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Dr. Laberhe.
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A BRIEF HISTORY
OF THB
SMALL POX EPIDEHflC
IN MONTREAL
FROM 1 87 1 TO 1880 AND THE LATE OUTBREAK
OF 1885
BT
Mrs. M GUYOT.
t
i
A BRIEF HISTORY
OF TRB
SMALL POX EPIDE^flC
IN MONTREAL
FROM 1871 TO 1880 AND THE LATE OUTBREAK
OF 1885
MY
Mrs. M. GUYOT,
AI'THOR OF '• THE HUNrSHMENT OF THE ACADIANS," ETC,
CONTAINING
t
A CONCISE ACCOUXr OF THE INOCULATION OF ANCIENT TIME, THK
IiISCOVERY ANn ADVANTAGE OF VACCINATION ; MORTALITY FROM
8MALL POX FROM 1871 TO 1880, TOGETHER WITH A SUMMARY
OF THE RE<;ORD OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS, WITH
STATISTICS OF MORTALITY OF THE LATE OUTBREAK
IN 1885.
I I ^^ II »
<?
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HISTORY
OF THE
MONTREAL EPIDEMie.
INOCULATION AND VACCINATION.
So much has the foul disease of smallpox been
dreaded, that different nations have, in times past,
endeavored to mitigate the severity of the malady,
by communicating it artificially.
The Brahmins, engrafted the virus, so also did the
Turks, and the Chinese who were in the habit of put-
ting some of the crusts into the nostrils. The practice of
inoculation became more or less general in Europe,
and its efficacy in mitigating the severity and the
danger of the disease, was considered to be very
great. Lady Mary Worthy, wife of the British Am-
bassador, while residing in the East, in Belgrade, in
17 1 8, caused her infant son to be inoculated, being
the first English person to make the experiment. It
proved to be perfectly successful, and with the hope
of alleviating much suffering and even saving many
lives, Lady Mary resolved to introduce the practice
of inoculation into her own country. It was an arduous^
and for some years a thankless task, she had to en-
counter opposition on every side, who predicted the
most desastrous results ; but supported firmly by the
Princess of Wales she gained many supporters among
the nobility and the middle classes. In 1784 four
condemned criminals were inoculated; this test having
proved successful, the Princess of Wales had two of
her own daughters subjected to the operation, with
perfect safety. Some of the nobility followed the
example of the Princess and the practice gradually
extended to the middle classes, but the fees at first
were so expensive as to preclude many from the be-
nefit of the new discovery; but the time for smallpox
inoculation is now over, as we have a wiser and safer
substitute.
About eighty years ago, a chance observation was
matured into a rational and scientific form, by a mind
deephy imbued with best principles of sound philoso-
phy, and a disease mild in form, and safe in character,
was substituted for the inoculation of the Turks and
Chinese. In 1799, the first public institution for vac-
cination was established in London, and the following
year it was introduced into Germany and France,
and the practice of vaccination has now became
general over the whole educated world. Here and there,
as might be expected, it has met with opposition, but
every objection that was raised by the anti-vaccinator,
has been answered again and again by the leading
minds of the. profession. Dr. Robert Thomas, author
of the " Practice of Physic" which serves as a text
5
book for students and physicians, after a long and
careful analysis, and giving to every objection the
most patient consideration, thus sums up, " the intro-
duction of vaccination, notwithstanding all the abate-
ments which must be made in the estimate of its
p«wers, is still one of the greatest boons that science
ever conferred upon mankind."
Compare the ravages committed by smallpox before
and after this important epoch ; and we may in the
first place appeal to general experience, in the words
of the National Vaccine Establishment, " where the
rarety of an example of disfigurement by smallpox
now to be found in theatres, churches, or any large
assembly of the people is adduced in proof of the con-
tinued protective property of the lymph employed."
It will be interesting to my readers to know how,
and what brought about this great triumph of me-
dical skill. This was discovered by Edward Jenner,
M.D.,F.R., it was the result, like most important disco-
veries of the world, of accident. Jenner, when a young
man, was studying medecine in the house of a Mr.
Ludlow, a surgeon in Sodbury, near Bristol, Jenner
was accustomed to be present when his master was
treating patients, in order that he might become
practically familiar with the treatment of diseases.
