Caldwell County, Kentucky Board of Health Report 1906 - 1907

Caldwell County Board of Health

Dr. J.A.H. Miller, Princeton

Dr. R. Woods Ogilvie,  Princeton

Dr. J.A. Mott,  Crider

J.E. Baker, Esq.,  Princeton

D.B. Blalock, Esq.,  Princeton

Princeton Board of Health

Mr. W.H. Rich,  Princeton

Mr. John W. Young, Princeton

Dr. R. Woods Ogilvie, Princeton

“Princeton, Ky,  Dec. 31, 1907  to the  State Board of Health  

Gentlemen: During 1906-07 we have had only one case of smallpox that was supposed to have been contracted on a steamboat, between Smithland and Paducah. As soon as the case was discovered, the patient was sent to the eruptive hospital and all who were exposed were vaccinated and kept in quarantine the required time.

During these two years we have had about 50 cases of scarlet fever out in the county. The causes of so many cases of scarlet fever were carelessness of attending physicians and non-observance of quarantine laws by families in which disease occurred.

The expense to the county for infectious diseases during these two years has been practically nill.

The slaughter house has been inspected repeatedly and the proprietor, Charles Raucher, was urged time and again to observe the rules and regulations pertaining to slaughter houses, but he could not be induced to observe these rules, so he was indicted by our last grand jury.

On the whole we consider the condition of the county much better than at the last report.

Very Respectfully,

Jos. A.H. Miller, M.D.,  Secretary.[1]

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[1] State Board of Health of Kentucky 1906 – 1907, Google Books, accessed 3 May 2020, p. 72.

Published 25 June 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

State of Health - Livingston County, Kentucky 1912

In 1912, the Livingston County, Kentucky Board of Health consisted of Dr. J.V. Hayden, Salem; Dr. A.A. Casper, Carrsville; Dr. T.M. Ratcliffe, Tilline and the Hon. W.I. Clark, County Judge, Smithland.

The following letter detailing the state of health of Livingston County was sent by F.G. LaRue to the State Board of Health. It can be found in Bulletin of the State Board of Health of Kentucky, Vol. II, No. II, March 1912, Biennial Report 1910 and 1911, digitized by Google  and located in Google Books, accessed 2019.

“Smithland, Ky., January 10, 1912       To the State Board of Health:

Gentlemen: - Within the last two years, we have had three outbreaks of smallpox,  in all eight cases, five at Ledbetter, with 137 exposures, all vaccinated, no deaths.  Three cases near Newbern with five exposures, all vaccinated, no deaths. One case at Bayou, with twenty-three exposures, all vaccinated, no deaths. All treated by the writer.

“We have had three cases of diphtheria in the last twelve months, one near Grand Rivers, one at Vicksburg, and one at Smithland, with one death. Four thousand units of antitoxin used every six hours, with one thousand units used as immunizing doses, to all exposed.  One case at Salem, reported today; Dr.  J.V. Hayden in charge. We are having the hearty co-operation of the entire corps of fiscal and county officers, the laity acquiescing in same, which adds greatly in the efficiency and satisfaction of the work.

“I have been health officer of Livingston County for a period of eight years and at present draw an annual salary of $250.00.

“All of which is respectfully submitted.         F.G. LaRue, County Health Officer.”

Published 26 March 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Lyon County, Kentucky Board of Health 1910 - 1911

Interesting tidbits of information show up in the most unexpected places!  The following information of the health condition of Lyon County, Kentucky was found in the Bulletin of the State Board of Health of Kentucky, Vol. II, No. II, March 1912, p. 449, Biennial Report 1910 and 1911, Google Books, accessed 2019.

The Lyon County Board of Health in 1910 – 19l1 consisted of Dr. J.H. Hussey, Eddyville; Dr. W.G. Kinsolving, Eddyville; Dr. C.H. Linn, Kuttawa; Hon. T.P. Gray, County Judge, Eddyville.

D.J. Travis, M.D., County Health Officer, wrote a letter to the State Board of Health:

“Gentlemen … During the year 1909 a very interesting incident occurred in this county and I am referring to it on account of the important bearing it has had and is having on the work of our county board.

