not use their influence to secure the vaccination of their entire personnel, beginning with the President and going down to the day laborer. The companies possess ample power to secure this, and many of the roads have already issued orders to such effect. Very respectfully, JOHN H. RAUCH. CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND AND PACIFIC RAILWAY. OFFICE OF SURGEON-IN-CHIEF, DAVENPORT, IA., December 30, 1880. TO ALL EMPLOYES. Since the Boards of Health of the different States, in which the lines of this road are located, believe that small-pox is interrupting travel, and otherwise prejudicing the health and lives of the citizens, and that immunity from the disease may be enjoyed, it is deemed best for all railway employés to be vaccinated. You will therefore, within thirty days from the date of this order, be vaccinated. In those cases where vaccination has been performed, but not within a year, re-vaccination is required. All officers in charge of men will see that this requirement is strictly enforced, and any refusal to comply with its provisions must at once be reported to the General Superintendent. A. KIMBALL, General Sup't. R. H. CHAMBERLAIN, W. F. PECK, Surgeon-in Chief. THE LAKE SHORE AND MICHIGAN SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY. CLEVELAND, O., November 29, 1881. John H. Rauch, M. D., Secretary Illinois State Board of Health, Springfield, Illinois: MY DEAR SIR: Please find enclosed circular to all employés of this railway, in regard to the necessity of vaccination, which was issued in accordance with suggestions contained in your communication of November 12th. Yours truly, P. P. WRIGHT, (Circular.) THE LAKE SHORE AND MICHIGAN SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY. To all Employés: CLEVELAND, November 26, 1881. The ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH communicates the fact that in several instances during the past year, the only cases of smallpox in certain localities have been among railroad employés, and as train men are especially liable to contract the disease, from their necessary exposure and contact with passengers, which, during the present heavy immigration movement, is greatly increased, the management earnestly recommends and urges upon you the desirability of prompt vaccination or re-vaccination, as the case may be, as a measure of protection for yourselves, families and those with whom you are associated. P. P. WRIGHT, General Superintendent. CHICAGO AND ALTON RAILROAD COMPANY. OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, CHICAGO, November 19, 1881. John H. Rauch, M. D., Secretary State Board of Health, Springfield, Illinois: DEAR SIR: I have received your letters of the 12th and 14th inst. We have no authority to compel "vaccination or re-vaccination of the entire personnel" of our road, as requested. We can do little more than to advise the men in our employ. The passengers on our trains are nearly all first-class, and so far as I can learn there never has been a case of small-pox among men employed on our trains. While the officers of the company fully recognize the importance of complying with your request, long exemption from the disease will probably make it difficult to convince our men of the necessity for doing so. This company has but few passenger coaches which are run continuously more than twelve or thirteen hours, those run between Chicago and Kansas City, only; and, as you are doubtless well aware, the public always indicate a decided preference for through cars. I fear it will be difficult to induce the traveling public to accept a change. This company is doing all in its power to ventilate and keep its passenger cars clean, and desires to co-operate with your BOARD in all sanitary measures on its line. Yours truly, T. B. BLACKSTONE, President. ST. LOUIS, ALTON AND TERRE HAUTE RAILROAD COMPANY. GENERAL OFFICE, No. 104 NORTH FOURTH ST., John H. Rauch, M. D., Secretary, Springfield, Ill.: DEAR SIR Referring to your circulars of the 12th and 14th, will state that this company will cheerfully co-operate in any measures adopted or suggested by your BOARD to promote the public health, but, as there is very little foreign immigration passing over our line, we are not subject to the dangers incident to East and West lines. Yours truly, GEO. W. BARKER, General Manager. CHICAGO AND EASTERN ILLINOIS RAILROAD COMPANY. OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, John H. Rauch, M. D., Secretary Illinois State Board of Health, Spring- Your communication of the 12th inst., addressed to F. W. Huidekoper, our President, has been referred to me, and I have issued a circular to all our employés, directing their immediate attention to vaccination, on account of the prevalence of smallрох. Although there were some cases on our line last year, I do not know of a single case now, except in Chicago, but I will cheerfully co-operate in all measures to prevent its spread in our vicinity. Yours respectfully, O. S. LYFORD, Superintendent. ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEAR SIR: At the last quarterly meeting of the ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, the enclosed preamble and resolution were unanimously adopted. Since that time, the increasing spread of small-pox has emphasized the necessity for the action therein indicated. It is admitted that railroad authorities do, in their own interest, exert such effort as to them may seem necessary and practicable to prevent avoidable sickness and loss of life. The question remains: Can such effort be made more efficient and less onerous by concert of action-by a well-considered code of sanitary rules and regulations by the assistance of State and local health authorities? In the present emergency the answer must, undoubtedly, be in the affirmative. There is abundant proof of the agency of railway communication in spreading small-pox; 1, by the transportation of infected passengers, mainly immigrant, and their baggage; and 2, through unprotected railway employés. With the first, of course, the companies cannot deal unassisted, but the second evil is largely, if not entirely, under their control. As an illustration of other evils which it is sought to remedy may be cited the long through runs of passenger coaches without change. From a sanitary standpoint, no car-whether immigrant, passenger, parlor or sleeping coach-should be occupied continuously more than a given number of hours, depending upon the character of the car, its occupants and the season of the year. At the end of, say twelve hours in winter, a crowded immigrant car is often simply a hot-bed for the rapid propagation and diffusion of any contagious or infectious disease which may exist among its occupants. To a certain extent, differing mainly in degree, this is also true of the best appointed first-class passenger car, parlor or sleeping car. While this is true, the difficulty of inducing the traveling public to accept the change indicated is fully recognized. And yet sanitary authorities are agreed as to its importance on the score of health. Whether short runs are more or less desirable, on economic grounds, is a question for the railway expert to answer. It is believed that a study of the information you can furnish on these and kindred points may be productive of benefit both to the railways and to the public. [Enclosure.] EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETING OF THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 29-30, 1881. Drs. Clark, McLean and Bateman, the committee to which had been referred a paper by the Secretary on the subject of Railroad Sanitation, offered the following preamble and resolution, which were adopted: WHEREAS, It is believed that the health interests of the public may be promoted by the assistance of the Board in certain measures connected wilh the sanitary administration of the railway service in Illinois, to which end an interchange of ideas and information is necessary; therefore, be it Resolved, That the Secretary be instructed to communicate with the managing authorities of the various railroad lines in this State for the purpose of ascertaining the details of existing methods and agencies employed by such lines; (1.) in the conservation of the health and lives of passengers of different classes: (2.) in the prevention of the spread of contagious or infectious diseases; (3) in the hygienic and sanitary supervision of employés; and (4) in the care and policing of depots, offices, buildings and grounds-the information thus acquired to be made the basis of such action or recommendation by this Board as the facts may demonstrate to be necessary or advisable in the direction of co-operation with railroad authorities and the sanitary education of the traveling public. [Replies to the Foregoing.] CHICAGO, BURLINGTON AND QUINCY RAILROAD COMPANY. CHICAGO, ILL., November 28, 1881. John H. Rauch, M. D., Secretary Illinois Board of Health, Springfield, Illinois: DEAR SIR: Yours of November 12th and 14th to C. E. Perkins, President, were referred to this office, and have been carefully considered. The suggestions made are regarded as in a good direction, and we have taken steps to have all employés upon passenger trains vaccinated. Regarding change of passenger coaches upon any continuous trip, there are undoubted arguments against such practice, aside from the delay, inconvenience and expense attending it. During the summer season train-men can and should see that the air in cars is kept constantly changing and pure. With the present construction of most passenger cars, by care this can also be done to a reasonable extent in cold weather. A transfer of passengers is necessarily attended with some exposure to the weather, and, with the class of passengers in question, creates considerable bustle and excitement. At such inclement season as renders complete ventilation difficult the greatest care on the part of the company's employés will not prevent exposure to children especially, that will be very trying to them in their tired and excited condition, undoubtedly rendering them more liable to the attack of disease, than while quietly continuing their journey. Such passengers, too, as a rule, secure their several locations in the car, and retain them to the journey's end. In case of transfer to other cars, they would probably be thrown in close proximity with entirely other passengers, somewhat increasing the facilities for spreading contagious diseases. |