Smallpox in Smyrna

Smallpox was one of the many ills that was common to America before its eradication, and Smyrna was not immune from its suffering. In the 1894 copy of the Southern Practitioner a local Smyrna doctor told of his struggles against the flare ups of Smallpox and how he treated it at the time. While his methods might stand out at odd in the light of today's medical knowledge, he was on the front line in protecting our town.

With that said here is his report from the Southern Practitioner.

Southern practitioner:

an independent monthly journal devoted to medicine and surgery, Volume 16, Issue 3
Small-Pox and its Prevention; by J. W. Davis, M.D., of Smyrna, Tenn

Having had as much experience in the management of smallpox as any one now living in Tennessee, perhaps; I will say there is no need for a pest-house, except for the indigent. Rely entirely on vaccination to stop the spread of the disease.

Let me relate a case that occurred away back in the fifties: A negro girl, aged 12, in a family of eight, developed an attack of small-pox. She was in the room with her mother, who had a babe just two weeks old. The other children were in the adjoining room of a double cabin. I vaccinated all the family the next day, and told them to let no one come into the house. All those on whom the first vaccination took effect had no small-pox. One or two of the others that were re-vaccinated had a few smallpox pustules, with a good vaccine pustule. Two others had small-pox. All recovered. There was not a case outside of this house on the farm, or in the neighborhood.

Another thing worthy of note, we burned up no clothing or bedding—just had everything well washed and dried in the open air. There was never any spread of small-pox from the bedding or clothes.

I could give case after case where the same course was pursued with the same results, during our civil war, and in no instance did the disease spread from the house it was in, and in every instance bedding and clothes were all saved.
Now, for Nashville, I would suggest the following plan: Run up the yellow flag at the gate or door where the disease is found. Tell the inmates that they will not be taken to the pest-house if they can care for themselves, and their effects will not be burned, but will be kept for their future use and comfort.

Now for some few cases to illustrate and prove my position and theory in the management of small-pox to be correct, and the better plan. In the autumn and winter of 1863, we had a terrible scourge of epidemic small-pox in and around Smyrna, Tennessee. War waved its bloody banners over our heads, first the grey and then the blue, and as the armies went South, spreading wreck, ruin and desolation along their pathway, the poor refugees and negroes were forced back upon us at Smyrna and Lavergne. My home and family were a short mile of Smyrna. I visited and treated numbers of cases daily, vaccinating old and young; went home and slept with my family at night, often with my little three year old boy on my breast, with wife next to me, and baby on the other side of her—all vaccinated—no contagion or fear among us.

A very remarkable case, a refugee, a young Mr. Moon, had a severe case of confluent small-pox. He was in a small room, had but one large bed, the weather was cold, and his wife and two children were in the bed with him. When he broke-out I vaccinated the wife and children, and told them to stay in the bed with him, when she was not up to cook and wait on him. He got well, and the wife and children had no small-pox. Old Mrs. Moon died with confluent small-pox near by. Vaccinated her family, and no other of the family took the disease.

At Mr. John Edmondson's, a negro man, Sam Thompson, had small-pox. Vaccinated his wife and several children. No spread of the disease. He can be seen about Smyrna now, a hale, hearty old man, with the pits on his nose.

Mr. Frank Swain, a soldier of Gen. Bragg’s army, took smallpox while our army was in Rutherford County, in the fall of 1863. He was at his father's house, on Fall Creek. I found him in the family-room, father and mother waiting on their soldier boy. Examined the old people and found good scars of previous vaccination. Vaccinated all the family and had no spread of the disease, except old Mr. Elijah Arnold, who had visited Frank before I saw him. I vaccinated the old man that evening. He had a good vaccine pustule, with a few small-pox pustules.

It would take a small book to hold an account of all the cases I could relate, treated in the manner above described.

One case at Maj. Hick Weakley's. A negro man died from small-pox; his wife waited on him. Vaccinated all around—no spread of the disease—no burning of clothes.

At C. L. Davis', a negro man was treated the same way—no contagion.

At A. P. Davis', a negro woman—same result.

At Esq. John Shelton's, his wife died from confluent smallpox, and one or two children had small-pox—no further spread .of the disease.
One thing to be remembered about small-pox is, its incubation and initial fever is longer than that of vaccination, and it is rarely contagious except in the stage of eruption.

I will say nothing against sanitation or health officers, except entering objections to the red tape that is creeping into the proceedings of the latter, whose operations are calculated to create panic and unnecessary expense. The whole trouble at Nashville and Smyrna could have been managed in the way I have suggested, with one-tenth of the alarm and expense.

Treatment.—Keep the patient in a dark room, well ventilated. Open the bowels, and keep them in a soluble condition, in the early stage, with salts or oil. In the eruptive stage, keep the skin well greased; fat bacon grease is very good. For the throat, chlorate of potass and carbolic acid are probably the best. Good nourishing, but unstimulating diet; and meet complications as they arise according to the rational principles of regular medicine.

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