Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-05-26
From the National lntelligencer


From the National Intelligencer
NATIONAL HOTEL SICKNESS.
The subioined highly interesting letter from Dr.
SrosE to Dr. BOYLE, relative To the recent sickness
at the National Hotel, has been obtained aud sub
United to iIr publication by the Secretary OF the
Board of Health of this city, in compliance with r
resolution adopted by the Board at its meeting on
Monday last The letter contains much scientific
and some other information on the subject 10 which
it refers that will BIZ TO most of our readers.
WAsIISGToS, APRIL ~, 1857.
Dr. CORNELIUS BOYLE:
My DEAR SIR: In answer to your queries concern
ing the endemic disease nj the National Hotel. have
70 state that my observations were limited To but
two cases. and these yielded to the simplest anodyne
treatment.
Although member of the Board of HEALTH was
not one of the "Ipvestigang Committee :; yet, at Il
previous meeting OF the Board,l distinctly Indicated
10 them that probably the sewerage OF the hotel was
! At fault. One ofthe prOpretors called upon me be-
fure had heard of the existing disease, aud after
The most careful questioning, could learn noihing
from him but that one OF The pd,er.c0scs hat 'rplo
dcd rhen lighted paper wds accidentally cast into H.
He then gave me the names OF the persons who
puryeyed for the hotel, which showed that the TODD
used was the same that furnished for the tables Of
large proportion of this community. The drinking
lraisy supplied 10 the house was analysed, and with
no other results than that there was aome slight
cess of saline ingredients. If the fault was here
why were not you and the thousands in that vicinity
You know, however that there were no cases outside
of the house.
The Board Of Health wea informed that ths sewer.
age of the hotel not perfect, and the fall to the
canal into which it drained, was very tritiOg. Tbs
intensity of cold during the past winter was amos,
unprecedented, and TIE canal into which the sewers
enp,ied was almost frozen solid. II must be- remem
bered that if the Corporation sewer was per.
fectly pervious, still the private sewer which had 20
little ia was probably not co. Or this, though we
must Judge from the effects.
This disease, learn, began during the intense cold
| weather, in Il house which always has been thought
TO be badly ventilated, md it you remember all the
piazzas which surround the courtyard were tightly
| closed with glass. NJ particular alarm was at first
created and it even seems every endeavor was made
to she any noise in regard TO the matter, as every
one supposed that the affair was but OF temporary
character. The Board OF Health, however, was in
formed end learned that peculiar diarrhna did exist
and that il was on the decline. Inc attempt then
mazda TO attribute the malady to the spring water used
WAS mos. promptly repudlaed by the Board, aud lis
opinion was incIiued TO the imperfect ventilation aud
sewerage The members Of the Board for that Ward
visited the premises, according 10 thrir obligation
At this tim. the weather moderated, the house was
we'll ventilated, and Of offensive or no1ouE
| exbalstion could then be found. subsequent visit
of the Commissioner OF Health led TO the same result
and therefore card was published stating that after
careful examination OF The premises no IocHl cause
! of danger was manifest.
The intense cold weather returned and with it an
increase of The malady and its relapses The Board
| became alarmed, and at once appointed committee
| consisting of it's President, w. p. Johnston NJ d.,
Charles f. Force, NJ. D., Commissioner of Health,
| aud Charles l.. Cotmsn, Esq, one Of our most prac
tcal and influential citizens, and most deeply int
rested in the welfare OF city where he has So much
al stake. This committee was ordered to inspect the
prernises thoroughly, and take testimony. This they
did do and with the greatest prompttude, on account
of the great anxiety Of the public mind The test-
mony taken before them, as well as the examinations
made induced them to reerate the opinion thatfhey
believed the maady to be due TO imperfect sewerage
The waste water drains and those from the prvies
emitted into sewer, which, from lie trug tall aud
the want OF stench trap on the premises, cast the
uoxious exhaations from the offensive matters INTO
the house. and more especially at night when there
| was less ventilation and motion in IT, Numerous
witnesses we're examined as 10 the mode OF their al
tack Sc, and it Was found that some had suffered
who had neither eaten nor drank IN the house. Inc
cooks were violently attacked, and with relapses o'
the greatest severity. MIR. Gauliier, the chiei coax
who prepared the whole of his private food appears
to have been the greatest sufferer Of all The ser
wants Of the house were constantly ecK' so tna' Tue
attendance on the sick guests WAS necessarily oad:
On carefully inspecting the premises some OF the IN
| vestig eating committee were rendered SICK py the
ans. in certain portions OF the house, and more espe
ciay 10 room which contained a "bot.alr register
long unused, and which communicated with the Gel
lar Whilst attending patient there for an9tner us
ease had noticed very offensive or putrld door III
portions of the house. Ofcourss before the comm I.
