, 5 percent means a surprising 1 out of 20 middle-aged adults are missing all their teeth.
Thyphoid Fever
December 23, 1899 Fort Wayne News newspaper has a story about typhoid fever possibly in the wells in the brickyard district to be inspected by the board of health and condemned if fever was found. Was on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook
Ticks
Did you know a single tick can transmit multiple infections? Learn how to protect yourself from these pests and the diseases they carry.
On March 24, 1882, Robert Koch, a German physician, announced the discovery of mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis. At the time, tuberculosis was the cause of one in seven deaths. While the development of the streptomycin antibiotic in 1946 resulted in an effective treatment and cure of tuberculosis, today it is estimated that nearly one-third of the world’s population has been infected with the M. Tuberculosis bacterium. This poster was part of a public health campaign of the Office of War Information during World War II. Copied from Guard Against Tuberculosis the The National Archives. See our Irene Byron Tuberculosis Sanitarium section on our Places page.
Today's Document on tumblr. Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of deadliest infectious diseases of humans, killing 50% of individuals when left untreated. Even today, TB causes 1-2 million deaths every year mainly in developing countries. Multidrug-resistance is a growing threat in the fight against the disease. Copied September 23, 2013 from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: Our African Follower for Over 70,000 Years on Science Daily.
Basic TB Facts on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site. In the United States the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases has been declining since 1993; however TB is still a life-threatening problem in this country.
At the end of the 19th century, one in seven people around the world had died of tuberculosis, and the disease ranked as the third leading cause of death in the United States. While physicians had begun to accept German physician Robert Koch’s scientific confirmation that TB was caused by bacteria, this understanding was slow to catch on among the general public, and most people gave little attention to the behaviors that contributed to disease transmission. They didn’t understand that things they did could make them sick. Copied from the beginning of the article: How Epidemics of the Past Changed the Way Americans Lived Past public health crises inspired innovations in infrastructure, education, fundraising and civic debate by Katherine A. Foss, Zócalo Public Square posted April 1, 2020 on SmithsonianMagazine.com shared October 20, 2022 on Smithsonian Magazine of Facebook.
West Nile Virus
25 years ago, West Nile virus was detected in people for the 1st time in U.S.—now it’s the leading cause of...
While chlorine kills most germs within minutes, some germs can live in a properly chlorinated pool for days! Protect yourself. Don’t swallow the water where you swim or play. #healthyswimming
1903 - in March the Indiana legislature passed a quarantine law requiring doctors to report all cases of contagious diseases including yellow fever, smallpox, diphtheria, membranous croup, scarlet fever and spinal meningitis to their local board of health and to quarantine the home. Read more in Friday Fact March 7, 2014 by Indiana Genealogical Society on Facebook.
Medical Terminology alpThomas E. Mungovan opened his funeral home at 2221 South Calhoun in 1942, advertising personal service "to provide the means of paying the finest tribute to the memory of those who have gone on - without hardship to those who remain and must live." The family has continued the business since his death in 1981. In 1987, through the generosity of family members, copies of the records, dating from 1942 to 1987, were donated to the Genealogy Department and bound in eight volumes (977.202 F77TO). In 2015, the family again offered The Genealogy Center access to their 1980-2014 records, which have been digitized, for the use of family historians.habetical lists at Genealogy Quest.com/
Public Health in Indiana early years of public health science in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the March 1998 The Indiana Historian on IN.gov.
At The Genealogy Center - copied from their monthly newsletter - Genealogy Gems: News from the Fort Wayne Library, No. 147, May 31, 2016:
“Death Certificates and Archaic Medical Terms” by Helen V. Smith, is based on medical terms found in Australia’s death certificates and information, but the terms translate to the United States quite well.
“A Dictionary of Medical & Related Terms for the Family Historian” by Joan E. Brundy, does an excellent job of describing terms in great detail while including images and further background.
"Genealogical and Historical Terms and Phrases used in Deeds, Occupations, Medical Conditions, and Diseases,” compiled by Lawrence H. Dunbar. This book does not separate between topics, but lists them all in alphabetical order.
21Country: Early medical devices on display at Whitley County Historical Museum by Daniel Beals posted November 3, 2021 on YouTube WHITLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WPTA21) - The Whitley County Historical Museum is home to an exhibit that’s a window of time into just how much the medical industry has changed in the last century. Pam Koch may work for the museum now, but has nearly 30 years of experience as a nurse. From ceramic bedpans, to Civil War era syringes, the display showcases many pharmaceutical, medical, and dentistry items. “Some of the medical things, actually a fairly nice collection we accumulated through the years,” Koch explained. Churubusco dentist Dr. Russ GIlliom donated many of the older dentistry artifacts. Newer “older” medical devices Koch told us, were received when the Luckey Hospital Museum closed and sold off their collection late last year. Copied from 21Country: Early medical devices on display at Whitley County Historical Museum by Daniel Beals updated: April 6, 2021 on 21AliveNews.com.
Health Behaviors in Rural America as a Public Health Issue.
Learn how you and your family can reduce landfill space in Allen County by reducing waste at home: 
. A polio threat anywhere is a polio threat everywhere – putting children who are not immune at risk of paralysis or even death. 
Fever above 100.4 F
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Feeling confused or just "not right"
Today is World Sepsis Day 
Practice good hygiene: wash your hands regularly and keep wounds clean
Know the signs: look out for symptoms like high fever, rapid breathing and confusion
Act fast: if you suspect sepsis, seek immediate medical care. Early treatment saves lives.