On a certain day, a young woman in the office of
Mr. Ludlow, for treatment, the question of smallpox
being discussed, thoughtlessly made the remark ; " I
cannot take smallpox, I have had the cowpox." This
was the foundation for a discovery which was later
on to electrify the world. Jenner was struck by the
remark and never missed the opportunity of verify-
ing the tiuth of this carelessly uttered statement. He
reasoned thus by "if cowpox naturally produced does
give immunity from smallpox, why will not the same
disease artificially developed confer the same protec-
tion." Although laughed at and rediculed, he was
fim in the belief of this idea. On the 14th of May 1796
he vaccinated one James Phipps. To his unspeak-
able joy, as day by day he watched the result, he
witnessed all the different stages of cowpox occur
regularly and perfectly, and after being sneered at for
a quarter of a century he turned to his confreres
with a shout of joy, " behold the consummation of
my dream." He had get however many trials to
endure before his theory was accepted, but in 1799
about seventy of the most distinguished physicians
and surgeons of London, signed a declaration of their
entire confidence and the benefits and advantages of
his discovery ; all the honors that CDuld be heaped
upon man were bestowed upon him, and he was
enrolled among the great men of the world.
Vaccination affords protection from smallpox
by producing in the body a constitutional disease
which runs a regular course that is similar to smallpox,
and possibly identical with smallpox itself, but of a
character so mild as to be utterly and entirely harm-
less, but which so alters the condition of the blood as
to render the development of the disease itself, in
its most violent form, almost an impossibility and cer-
tainly a very great rarity. It is not my object to dis-
cuss the scientific points of vaccination as has been
done in many hundreds of volumes, but the decision
of the majority based upon the results are : that vac-
cination is the only available means of protection
against smallpox and, with due care in the perfor-
mance of the operation, no risk need be run of the
injurious effect ; that before its discovery, the morta-
lity by smallpox was forty times greater than it is
now, that the death rate is less than one per cent of
well vaccinated persons against a rate of the unvacci-
nated at thirty five per cent.
MONTREAL'S EPIDEMIC, FROM 1 8/1 tO f88o.
Should any of my readers desire a good illustration
of the way in which a large wealthy and comparatively
enlightened community, in a position as regards social
and material interests other than sanitary, second to
8
none in this country, can mismanage an epidemic of
smallpox, we invite their attention to the hbtory of
the epidemic of Montreal in 1871 and prevailed until
1880 and broke out with double force in 1885. Not
a month has passed during those nine years without
furnishing its quota of cases with a large aggregate of
deaths. The following is the mortality: in 1872 the
number of deaths were 897 ; in 1873, 228 deaths; in
1874, 647 deaths ; in 1875, 590 deaths.
During these nine years the press contented itself
in giving the people the occasional statistics of the
disease and the city contented itself in receiving these
statistics in silence. Year after year passed by and
hundreds died, and hundreds more lived pitted and
unsightly. The disease had its will. But with the
late epidemic the public and the press both realized
that a great amount of labor was necessary, to stamp
out at once and forever this most foul desease and
they struck while the iron was hot.
The smallpox outbreak is regarded as a calamnity
to all Canada ; it is curious that in a city which has
been not unfrequently visited by the disease, there
should be so few precautions taken against the return
of the scourge and such little faith in the preventive
vaccination, as will be seen in the following pages.
Many people neglect precaution while others regard it
with supreme contempt while even the merchants were
at the beginning of this last outbreak, like they were
all through the former scourge, quite indignant, and
severely resented publicity given it by the local papers;
they seem to regard it more as a drawback to com-
DBATHB BY SKALLFOZ IH THE CITY FROM 1876 TO
(INCLUSIVE.)
1881
1876
French Canadians
Other origin.
Under
1 year.
5
JO
15
20
30
40
50
60
70
'3
134
25
159
78
18
96
134
16
150
319
46
365
62
16
15
10
15
9
15
21
5
6
2
2
• ••
• ••
568
135
ToUl
78
25
24
36
11
4
...
703
1877 .
French Canadians
247
25
272
44
6
50
13
13
9
2
17
4
29
17
3
4
• ••
431
Other origin
75
Total
21
46
• ••
7
1
• ••
506
1878
French Canadians-
Other origin
371
32
90
10
14
7
18
17
2
5
••••
639
89
Total
403
100
It
21
35
7
...