“In April, 1909, there occurred an unusually extensive outbreak of smallpox in the town of Kuttawa, in Lyon County, two miles from Eddyville. Our county board at once adopted the rules of the State board as our chart for preventing the spread of the disease. We quarantined against Kuttawa, and one Mrs. Allison, who had her residence in Kuttawa, and was operating a millinery shop in Eddyville, in violation of the quarantine, brought her infant son from Kuttawa to Eddyville. The county board directed her to return with her child to Kuttawa or be subjected to thirty days isolation. She returned to Kuttawa and the board, upon learning that she had stored the cast-off clothing of the boy in her store, disinfected the storeroom and stock of goods. She afterwards brought suit in the circuit court against the county board of health and the sheriff who had executed the board’s orders. The case was finally disposed of in the Court of Appeals by an opinion of Judge Settle, on the 24^th day of July 1911. The case is entitled Allison vs Cash, etc. and the opinion appears at page 245, S.W.R. 137. This action and the court’s final determination of the questions involved has gone a long way towards settling for all time the question of the power of a county board to take necessary steps to suppress a contagious epidemic. Our board was represented by Hon. N.W. Utley …

“In February, 1910, we had an epidemic of measles with about three hundred cases and four deaths the fatal cases being complicated with pneumonia. No action was taken by the local board to suppress the outbreak. We had one open meeting at which the subject of general hygiene was discussed to the general benefit of the community.

                                                                                Respectfully,

                                                                                     D.J. Travis, M.D.

                                                                                                County Health Officer”

Published 5 March 2020, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

James Ferguson 1828 - 1851

James Ferguson

Born

March 24, 1828

Died

June 5, 1851

Buried Ferguson Cemetery, Livingston County, Kentucky. Tombstone photographed 21 Feb 2017.

James Ferguson was a son of Hamlet Ferguson, who died in 1840 and is also buried in Ferguson Cemetery. James was living with his brother, Robert,  in Livingston County in 1850.[1]

No record, thus far, has been found that tells us what took the life of this young man, who had barely reached his maturity, but we do know that cholera took many lives in western Kentucky during June of 1851. The Louisville Courier of June 18th reported the following about the cholera: "At Smithland there were three or four deaths last week. At Owensboro there have been some three or four deaths during the past few days."[2]  The Louisville Courier also reported that "the cholera has been prevailing with some severity at Princeton."[3]

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[1] 1850 Livingston County, Kentucky census, Roll M432_210, p. 384A, image 459, Ancestry.com.

[2] Daily American Telegraph of Washington, District of Columbia, 24 June 1851, p. 2, Newspapers.com.

[3] The Louisville Daily Courier 11 June 1851, p. 3, Newspapers.com.

Influenza Pandemic 1918 - 1919 Killed Many People

The influenza pandemic of 1918 - 1919 killed approximately 20 to 50 million people world wide. More than 25% of the U.S. population became sick and some 675,000 Americans died.[1]  The first wave of influenza hit Europe in the Spring of 1918 and was generally mild. A second wave, however, came in the Fall of 1918 and was much worse, killing many people within days - and sometimes hours - of contracting the disease. Because Spain was one of the earliest countries to be hit  hard by the influenza, the disease was also known as the "Spanish Flu."

The influenza did not distinguish who caught this highly contagious disease.  Healthy, young people, normally more resistant to disease, fell victim along with older people with health problems.  Many World War I soldiers caught the disease and one report says more men died from the disease than were killed in battle during the war.[2] 

Two of the young people who succumbed  to the influenza were Sible Josephene and William Ralph Trail, children of William W. and George Ann Trail of Livingston County, Kentucky. One tombstone holds silent vigil over their graves in Pleasant Grove Cemetery.