tee Maid their sanitary visit to the premises prepare.
ton could have been easily made 10 c!eanse anu
| sweeten the house, and therefore any unhealthy or
filthy condition be removed "as informed 'Iet uu.
rnc the cold weather water closet above the pantry
(which was between the ordnariesl had overnoWed,
and the said pantry was exceedingly offensive was
also informed that the closet used by the Dale ser
wants of the house had been In most als2usig con
dillon during the severe weather. The eIhaiatlons
from this cause was told could also reach the PAN
try -,do nv Mr.
J. T. Ferry, practical sever ouiiner VINO "ltesseI
with the committee that stream OF fstid gas poured
from the sewer into the house with sufficient orce 10
almost extineush lighted candle. Having learned
that he and his workmen had been sick in consequences
of his Investigations &C., called upon hlmtor state
ment, which is as follows:
"WAsHIyGroS, March 80, 1857.
"SIR:-Iu answer to your inquiry relative TO the
rumored sickness Of myself and the men IN my en-
ploy at the National Hotel would say tnat we nave
| all been slightly affected. Win myself inc a'!'ck
was first feebleness and then diarrhes. My jour
neymau had no darrbas. but complained OF nausea
ted stomach giddiness, and inclination 10 vomlt.-
One of my laborers had severe diarrhea, prooaoiy
six or eight calls in the course OF a day.:
"Respectfny yours, JAS. l. fhnNf'
"DR. RoBT. HING Stone.
Perhaps no amount of scientific argument could
convey stronger impression tn the public MINI than
the above pointed response to my query Lei us
imagine then, a current of 'Gtid gas passing INTO
sleeping rooms which was sufficient In volume 10 d.
most extinguish lighted candle; and them TOO SUI
tceuty intense even in the open mir, TO make robust
sewer builders sick. You know how mucn more
prone we are to the effects OF atmospheric poison al
night, and especially when asleep. Experience VI
cholera, in bilious and intermittent levers mas ons
since mace this an uuquestionabis matter May not,
also question be raised as 10 the efects OF putriu
exhaa'ions on food and meals, exposed 10 tne '''h
glsd efiuvia from the decomposition OF animal anu
| vegetable organic matter in the sewer oil Vast no
= ate nv
dua!s are daily vodedI will in few moments
dwell upon the character Of the exhalailons from pu
trid matter.
To resume, then: when the weather was cod ana
the Acknowledgement of this sewer, win pau 'a, "as
probably frozen, in or near the canal the disease
was at it. height. When there was thaw ana Inc
weather being warm) the house was well Venthateu'
aud consequently the maady declined IN feuia'h a"
BILE manner With renewal OF the intense co.u'
the malady reappeared with violence, as you KNOW.
The Investigations of the committee showed that the
food perfectly under the control OF inc COOKS
who we're the greatest sufferers and those VINO espe
ciaiy for the occasion prepared their own tooa' SUI
fered, perhaps, more than others Inc loou' w.
was shown to have como from well known PuL'ey
OTIS; the kitchen uteneis were proved to nave osen
Of most superior order; aud bow, then, can QUE
with these autecedents, iucliue 10 the opn,9n o III
| eral poisoning, especially when mapy snnsreo VINO
neither ate nor drank in the bc;se, Whilst some OF
those who did do were perfectly exempt rom oil
Ill eectsl The susceptibility Of persons 10 the et
hastioas from putrid decomposition IS very VariSai
many can live in the atmosphere eongen:al 10 tne
vulturs wi,Eout i'll effects, whilst ,ons WIN sens!,
tive ansn,ary canals instantly Frustrated WIN
diarrLosa and abdominal fever. remember 'na'
| my late distinguished friend, Robert VI. fotter, A.
D., Professor Of Anatomy in the University OF Nash
vile, Tennessee, could dissect with US IN inc
Ecole Pratque, in Paris without profuse diarrnea'
and he lately lost his most valued life from the IN
halation Of putrid poison 10 his lecture room. Ire
exhslaaons, which did not affect me or MS o'ner
friends, produced upon him the most e1hausung 81
fects Ny prosector in the Medical College here
was always similarly affected when his subject sp'
preached decomposition.