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Detwiller, J W

Lehigh Valley Health Network 
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Small-Pox in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Vicinity, in 1881-82. 
J W Detwiller 
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XIII.
SMALL-POX IN BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, AND
VICINITY, IN I88I-82.
By JOHN W. DETWILLER, M.D.,
Bethlehem, Pa.
THE borough of Bethlehem, Northampton Co., Penn., is situated on
the north side of the Lehigh river, fifty-two miles north of Philadelphia,
and twelve miles west of the Delaware. The situation is high; drainage,
good; soil, limestone. Population five thousand three hundred and
ninety-three.
The borough of South Bethlehem, Northampton County, on the op-
posite side of the river, is at'the base of the Lehigh mountain, a range of
the Blue. The situation is principally on low land; drainage, only toler-
able; soil, disintegrated igneous rock, sand, alluvium, and limestone.
Population, five thousand one hundred and twenty-five.
West Bethlehem, and Old South Bethlehem, Hanover Township,
Lehigh County, are divided from the borough of Bethlehem by the
Monocacy creek. Population, one thousand eight hundred.
The situation of West Bethlehem is high; drainage, good; soil, lime-
stone and drift of the glacial epoch.
Old South Bethlehem is low, subject to occasional inundations; drain-
age, poor; soil, sand and alluvium.
The population of South Bethlehem suburbs, Salisbury Township,
Lehigh County, University District, and Saucon Township, Northampton
County, is one thousand.
Hottlesville Extension, Bethlehem Township, Northampton County,
northern suburbs of Bethlehem, has a population of about two hundred.
There had been no cases of small-pox in the Bethlehems, since the
spring of I872, until January 22, i88i, when the first case made its ap-
pearance in the borough of South Bethlehem, which was contracted in
Philadelphia. From that time there were sporadic cases in the
Bethlehems until March I3, I882, when the disease appeared in the
,orm of an epidemic, -over seventy cases developing in the course of
thirty-six hours, all living in a small area.
At the time of this sudden outbreak, and a few weeks before, there was
great humidity of the atmosphere, heavy and dense fogs being suspended
,over the borough during the night and the greater part of the day.
Twelve or fourteen days previous to the appearance of the epidemic, in-
~hcted clothing or bedding was burned in the neighborhood of New street,
SMALL-POX IN BETHLEHEM, PENN.
above Fourth, the heat of which burning was evidently insufficient to
destroy the small-pox germs, but only served to diffuse them throughout
the air, together with dense volumes of smoke. Owing to the humidity of
the atmosphere they were held long enough in suspense, in a very low
stratum, to endanger all those in that neighborhood who were suscept-
ible to contagion. This is the only plausible way in which such a sudden
outbreak in so small an area can be explained.
The Board of Health exerted itself vigorously to prevent its further
extension, by a system of hospital and quarantine discipline, and by in-
stituting free vaccination.
It was owing solely to the vigilance of their Health Board that the
borough of Bethlehem on the north side escaped a similar epidemic,
considering the constant exposure of the laboring classes to contagion in
their daily passage to and from the iron and zinc works in South Bethle-
hem.
West Bethlehem and Old South Bethlehem were under one Health
Board; University District and Saucon Township also under one head.
Salisbury Township had its separate organization, and free vaccination
was generally proclaimed.
Cases. Deaths. Population.
Cases in South Bethlehem. . . . . . . . . . . . . 457 136 5,I25
" Bethlehem ............... . 69 i8 5,393
" Old South and West Bethlehems . . . . . . . . 87 17 I,800
" Saucon Township and University District . . . . . . 62 18 500
Salisbury Township . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2 500
" Hottlesville extension . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 I 200
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685 192 13,518
Per cent. of cases to whole population in the Bethlehems and suburbs . . . . . .05
is "t it "4 Borough of Bethlehem . . . . . . .0o
' Cs Cs "9 St" South Bethlehem . . . . .og
it it it de W. and 0. S. Bethlehem, nearly . .05
cc " Cs" Salisbury Township . . . . . . . .0o
SauconTownshipandUnversityDistrict, .I2J
as ' " " Hottlesville extension . . . . . . .02
Per cent. of deaths to cases in the Bethlehems and suburbs . . . . . . . . . .28
is if "9 Borough of Bethlehem . . . . . . . . . . .265
"c cc cc it South Bethlehem . . . . . . . .29
Is di" West and Old South Bethlehem . . . . . . . .20
"19 it "6 Salisbury Township . . . . . . . . . . . .33
It it cc Saucon Township and University District . . . .28
s it cc" Hottlesville extension . . . . . . . . . . .25
There are few facts in sanitary science that have made themselves more
manifest in all our experience than the efficacy of vaccination as a pre-
ventive of small-pox. In a number of instances where the entire family
was vaccinated, after one member had taken small-pox, those whose vac-
I 12
SMALL-POX IN BETHLEHEM, PENN. 113
cination was successful escaped infection, while those unsuccessfully
vaccinated were attacked by the disease.
The press is a power that cannot be overlooked, having proved itself,
in the time of distress, a great benefit to the people. Its columns were
open to all, however conflicting their views, and many valuable sug-
gestions were given in regard to the best modes of combatting the com-
mon enemy.
The Lehigh County Poor Directors acted in a truly benevolent man-
ner. They cordially supported the Health Boards of their districts in their
efforts to check the spread of the disease, by establishing free vaccination,
and by supporting all their quarantined families. By their prompt pre-
cautionary measuires they prevented the spread of small-pox in the
thickly-settled districts, most of whose inhabitants belong to the laboring
classes, and are employed in the borough of South Bethlehem.
While we, dwelling in the Bethlehems and suburbs, had well-organized
Boards of Ilealth it was no small matter to bridge the numerous obstacles
in the way of enforcing their orders, owing to the inadequate provision
of the Legislature to confer,any legal power upon Health Boards. May
we not hope that, in future, acts will be passed that shall confer neces-
sary power on such bodies at such a time?


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