Sister

Sible

Josephene

June 3, 1909

Nov. 29, 1918

Brother

William

Ralph

June 2, 1902

Dec. 1, 1918

Sleep on dear children and take thy rest

In Jesus arms forever blest

Children of W.W. Trail

Both children died of  the deadly combination of influenza and pneumonia, according to their death certificates.[3] Their parents were identified as William W. Trail, born Livingston County, and George Ann Curnell, born Crittenden County, Kentucky.  William Trail and George Ann Curnell married 23 November 1898, Livingston County.[4]

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[1] "Flu Pandemic," History online, www.history.com, accessed 1 September 2017.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Kentucky Death Certificate, #40800, William Ralph Trail, Ancestry.com, accessed 1 September 2017 and #40801, Sible Josephine Trail, Ancestry.com, accessed 1 September 2017.

[4]  Kentucky, Compiled Marriages 1851 - 1900,  Ancestry.com, accessed 1 September 2017.

Published 12 October 2017, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Union County Health Report 1906-1907

The following report comes from Annual Report - Kentucky State Board of Health 1906-1907.

The population of Union County, Ky. is 27,000, not many of them have been vaccinated of late. We have an eruptive hospital located 3 miles from Morganfield, Ky., with a capacity of 50 patients, but we have not used it since our last report, but quarantine smallpox, scarlet fever, and diphtheria where found. There have been 8 cases of scarlet fever, colored patients; 55 cases of measles, colored patients; 10 cases of typhoid fever, colored patients; diphtheria, colored patients, none; 30 cases of tuberculosis, colored and 20 deaths, about 7 of these cases were consumption of the bowels.

Two cases of tuberculosis, (whites) 2 deaths.
Ten cases of typhoid fever, 2 deaths.
Two cases of diphtheria, (whites), no deaths.
Fourteen cases of scarlet fever, (whites), no deaths.
Measles prevailed endemically at Morganfield District, 200 cases or more, no deaths.
Chickenpox prevailed at Hitesville, no deaths.

The Board of Health has done good work. No school discontinued on account of diseases; no deaths of school children from any contagious or infective diseases. The Board of Health have required deep, dry wells, 60 or 70 feet deep where nuisances have been created by emptying slops from kitchens, bath houses and where the same have been connected with privies and emptied into the streets in towns.

There are nine slaughter houses in the county, all in good condition, nine meat markets, all screened in, and meats kept in tight vaults, with large ice boxes in each one where the meats are hung.

Everything is prosperous in Union County, Ky., and the "Goose hangs high."

Very Respectfully,
Thos. J. Shoemaker, M.D., Secretary.

Board of Health Report 1901 - 1902 - Small Pox

Published 28 April 2011, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/
 

 

The Kentucky State Board of Health was established in 1878. The seven board members were to study the vital statistics, including diseases and epidemics, the causes of mortality and the effects of localities, employment, conditions, food, water supply, habits and circumstances on the health of residents. In addition to a state Board of Health, each county court was to appoint a three-member local Board of Health, one of whom was to be a practicing physician.

There had been outbreaks of smallpox  and other diseases in the latter days of the 1800s and into the early years of the 1900s. The Biennial Report of the State Board of Health for 1902-1903 contained reports from various counties. For this article, information is presented on Caldwell, Crittenden and Livingston Counties.

The Caldwell County Board of Health consisted of Dr. J.A.H. Miller, Dr. R.W. Ogilvie, L.H. Darby and Dr. P.R. Shelby, all of Princeton. They reported that during the last two years there had been two outbreaks of smallpox, both in Princeton, with a total of 21 cases, but no deaths. An eruptive hospital, containing two rooms with a capacity of four white and two or three colored inmates, was located within a few miles of Princeton.  It was thought that the disease was brought to the county from Christian and McCracken counties. About 10,000 persons out of the total population of 16,000 had been vaccinated.  The following comment was added to the county report: “We have had trouble to get our doctors to report contagious diseases; one doctor even declining to report a case or more of smallpox, and even told some who had been exposed that he would rather have smallpox than be vaccinated, and advised the family not to be vaccinated, and every one in the family except one person had the disease in a grave form.”