1
728
1879
French Canadians
Other origin
7
91
240
13
253
62
4
66
11
3
14
1
13
8
5
13
2
3
3
"i
417
55
Total
21
18
5
3
1
472
1880
French Canadians
21
3
24
58
9
67
22
4
4
8
3
8
11
111
Other origin
4
• ••
...
29
Total
22
4
1
1
2
51
67
4
• ••
...
140
1881
French Canadians
I
2
4
Other oriffin
• •■
...
1
280
316
Total ^....^
1
2
5
Total French 1
Canadians. /
Total other origin.
451
520
1235
1360
63
95
95
70
146
9
27
2
7
1
4
9
9
2
2
2166
383
Grand Total
521
136?
316
69
146
27
2554
10
mercial interest than a warning of danger to their
neighbors. They seem to count the cost of an epide-
mic in hard cash not to human lives, they forget that
a great epidemic stops thousands from working there-
by earning wages for themselves and creating capital
for business men. The last time it was our visitor,
for nine years it was treated gingerly, the Health office
was not anxious for publicity and the press diflferred
to the feelings which existed among the public against
alleged " unnecessary" ventilation of the facts. But
at this last outbreak, although in a few cases the old
timed feeling remained, still the majority of the busi-
ness public knew better and the press responded to
the public feeling.
DURING THE YEAR 188$.
From almost the beginning of the year 1885 the
disease struggled for a foothold and let alone by the
people it soon became master, and at ti mes it was
thought that it would hold that position for some
time, as the health officials had not the time or means
to conduct a systematic campaign against the pest ;
it was nothing more than a hand to hand fight, but
aided by many of the citizens they at last conquerred.
A glance at the gradual and rapid increase will
be of interest, beginning with the month of April, at
which time its appearance began to cause a whisper.
The contagion was taken to Boston by the same
Pulman car which afterwards brought it to Montreal.
The Board of Health of the former city however ac-
II .
ted so promptly and the people generally wer,* so well
protected by vaccination that the disease only spread
to six persons, four of whom recovered.
The result of the Boston authorities investigation
found that, in February a newly married couple, natives
of Chicago, returning from their honeymoon which
they had spent in Europe, landed in New-Yor!<, and
travelled in a certain Pullman car to Chicago. On the
way the lady fell sick and arriving at their destina-
tion was found to be ill with smallpox. The car came
back to Boston twelve days later ; the colored man
who had cleaned the car fell ill with the same disea-
se, his wife also took the contagion, and the disease
spread to four other persons.
Meanwhile the car came to Montreal, and both
the conductor and porter developed the disease and
were taken to the Hotel-Dieu Hospital, as no hospi-
tal for contagious disease was open at the time, a
from the conductor it spread to the patients of the
Hospital and from the patients to the visitors and
hence to the whole city. The car then returned to Bos-
ton, there all the upholstering was taken out and
burned, the car was refitted, repainted, revamished,
and rechristened, since which time no new cases have
developed in it. But in Montreal it left a ghastly
record as a memento of its visit. In that month
(April) six deaths were reported, all of whom were
French. During the month of May ten more occur-
red, seven being French, while for the month of June,
thirteen deaths occurred, ten bsing French. July it
rose to 46 deaths, 37 of which were French.
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The mortality was becoming too alarming for the
people to remain disinterested, and they begun to
take action in several important matters. The ques-
tion of obtaining lymph now began to agitate the
Board of Health ; that is regarding points that could
be guaranteed by responsible authority so that no
evil results would arise to strengthen the now great
prejudice entertained by the majority of the people ;
but they decided to accept that furnished by the New
England Vaccine Co., of Chelsea, Mass. The 14th
showed a great increase ©f the disease and complaints
were constantly brought to Dr. Laberge, the City
Health officer, of placards being torn down and cases
not reported, while he lamented his want of power.
The Health committee in their special meeting
discussed the question of vaccination, and the spread
of the disease ; free vaccination was proposed, and
free disenfectants. Philanthropists were appealed to
the necessity of organizing a committee, to relieve
the wants of fa^iilies who were prevented from atten-
ding their work through having smallpox among
their members. Aid. Roy's proposition, that four
medical vaccinators be appointed for three months at
a salary of $25 per month to attend to vaccination
three hours per day under the supervision of the
board of Health, was accepted; their names and dis-
tricts to be as follows ; Dr. G. E. Roy, eastern portion
of the city from limits to Papineau road ; Dr. E. La-
porte, that section between Papineau road and St.
