Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-05-09

L
STONE to DR.. BOYLE, relative to the recent sick
ness at the National Hotel, has been obtained and
submitted to us for publication by the Secretary of
the Board of Health of this city, in compliance
with resolution adopted by the Board at its meet
ing on Monday last. The Letter scontains much
scientific and some other Information on the subject
to which it refels that will be new to most of our
readers.
WASHINGTON APRIL 10, 1857.
DIR. CORNELIUS BOYLE:
Ny DEAR Sin: In answer to your queries concerning
the endemic disease the National HOTEL have
that my observations limited to but cases. and
these yielded to the simplest anodyne treatment.
Although member of the Board of Health, was not
one of the Investigating Committee :; yet at previous
meeting of the Board distinctly indicated to them that
probably the sewerage of the hotel at fault One of
the proprieors called upon before had heard of the
existing disease and after the most careful questioning,
could learn nothing from him but that Of the
closets had exploded hen lighted paper accidentally
cast into It, He then gave the of the persons
who purveyed for the hotel which showed that the food
used was the that furnished for the tables of
large proportion of this community. The drinking
supplied to the house analysed aad with other
results than that there slight of saline
ingredients. If the fault here, why were not you
and the thousands in that vicinity who used the
water daily similarly affected? You know, however, that
there were no cases outside of the house.
The Board of Health informed that the sewerage
of the hotel not perfect and the fall to the canal
into which it drained, very trifing. The intensity
of cold during the past winter almost unprecedent
ed, and the canal into which the emped al
most frozen solid 1t must be remembered that if the
main or Corporation 6ewer perfectly peryious, still
the private sewer, which had so Little fall probably
not Of this, though must judge from the effects
This disease, learn, began during the intense cold
weather, in house which always has been thought to
be badly ventilated and if you remember all the paz
which surround its courtyard were tightly closed
with Clac M onla ofad
and it every endeayor made to she any
noise in regard to the matter every supposed that
the affair was but of temporary character The Board
of Health, however informed and learned that
peculiar darrhea did exist and that it the de-
cline The attempt then made to attribute the malady
to the spring water used promptly repudiaed
by the Board and its opinion inclined to the imper
foot ventilation and sewerage The members of the Board
for that Ward visited the premises according to their
obligation. At this time the weather moderated, the
house was well ventilated and of offensive
noxious exhalaton could then be found subsequent
visit of the Commissioner of Health led the
suit; and therefore card published stating that,
after careful examination Of the premises, local
| cause of danger manifest.
The intense cold weather returned and with ii in
crease of the maady and its reapses The Board be-
came alarmed, and at appointed committee, con-
ssting of its President w. p Johnston, Md, Charles
F. Force NJ D. Commissioner of Health, and Charles L.
Coman, Esq, of most practical and influential
citizens, and most deeply interested in the welfare of
| city where he has much at stake. This committee
ordered to inspect the premises thoroughly and take
testimony. This they did do, and with the greatest
promptude account of the great anxiety of the pub
lie mind. The testimony taken before Them well
the examinations made induced them to reiterate the
opinion that they believed the malady to be due to i'm
perfect sewerage. The waste water drains and those
from the privies emptied into a sewer which, from its
trihing fall and the want of stencil trap the pre-
misses, cast the noxious exhalaons from the offensive
matters into the house. and especially at night,
when there was less ventilation and motion in it. Nu
merous witnesses examined to the mode of their
attack &c., and it was found that had suffered who
had neither eaten nor drank in the house The cooks
violently attacked and with relapses of the greatest
severity. Mr. Gaultier, the chief cook who prepared
the whole Of his private food appears have been the
greatest sufferer of all The servants of the house
constantly SICK that the attendance the sick guests
was n tessarily bad
On carefully inspecting the premises of the in
vestigatng COMMITTEES were rendered sick by the smell
which contained "ho-air register long unused
and which communicated with the cellar Whilst attend
ing patient there for another disease had noticed
very offensive putrd odor in portions of the house
Of course before the committee paid their sanitary visit
to the premises preparation could have been easily made
to cleanse and the house. and therefore any
healthy or filthy condition be removed informed
that during the cold weather water closet above the
pantry (which between the ordinares) had over
flowed, and the said pantry exceedingly offensive.
was also Informed that the closet used by the male
wants OF the house had been in most disgusting condi
ton during the severe weather The exhaations from
this cause, was told could also reach the pantry.
An examination of the sewerage made by Mr. J.
l. Ferry practical builder who witnessed with
the committee that stream of fed gas poured from the
sewer into the house with sufficient force to almost extn-
guish lighted candle Having learned that he and his
workmen had been sick in consequence of his nvestiga
uons &C., called upon him for statement, which is
j as follows:
WASHINGTON, March 80, 1857
oR In answer to your inquiry relative the rumored
sickness OF myself and the employ the National
Hotel would say that have all been slightly affected
With myself the attack first febeness and then diar
rhna My lourneyman had diarrha but complained
nauseaed stomach, gddiness inclination to vomt One
OF my laborers had seyerer darrha probably eight
calls In the course Of day. Respectfully, yours,
DR.. koB'T hNG STONE. JAS. 7. Ferry.
Perhaps no amount of scientific argument could con-
vey stronger impression to the public mind than the
ABOVE pointed response to my query. Let imagine,
then current OF fetd gas passing into sleeping rooms
which was sufficient in volume to almost extinguish
lighted candle and then, too sufficiently intense even
In the open air. to make robust builders sick You
know now much more prone are to the effects of at
mospherc poison at night and especially when asleep
Experience in cholera in bilious and intermittent fevers
has long since made this unquestionabe matter NAV
no aiso question be raised to the effects of putrd
cxhasuons on food and meats exposed to the mingled
euva from the decomposition of animal and vegetable
organic matter IN the Of vast hotel in which the
exerea OF so many hundred individuals are daily yoded
will IN few moments dwell upon the character
exhalations from putrjd matter.
70 resume, then when the weather cold and the de-
bouchement Of this sewer, with bad fall probably
Frozen in or the CANAL the disease its height
When there thaw land the weather 5s:s the
house well ventilated and the maady de
cned IN remarkable manner. Inn renewal of the
intense cold the malady rSpeared with violence,
you know. The investigations of the committee showed
that the food was pecty under the control of the cooks
~. afoo{ a.