The Crittenden County Board of Health consisted of Dr. T.A. Frazer, Jno. W. Blue, Dr. T.L. Phillips, Dr. W.T. Daugh and Dr. E.E. Newcomb. They reported two outbreaks of smallpox. The disease was brought to the county from Evansville, Ind. and southeast Missouri. About 6,000 persons had been vaccinated, leaving 10,000 or 37 ½ percent currently unvaccinated. Other diseases prevalent recently within the county included 25 cases of diphtheria (with six deaths) and nine cases of scarlet fever in July 1903 (no deaths). During the last two years there were 140 cases of typhoid fever with 31 deaths. The chief cause was polluted drinking water and improper sanitation. The chief difficulty of health officers was the lack of funds and the ignorance of people regarding sanitation and the thing most needed was to get the fiscal court to realize that money expended to improve sanitary conditions is a good investment.

Members of the Livingston County Board of Health were Dr. F.G. LaRue, Dr. J.V. Hayden and Thomas Evans. They reported two outbreaks of smallpox, one at Iuka and the other at Joy, for a total of 30 cases and no deaths. An eruptive hospital was located near Smithland, but was a very poor building, having two rooms and a capacity for six white and four colored inmates. In one outbreak, the disease was brought to the county from Missouri. The origin of the other outbreak was unknown. A total of 2,900 persons were then protected by vaccination, out of a population of 12,000.  It was also reported that there had been two outbreaks of scarlet fever in Smithland recently and there were no deaths. It was estimated that 80 cases of typhoid fever had occurred in the county during the last two years with about 20 deaths. The chief cause was poor sanitary regulations.
 

Smallpox Epidemic of 1899

Copyright by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

May not be copied without written consent



There have been epidemics of deadly diseases throughout time. The cholera epidemic of the 1830s was rampant in parts of Kentucky, wiping out entire families in some cases. There were epidemics of other diseases, too.

Even after a vaccine became available, there were smallpox epidemics. It is a nasty disease and often deadly. Smallpox, caused by the variola virus, is acquired from inhalation. It starts in the lungs and then invades the bloodstream and spread to the skin, intestines, kidneys and brain. The vaccine can prevent smallpox, but a concentrated effort to vaccinate everyone and to isolate those already infected is necessary.

In the Spring of 1899, smallpox began showing up in Union County, Kentucky. Few safeguards were taken to prevent it from spreading. It was thought that the "migratory classes, such as farm and mill hands," had carried the disease into neighboring Henderson County also.

By November, smallpox was rampant in Union County, especially in Uniontown. On the 21st of November, the Kentucky Board of Health quarantined the whole town. No one was allowed to enter or leave the town. Guards with shotguns were stationed to enforce the quarantine. The Illinois Central Railroad discontinued train runs between Morganfield and Uniontown, a distance of eight miles.

The majority of the smallpox cases were at Uniontown, but there were also a few cases at Grove Center. Some cases were so mild that persons stayed home only a few days and then resumed their normal activities. This probably contributed to the spread of the disease.

The headline of the Evansville, Indiana Courier on 24 November 1899 proclaimed "Uniontown Reeks With Smallpox." It was reported that more than 100 cases were present in Uniontown with people ill with the disease walking on the streets. Posey County, Indiana Board of Health stated their cases of smallpox could be traced to Uniontown.

At a meeting of the Morganfield District Medical Association, it was stated the Uniontown physicians did not want to admit the disease was smallpox for fear of injuring the business of the town.

Not all western Kentucky counties had an epidemic of smallpox. Crittenden County reported a few cases, mostly in Dycsusburg, but efforts were being made to keep it from spreading. The hardest hit counties appear to have been Union and Livingston.

Smallpox had also showed up in the spring in Livingston County. Eight cases were reported in Grand Rivers and the County Judge called for measures to be taken to stop the spread of the disease. At the end of November 1899, the Livingston County Court of Claims met in a special term to determine the means to prevent the spreading of smallpox within the county. The disease was then "near the limits of the town of Smithland." The Livingston County Board of Health presented a notice stating that one house in the black neighborhood contained people infected with smallpox and ordering that house, as well as all others in the neighborhood be quarantined. Authorization was given to hire guards at $2 per day to maintain the quarantine. Also, a committee was appointed to purchase the farm of Richard Stokes to use as a pest house.

The measures apparently worked as, by the middle of December, the quarantine of Uniontown was lifted, freight trains were again running and residents of both Union and Livingston County were allowed to move about freely.