Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-07-16
THE NATIONAL HOTEL ENDEMIC.
Report OF the New York Academy

of the New York Academy of Medicine. and
accepted. The subject was again referred TO
the section who are To continue their inuuiries
Inc section OF the New York Academy of
Medicine on Theory and Practice and Medical
Pathology, respectfully report:
mat the paper by DIR. Wynne, referred to
them, IN relation To the late endemic at the
National Hotel in Washington together with
accompanying documents on the same tonic,
nave occupied two several meetings of the Sec
ton.
AT the first meeting the author of the paper
being present by invitation, was heard; and the
testimony Of members Of the section who had
professionally attended any Of the sufferers by
the endemic, was received touching the symp-
toms and treatment. Letters were read from
DTS stone Hall, and others, and a free inter-
change OF opinion was had. without reaching
any very definite conclusions in the absence OF
the full history of all the facts and pathological
information as to the fatal cases which are re-
ported; in both of which respects we are TO n
great extent without precise and ADEQUATE
knowledge Hence the section adjourned and
reaSSembled for still further consultation after
time should be allowed for reflection. and for
any further developments. The subject was
men discussed in all its bearings and in view
OF all the light which has been cast upon il from
every source.
Remarks were made, first upon the topo-
graPhy OF the locality and its SURROUNDINGS.
VIZ: The National Hotel within which il first
appeared, and to which every known case is
aSerlOed Its sewers and their traps-its cess
pools, sinks, wateT-clOsets and their several
eondults Tor the removal of the Offal &c, from
the premises. were all inquired into as set forth
IN the documents before us. and rs derived
from the Personal knowledge of the medical
men present.
Ihe questions submitted being how far the
violation oi sanitary laws in these structures.
and their condition during the cold weather Of
ihe last winter, would authorise the belief that
an emuvla OF noxIous gases from these sources
might impair the health of the inmates and
generate poisonous atmosphere which would
oe adequate to the generation of disease
90 lar ds the opinion Of the section was ex-
pressed, the affirmative OF this latter theory
appeared to be generally assented to which il
oeileyed to correspond with the views taken by
the ashIngtOn Board of Health and most of
the physicians on the spot, who have the best
opportunities for forming a correct Judgment
2 1he second inquiry was whether the symp-
tOmatOlOgy Of the disease, as described by all
the medical observers, and which seems to have
been slngularly uniform, presents any pecu-
llArlty requiring the presence of any other or
more pOtont morbid cause than is to be found
In the foul air, which, as il is proved pervaded
In greater or less degree, the entire building
anu WElcn IN some Of It's apartments was intOl-
erably offensive, and beyond relief by the ordi-
nary and available means Of ventilation, espe-
clalIy IN the sleeping rooms of the inmates
1he prevailing judgment of the section
seemed TO regard such foul air and noxious
et1uyIa to be fully adequate to the production
ol all the symptoms described modified as the
disease was by febrle indications and periodi-
cal remlSSlonr, excerbations and relapses in
many cases pointing to the miasmatic climate
oi the locality "a contributing to its aggravation
b. .: The next topic of consideration was the
or possibility of the endemic having
arisen from any animal, vegetable or mineral
poison, as has been suggested, having been min
-sgled with any articles of food or drink used by
the guests at the hotel, either by accident or
design.
81 The section. after full discussion, seemed to
concur IN the opinion that no poisonous article
rffon either Kingdom of nature would have pro-
sdu>ed all the group of symptoms which so uni
: nrnly characterized the cases and certainly
Il TastsSithOut involving the stomach itself in more
sernIs mischief than is alleged to have been
present In any case.
o. These several topics having been thus dis
posed OF. a full expression of opinion on the
\ IHnee subject was called out from the chairman
and from each member Of the sc ton; which
seemed IN result III entire unanimity of views :;
n Ehereupon tie undersigned were appointed by
inc section to prepare minute of these general
opinions, To- be submitted To the Academy at its
next meeting not as assuming to decide upon
those branches OF the inquiry which relate To
the chemical microSco2ical and path ologicll in
Nesi!sdtloas yet 10 be made, and which may
> possibly throw new light upon this dark subject
but opinions based on all the information NJ
present available and which NAV require essen
tIal modification from future dcvelopnents
W Ith this qualification, we unite in the belief
that the source ot the epidemic in the National
Hotel, at Washington, was solely poisonous
: atmosphere. probably engendered in the recep-
> tacles for ofa and other filth under the buiId-
IL al aI int -. L.
having been UbStructed by ice, or otherwise by
neglect, until the accumulation Of foul air and
noxlOus gases involved the atmosphere in and
around the building. and, as in other cases Of
nalarIal exhalation, severely and dangerously
affecting its inmates.
This foul air we regard as the one c01,glgg
CTHSS. which exposed all who inhaled it to a
prelispOsiti0n To the malady, which itself was
mOdlhedin individual cases by previous health
and developed with greater or less pronptness
and severity by excesses, or indscretions in
diet, drinks, exposure, dc, either Of which
might have been harmicssly indGlge1 but for
the universal predi.position induced by the at-
mOspheTlc poison. And in like manner, even
the predI<pOstlOn. a5 in other cases was not
followed by an attack in all such. because no
exciting cause was applied Of sufficient potency.
And. again, many who received this prctlispo-
sItlon had no symptom Of the malady until days
or weeks after they had left the atmosphere of
Washington and returned to their homes Then,
under some exciting cause the disease was de-
veloped, their predIsposition having remained
latent meanwhile. These cases have been suG-
hcIently numerous all over the country, and So
well characterized a. to be identified as Origi-
mating at Washington by unequivocal pathog
nOmc symptoms.
Finally, this view of the subject appears to
Us 10 explain many of the circumstances re-
ported by authority as marking the endemic
and which are wholly inconsistent with any
theory ot mineral poison. For example, while
some persons slckenel after n single meal. or a
single drink taken at the bar, there were many
Others who ate, drank and slept exclusively ia
the hotel, throughout the whole endemic. with
out single symptom. There were, besides
numbers who suffered an attack who neither
ate nor drank in the house, but only visited it,
or mayhap slept there. Yet it is remarkable
that no case of the disease is alleged 10y any
body in which the patient hal not been in the
hotel and inhaled its Hence this common