Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/660

 636 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

during the early part of 1902. In the quarter ending March 31, 685 cases had been reported and 127 deaths had occurred from this disease. These figures were almost alarming, and Dr. Lederle at once took steps to check the epidemic. A special corps of vaccinators, numbering 132 doctors, had already been appointed, and they were now divided into squads and detailed to duty in stores, hotels, factories, lodging-houses, and other places. Notices were then sent to the owners and proprietors of these establishments, calling attention to the urgent need for vaccina- tion, and stating that physicians would be sent at any hour of the day or night which might be most convenient. There was a remarkable response to this appeal, and in some of the large stores and factories a doctor was often able to vaccinate several hundred employees at one sitting. Every house in which a case of smallpox occurred was visited by an inspector during the night, and within twenty-four hours vaccination was offered to every person residing within two blocks of the inspected house. Besides this, all the occupants of any dwelling where a case of smallpox had broken out were kept under special observation for three weeks. Vaccination was also offered to all the employees in every city department.

Never before in the history of New York had such vigorous and thorough methods been used to stamp out an epidemic of smallpox. Every tenement house in the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx was visited, and vaccination urged upon all the inmates. The work was also very thorough in the boroughs of Richmond and Queens. The proprietor of every lodging-house was required to refuse admittance to applicants for more than one night who could not show a certificate of recent and successful vaccination. Some idea of the actual number of vaccinations in 1902, compared with those performed during previous years, may be gathered from the following table :

1899 - - 79,255

1900 - 147,942

1901 - - 373.638

1902 - ... 810,280