Smallpox was a devastating disease back in the 18th and 19th century in North America killing many who were afflicted with it. Between the years of 1775 to 1782 during the Revolutionary war it was quite prevalent and shook the continent. Variola major was the virus responsible for the disease and it started almost innocuously by a respiratory tract infection similar to the flu. People would experience many of the same effects as flu such as fever, headache, vomiting and general malaise. During the following few days many felt better and thought the illness to be influenza. However the disease would rear its ugly head by day four and painful lesions would appear on the skins surface, usually in the nose, mouth and throat. Twenty-four hours later the rash would appear. The most severe cases would manifest by the lesions turning inward on the skin and causing haemorrhaging through mucus membranes, however most manifested outwardly on the skin’s surface. “Confluent smallpox” was the most severe of cases and the pustules ran together. These patients stood a much higher chance of succumbing to the disease and dying. The appearance of the rash in the mouth and throat made drinking difficult which in turn caused dehydration. On or about day ten the pustules blistered, dried and cracked and smelled sometimes causing secondary bacterial infections. Then scabs would form. If the patient made it through to week three the chance of survival was much greater. Unfortunately when the scabs dropped off they caused ugly scars. From onset to end the disease lasted near one month. Those that survived had one good thing to come out of it and that was that they were now immune to the disease. Quarantine and Innoculation One of the most important weapons against smallpox was quarantine. Bed linens and clothing received special treatment. Done properly this was quite effective. Another weapon was inoculation. This was used even after Edward Jenner’s discovery of a vaccine in 1796. It should be noted that inoculation vs. vaccination was quite different. Innoculation infected the person with a cowpox virus, usually through an incision in the hand. This caused the patient to have a much less seveve case of the virus and created immunity against the disease. The catch to this is that the patient was actually contagious and could infect others with the disease. If done under strict quarantine it was quite effective otherwise an epidemic could ensue. Smallpox and the Revolution In 1774--76 there was a devastating outbreaks of smallpox during the American Revolution. Boston, Quebec both saw the disease to force General Washington to make a policy decision regarding its control. On July 4th 1775 Washington ordered that no person be allowed to go to Fresh-water pond for any occasion be it fishing or otherwise as they run the risk of infecting his army. In December of the same year it was reported by four deserters that General William Howe had deliveratly infected fugitives to spread the disease among enemy troups. This would be comparible to germ warfare that is spoken of today. Smallpox was a deadly disease at the time. In Quebec in 1776 more than 1500 americans fled up the St. Lawrence River as 900 British disembarked to relieve the Quebec garrison. The Americans had to deal with not only the British but also an outbreak of smallpox. It was not until September that they rid themselves of the disease. As with many epidemics the rampant and then lay dormant for awhile only to reappear at a later date. In 1855 a major outbreak occurred in Montréal resulting in over 3000 deaths. Apparently many of the French Canadians opposed the vaccine. Early in the 20th century it occurred sporatically across Canada, Acton being a very small outbreak, but one of concern to the town and the area. Spread and Incubation It was to be noted that smallpox spread from droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person or by dried viral particles on clothing and/or blankets. It had an incubation period of between seven to nineteen days. The disease itself was communicable for about three weeks, from just before the appearance of the earliest lesions to the disappearance of all scabs. The person is most contagious during the first wee of illness due to the amount of the virus in the saliva. This is when incubation is most critical. Once the rash appears it was is noted that the patient will infect between three and five close contacts. The disease itself leaves the patient with scars from the pustules. There was no treatment for smallpox and it had to run its coarse. Complictions of the disease were pneumonia, blindness, and infections fo the joints or bones. There was a haemorrhagic for of the disease that was fatal. The mortality rate of variola major iw 30—40%, while variola minor is only fatal in 1—2% of cases. Vaccination was introduced in North America in 1798 by Reverend John Clinch a classmate of the discoverer of the vaccine Edward Jenner. Due to vaccination programs the disease no longer poses a threat to our country and the disease has been eradicated. Disease strikes Small town of Acton In January of 1902 several cases of smallpox appeared in Acton. It was traced to the visit of my great aunt Bertha Ryder-Vance who came to the town to visit family. She was infected with the disease before she left her home in Manitoba to come to Acton. While visiting the family, two of her brothers Fred and Edward contracted the disease but thanks to the swift thinking of doctors and the Board of Health it was caught and kept under control. The entire family was quarantined, along with people thought to have come in contact with them until the threat was over. Fortunately no one died from the outbreak in Acton that year. An article that ran in the newspaper in May of the same year printed the total costs of the outbreak to the Town of Acton. It was quite shocking to see how just three cases of smallpox in one area could cost the town what it did. What Smallpox Cost Acton (A Classified List Of Accounts Passed by the Board of Health and Paid) |
Stephanie Bell-Boissonneault"When researching Family never leave a stone unturned, not even a pebble." Archives
July 2023
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