Lawrent street; Dr. Rv'^ed, St. Lawrence ward; and Dr.
Kannon St. Ann's ward. On the i8th vaccine points
m
14
began to be widely distributed, fifty medical men
having applied for them at the Health office.
The boot and shoe factories employ a larger num-
ber of help than any other industry in Montreal
The majority of the employees are French Cana-
dians, which race are the most subject to smallpox
and I may had the most indifferent to its dangers. —
It is this very contempt for smallpox which makes
the disease so fatal in Montreal, — These were im-
mediately notified to get vaccinated, and those who
could not produce a doctor's certificate of vaccina-
tion within two days, er of course a certificate that
they were not fit subjects for vaccination, were dis-
missed from their employment. The measure was
an extreme one, but so also was the danger. This
act was followed by all the other manufacture with
the most gratifying results. It is a question if a man
has a right to imperil his own life by his own igno-
rant prejudices, but certainly he has no right to im-
perii the lives of other people. About the 20th, the
number of persons applying at the Health office be-
gan to increase every day, and doctors continue de-
mand of Dr. Labeige the procuring of more vaccine.
The 2 1st the City Passengers Railway Ca, under-
took to prevent their servants introducing conta-
gion Into their cars ; this is practically an impossilN-
lity, no matter what amount of watchfulness is exer-
cised ; people walked out of infected houses straight
into the cars ; sanitary policemen who had been dis-
en&cting rode on them ; probably there were hun-
dreds every day who had been in infected houses
«
15
used these vehicles ; the cushions and trimmings of
which being excellent mediums for conveying the
disease from one person to another, the health de-
partment therefore were justified in seeing that the
cars were fumigated daily. The managers of this
Railway issued orders that the sanitary police was
not to be permitted to ride on these cars. On the
22nd the wholesale clothing trade being fully alive to
the prevalence of the disease ; in addition to having
all those employed on their premises vaccinated,
they at once engaged a doctor to devote the whole
of his time in visiting the operatives in their houses.
On the same date the mayor received replies to his
two hundred post cards asking the permission of
subscribers to the volunteers, to apply their subscrip-
tions to the relief of persons distressed by smallpox.
Not one refused, and many asked his Worship to
apply to them for additional subscriptions, if neces-
sary. About this date, people began to overdo the re-
porting business,and were sending the medical Health
Officers on all sorts of useless and foolish errands.
It was during this month that the distinguished
statesman and scholar Sir Francis Hincks fell a
victim to this scurge and several misapprehensions
respecting his illness and death were made public ;
two statements in particular were erroneous ; one was
that only a domestic was in attendance during his
illness and death ; the other that no religious servi-
ces were held over his grave. Sir Francis had no
one with him but his housekeeper when he was taken
ill, but on the Saturday previous to his death, she.
i6
without his consent or knowledge, notified his son-
in-law Lt. Col. Ready, and his wife immediately
came to the city and were with him until the close.
It was not know at first what Sir Francis was suff-
ering from, it was believed to be a bilious attack, but
as he grew worse Dr. McDonnell was summoned, and
he in his turn called in Dr. Howard and the disease
was pronounced smallpox. An excellent English
nurse who had been trained in smallpox Hospitals,
was secured, but the disease made rapid progress
and Sir Francis succombed. In obedience to the
law governing such cases, no funeral service was held.
As soon as the body was prepared it was removed
to the vault in the cemetery until the grave was pre-
pared. Col. Ready and the Rev. Mr. Dixon were
at the burial and the latter read the funeral service
of the church of England over his remains.
The month of August closed with the people hav-
ing a full determination to stamp out the pest, but
the disease was making terrible headway as the mor-
tality^ of September shows.
