Here's a summary paragraph regarding smallpox from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site: "Thousands of years ago, variola virus (smallpox virus) emerged and began causing illness and deaths in human populations, with smallpox outbreaks occurring from time to time. Thanks to the success of vaccination, the last natural outbreak of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949. In 1980, the World Health Assembly declared smallpox eradicated (eliminated), and no cases of naturally occurring smallpox have happened since."
As 1882 dawned in Chariton, that "last natural outbreak" was nearly 70 years in the future and Lucas Countyans were becoming increasingly concerned about reports of cases in nearby towns --- particularly one that had occurred during December 1881 in Keokuk. There also had been a major outbreak in Chicago.
Vaccination against smallpox had been available for decades but was far from universal and one of the prevailing theories of the day in 1881 was that railroad passengers were carrying the virus from city to city. As a result, the C.B.&Q. Railroad company issued a mandatory vaccination order for its employees that affected Chariton, at the time a railroad hub and home to many C.B.&Q. employees.
Here's how the Chariton Democrat of Jan. 5, 1882, reported the situation: "Dr. Gibbon (upper left) is doing a land-office business in the line of vaccination at present. An order has been issued by the C.B.&Q. railroad company to its employees, regarding those who have not already had the operation performed to repair to the office of one of its physicians and have the matter attended to. Most of the employees who have their headquarters here have already called on the doctor, and had the nice little punctures made in their arms. It would be a good idea for those of our citizens who are not properly protected to have the matter of vaccination attended to at once. The disease is abroad in the land, and no one knows how soon it may make its appearance in Chariton."
As nearly as I could determine, using newspaper files as reference, there were no confirmed cases of smallpox in Lucas County during 1881 or 1882 --- but whether or not the C.B.&Q. mandate had anything to do with that I cannot say.
"Dr. Gibbon" was William H. Gibbon (1832-1895), among Lucas County's most widely known physicians of the latter half of the 19th century, kept on retainer by the C.B.&Q. to deal with the health concerns of its employees. He had returned to Chariton after service as a Civil War surgeon and built as his headquarters the two-story building on the northwest corner of the square that currently houses half the Iowa Realty storefront.
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