On the 5th of this month the mayor called a meet-
ing of the citizens in Nordheimers hall, which was
largely attended. In opening the meeting, he
said that in view of the fact that all over the
continent it was thought the people of Montreal were
dying like sheep in the streets, the calling of a meet-
ing of citizens had become necessary. As an instance of
the way in which the affliction of Montreal was
being spoken of, he read a telegram from Mr. Sho-
rey, stating that the Manitoba " Free Press " in its
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last issue advised the merchants of Manitoba to boy-
cott Montreal on account of the prevalence there.
The same paper placed the number of patients suffer-
ing from , smallpox at 2000. With regard to the
health department he would say that it was doing
its work well and to the full extent of its powers.
At the meeting of the Board of Heath, it was de-
cided to put the Civic Hospital under the charge of
the Grey nuns. A grant of $ioo.cx) per year to be"
paid to each nun acting as nurse. Four of the ladies
of this institute were chosen for this special purpose
and their number was to be increased if necessary.
Their adieux to the mother house were most touch-
ing, as they were of course to be entirely secluded
from all intercourse with the other members of the
community as long as they were attached to the
hospital. Although fully realizing the dangers they
would encounter, the four generous nuns left their
cherished home with a cheerful heart after recering
the blessing of their mother superioress ; for, say they,
our motto is " sacrifice." No better day would have
been chosen for the departure of the nuns on this
painful mission, the 14 of September, the feast of the
order, of the exaltation of the Holy cross,
>9
which was adopted by the founder of the institution
as meaning total abnegation and self sacrifice for the
love of God and suffering mankind. A new wing
of the hospital was built, and a portion set apart
for protestant patients who where cared for by
protestant nurses.
There were to be seen some very touching scenes
at the Healt Office ; on the morning of the 15 th, there
came in a poor but neatly clad woman who meekly
asked for her daughter who had been sent to the
civic Hospital. Going to the telephone an officer
rang up the hospital and learned that the little girl
was recovering. When the poor woman heard this,
her self control gave way all at once and she cried.
Composing herself somewhat, she explained that the
little girl was her only child. Then she produced a
small parcel containing a few blue plums, an apple,
several tomatoes and a course lamp of maple sugar.
These things she wished to have sent to her daughter.
She was told that then was nolackofdelicaciesatthe
hospital, but she insisted on having her present sent ;
she was afraid her daughter might think she had
forgotten her if she did not send her something.
Dr. Laberge had frequently trouble in obtaining care
for little children temporarily orphaned by the di-
sease. A Mr. who lived on St Lawrence
street, was taken to the St. Rock's hospital, a few
days later his wife also was taken there. She left
behind her an infant five weeks old who, having
been vaccinated, did not contract the disease from
the parent^. There was no one to take charge of
<
20
the child, Dr. Laberge applied for admittance for it
at the protestants infants Home, but was informed
that the house was too crowded to accommodate
another child. He then applied to the relief com-
mittee composed of protestant clergy and the Rev.
Mr. Nichols had it cared for. It is a sad but unde-
niable fact that a large number of the French popu-
lation, encouraged by causes we will not mention,
were hostile to vaccination ; therefor on the 23rd,
vaccination was made compulsory ; this had to be
done in order te have any control over the disease ;
every house was visited and summoning every house-
keeper to declare whether or not each and every
member was vaccinated. To the unvaccinated, the
operation was offered free. Refusal to be vaccinated
or misrepresentation made the offender guilty under
the law and punishable by a heavy penalty, which
can be repeated until compliance is secured. When
that portion of the city learned that compulsory vac-
cination was to be enforced, on Monday the 28th,
following the advice of a few hot headed demago-
gues, they resolved to make a bobterous demonstra-
tion. They therefore organized themselves into a
mob which at same points must have numbered several
thousands ; for several hours these people had com*
plete possession of the streets. The rioters went
where they liked, and did what they liked. War-
nings were given of the intention ofthe mob to return
in force and express in a more decided way, their
disapproval of the energetic measures taken by the
board of Health authorities. The threat was even
21
made to the secretary of the office, Mr. Berthelot,
that by six o'clock there iwould be nothing left of
the office. The chief, as in previous cases, did not
deem the warning of sufficient importance to take any
immediate precautions and no arrangments were
made for extra police protection. Two hours later
the threats had been carried into execution and the
mob alter having wrecked the office, started out on
a tour of devastation. The rioters were of such pro-
portions as to indicate preconcerted arrangements.
The wide street of St. Catherine for a distance of a
hundred yards, was black with men and boys.
Chief Police Paradis was consequently communicated
with, and arriving soon after, telephoned for all men
on duty at the East end stations. When these ar-
rived, they were not much of an acquisition, and
their services were not brought into play until long
after they arrived. Sub-Chief Lancey, single handed,
cleared the sidewalk in front of the health office and
in company of two others cleared the whole street
in front of the building. This showed at once the
crowd was not a very desperate one. Although
the street was cleared, the stones continued to rattle
through the glass of the office windows. After half
an hour of this desultory stone throwing, a large por-
tion of the mob broke off from the remainder to
demonstrate in other parts of the city. In the dis-
orderly procession, were many respectably dressed
young men and these in fact appeared to be the
most unruly of the lot. Now and again the
uproar would take a new turn by the shouting out
22
of some such expressions as : bravo Riel, vive la
FRANCE, or hurrah canadiens franfaisy such cries in-
variably changed singing to cheering, and in this
exuberant mood the crowd proceeded through the
city. Panes of glass were brooken at Dr. F. X.
Archambault's house, and arriving in front of the
dwelling of Dr. Laberge, the medical Health officer,
the rioters shouted for him swearing they would kill
him. Getting no response to their cries, the crowd
stoned the house doing considerable damage. On
St. Denis street, the mob broke several panes of
glass and smashed the blinds of Aid. Grenier's resi-
dence. When Mr. Baridon, who keeps a drug store
on St. Denis street, saw the crowd descending, he,
immediately tore down a notice to the effect that he
sold vaccine points, extinguished the %hts and clo-
sed the doors. Meanwhile the crowd advanced
hooting and yelling in front of his store ; they then
halted and stoned the place. Two large plate glasses
and two valuable showcases were destroyed. The
anti-vaccinationists then started for the city Health
office arriving at a quarter to eight Here were
gathered some ten or dozen constables. These went
outside, they attempted to persuade the rioters to
move on ; but were soon lost in the growing multi-
tude. There was a lull for a time but soon the
sounds of crashing glass were heard all over the
building. At this time, detective Richardson came
in and without losing much time in deliberation
drew a revolver and commenced firing over the
heads of the crowd through the windows. This
23
produced a cessation in the stone throwing, and also
served as a signal of recall for the police dispersed
through the crowd. Thinking the roughs were in
the station, these returned not however unnoticed
for as the door was opened to allow them to enter, a
volley of stones made painful bruises on a number of
them. When within the door they formed up in
line about twelve men all told. The contrast of
their numbers with those they were about to attack
seemed to strike every one, and a suggestion was
made and adopted that they should use their rifles
and bayonets. Armed with these, they were about
to march out when the detachment which had gone
to the East end office returned with Chief Paradis at
their head. Ten minutes of organized effort ended
the whole trouble as far as the city Hall was concer-
ned, the crowd melted away. Detachments of police
were sent to gjuard the houses of Aid. Grenier and
Dr. Laberge. A call issued by the mayor about
mid-day of the 30th, brought close on twelve hun-
dred volunteers under arms in three or four hours to
preserve the city's peace and to guard the exhibition
buildings which had to be used as hospitals.
The Canadian militia is a force, which the more is
seen the more there is to be proud of. In time of
quiet it costs little, gives no anxiety and loses no
industry to the country. In time of trouble it does
all that regular troops could do and even more. The
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same night, as if invigorated by the spirit of the civic
chief, the police did their duty and did it weU« The
Royal Scots received orders to remain on duty all
night, which was passed very quiet and returned
to break- fast at six in the morning. There was no
reason to predict further trouble than had occured to
relieve the monotony of the vigils kept by the guards
during the week of October the 7th, but the strictest
vigilance was maintained. Until ten o'clock on the
night of this day nothing had occurred beyond the
relief of sentries, the visits of rounds men and the lusty
chorus appreciated by only those who have slept in
a military camp, as the watchful sentries passed the
assuring " alls well" round the lines, but a quarter of
an hour later the alarm was given and the necessity
of maintening guard at the Fair buildings was being
demonstrated.
26
Trutnpter Browning, and Carp. Drjsfllale were the
cavalry videttes on patrol duty outside the grounds ;
and observed a crowd of eighty or a hundred men
approaching noisily across the fidds towards Wise-
mans comer. Here they formed a juncture with
another crowd and the whole, numbering probably
some four hundred, proceeded along Mount Royal
towards the Exhibition grounds. The troopers advan-
ced to the end of their beat, nearest the crowd, and
chalenged them, receiving in reply the information
that the crowd was on its way to the Cote-des-neiges
road. The troopers replied that their orders were to
prevent any crowd from passing in front of the Exhi-
bition grounds, and added that they could not
pass. At this, the crowd with a yell made a rush at
the two cavalry men, and stones at the same time
were sent whizzing through the air. The patrol was
driven back to the gate by sheer weight and both
men were wounded by the stones. The sentries at
the gates called out the guard at the first appearance
of the crowd and as they advanced the detachment
off duty fell ii). Strict orders were given to the men
on no account to load. The support of the cavalry
detachment was • also got under arms and
mounted and galloped down to the gate in
support of their patrol. The detachment was in charge
of Sergt. W. Thompson, and as the men were leaving
the gate, Major Atkinson threw in his lot with
them and formed the eleven troopers up in line
across the road. A charge was then ordered, and the
27
mob dispersed with amazing agility before the earnest
soldier.
Throughout the night of the 8th, perfect quiet rei-
gned on and about the Exhibition grounds. At eight
o'clock sixty men of the Prince of Wales Battallion
under command of Major Butler, relieved the Garri-
son Artillery. On their way home the latter marched
by St. Lawrence street through the very heart of St.
Jean-Baptiste village and not a sign of hostility on
the part of the residents was anywhere noticeable.
Objections were hereafter unheard of from the une-
ducated portion of the City, they realized that they
must submit to a wiser and stronger power.
And so the weary days dragged themselves along;
another month passes and we find ourselves in the
month of November ; congratulations are the order of
the day. So much has smallpox relaxed its grasp
on the city of Montreal that now less than half the
victims slain every day in October are entered on
the bills of mortality. But Montreal will never be
free from danger while contagion lingers in its suburbs
nor can we expect Montreal to revive until they can
show a clean bill of health. Among that partion of
the city which has accepted the protection of vacci-
nation well-nigh perfect immunity from the epidemic
has been enjoyed. Here and there still lingers a reluc-
tant minority who will not vaccinate, and who there-
fore will, if neglected, keep the pestilence smoulde-
ring away indiffinitely. The practitioners whose
careless operations in the past years have prejudiced
people against vaccination have much to answer for.
28
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We have been laboriously bailing the water out of
our boat instead of stopping the leak, with all the
loss ever attending cure as against prevention. All
the costly and enormously troublesome means of
isolation, the hospitals with their ambulances, the
29
guards around infected houses, all these but measure
the extent to which safe and certain prevention has
been neglected or opposed. Although the disease is
checked, there are so many centres of contagion and
so many people remaining unvaccinated, that the
disease may b^in again with renewed violence. A
curious fact about the scourge is its absolute restric-
tion to unvaccinated portions of the city. This and
the facts that from the first its ravages have been lar-
gely confined to young children, must impress my
readers in addition to the rcstrictedness of the small-
pox area and its easy avoidance. While these
facts are encouraging they have not lead to any
relaxation of effort Vigilence and energy are being
practised n«w as ever.
December finds the city under controle, and the
mortality greatly diminished, in fact the epidemic
stopped. Now that it is over, we can look over the
situation with the same glasses that other cities see
us through. The large employers of labor in Montreal
have struggled manfully with the smallpox difficulty.
A few even now talk feebly about the damage which
publicity has done to trade, but the majority realize
that the only way to minimize the bad effects of that
intelligence upon the trade of the city, is by giving
equal publicity to the fact that the people of Mon-
treal, rich and poor, employers and employees have
worked actively to stamp out the disease. Perhaps
' the cost of this epidemic direct and indirect to the
business men of Montreal will wake them up to the
necessity of sanitary reform in that city, and perhaps
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a large i^easure of success in fighting the smallpox
will encourage them to fight other contagious diseases
which are harder to control than that disease. The
death rate of Montreal in ordinary seasons proves
that there are serious shortcomings somewhere, and
at this time it is opportune to find out where they
31
are. A committee composed of the best available
men in the city council is needed, which can resolve
itself into sub-committees, and take every civic sani-
tary shortcoming in hand and remedy it intelligently.
The present staff of the Health department is in-
adequate for the demands of city like this, with two
hundred tTiousand people and the city in such poor
sanitary conditions. The health officer, his two assis-
tants, the sanitary inspector, two or three clerks and
half a dozen sanitary policemen, do these even with
the assistance of the chairman of the board of health
constitute a sufficient staff ? No; and we should not
be content with it, they are doing all intheirpower
but that is not sufficient ; a reform must and will be
had. A case of smallpox in Montreal seems to create
almost as much alarm in the city of New-York as a
case in that city itself. Dr. J. B. Taylor of the New-
York board of Health in speaking to the Tribune
reporter said "Montreal is the hot bed of smallpox in
this country," and he went on to attribute this to the
violent opposition to vaccination met with in that
city. We cannot deny the fact that one case of
smallpox in Montreal is an infinitely more alarming
thing than one case in New- York or London, not-
withstanding that in each of those cities there is a
larger and more heterogenous population than Mon-
treal. Although London has cases of smallpox
continually, no one is alarmed, and recently there
were as many as ten deaths from smallpox in one
week ; but in London vaccination is a rule rather
than an exception, and they do not wait for an epide-
32
mic, to commence vaccinating ; there the disease is
largely under control ; were this most contagious of
diseases to meet with the same conditions in the over
crowded slums of London that it now meets in Mon-
treal, the appearence of a single case in London
might well alarm the whole civilized world, might
well be regarded as the harbinger of a truely appal-
ling disaster.
The grandest and most enterprising cities
in the world are not exempt from smallpox.
Yet other cities point the finger of scorn at Montreal
for the reason that this disease is universally recogni-
zed as the most preventable of contagious diseases,
and outsiders cannot understand why that city should
be willing to expose itself to repeated attacks of a
deadly foe whom they might control if they would,
to expose their trade to crushing desaster, to allow
their fair city to be pointed out as the " hotbed of
smallpox." All over the continent people has r^ar-
ded Montreal as a place to be avoided and even to
be communicated with as little as possible ; the effect
of this boycotting is felt upon the trade; had it conti-
nued much longer we shudder to think of the result.
The cy is paying a heavy penalty, as we know of
ships refusing to come to Montreal for fear of being
subjected to guarantine regulations on reaching the
other side. Of excursions to Montreal abandoned,
of Montreal commercial travellers having their sam-
ples returned to them unopened. We are aware of
the city being discussed all over the continent as a
horrible example of sanitary n^lect ; we can unders-
83
tand the feelings of the good people who nervously
deprecate the " scare " that has been created by the
epidemic, and stimulated by the unusual publicity
given to the prepress of the disease. It is true that
Montreal has never been so badly scared by an epi-
demic as this. Some say the scare was worse than
the disease. My opinion is that this epidemic is one
of the best things that could occur to Montreal, who
has for years been living in defiance of all natural
laws, and now that the inevitable result has come, it
would be more than useless to attempt to belittle the
penalty Montreal is now paying. Fortunately the sani-
tary matters had been placed in better hands or the
city would indeed have been in a bad plight. Even
when free from epidemics, the city has an extraordi-
nary high death rate, but business men agree that it
does not scare business, providing it is steady away
from the city like an epidemic. It is useless for
Montreal to cry over spilt milk, it aught to know by
this time that it cannot defy natures laws with impu-
nity, and knowing this, the sooner the people com-
mence to live in obedience to those laws the better
for both commerce and society. This last experien-
ce is, we think, sufficient for the commercial men of
Montreal. They will labor not only to make epide-
mics and " scares " impossible for the future, but to
make the city healthy generally. They needed awa-
kening upon this subject and if the awakening has
been rough it has been thorough. When the small-
pox was silently and surely progressing, the city
councel did nothing ; it was aware of its progress but
84
paid no heed to its growing danger ; it adjourned for
the summer at the time that the danger was such
that it could be fairlyunderstood, it remained adjour-
ned while the deaths amounted into scores, and until
the press was forced to take up the matter. Montreal
will come out of this crisis a better and more respec-
ted city, with the stain of 1872-1880 and of its late
dilatoriness entirely removed.