The New York herald., 1870-02-09
THE NEW CONTAGI0N.
Relapsny Fever and the Action Of the Board
Health in Relation to Its Suppression
An Ordinance Where and How
the Disease Is Found.

| The Sanitary Supe rintendent has just submitted
10 the Metropolitan Board OF Health the following
report IN relation to the new coutaglon known a.
| reapsing feyer:-
| The Metro solitan Board OF Health has deemed Il
necessary TO pr0mugate the following ordinance
coaeeralaK q kfld Oh Contagious disease winch mas
not been seen and known before III this city. Gren
! Importance II attached TO the prompt and general
compliance with the requirements OF tllS ordinance
because the infectious maiady to which tt relates
can te prevented from spreading II all The poor peo-
ole VINO suffer from II ana all tencmcnts 10 which il
prevails are reported without delay 10 the BOARD o
Heath for the Special sanitary care that is re-
qulred:-
II Is hereby declared be additional ordinance Of this
Board that iao disease snosn ~ ias re,aPns iever y
nature within the meaning Of the nneeensh section OF the
qoned to be- made in respect to said disease required
@ a o IN la
Though The reia sing fever has often been cpl
demic Great Britain ana various parts OF Nortn-
ern Europe II was hoped nat 1t might never prevail
IN the United States; but Delng here as IL now 49,
In i.s very commencement the medical pfoteSsion
with sucn aId the health laws give, can probably
restrain a adj eXternnate 1t. Wherever II has pre-
vailed Europe II has been epidemic scourgc to
overcrowded and badly led populations only. Its
presence Is not source OF public danger TO any
great extent except 10 such populatlons; anu there
Ii PROBABLY no other lever contaion known 10 medl-
cal men thet would be as readily and certainly con-
troiied and overcome this were 1t Practicable tor
physicians 10 point out ali OF relapsing fever
within i've or BLK days OF Its nrst symptoms in the
patent.
The dlrriculty and delay which might occur from
the failure OF physicians 70 recognize this variety OF
fever reooer II necessary that the Sanitary super
intendent snail receive from physicians who prac-
Lice among tnc poor especially daily returns con-
cernng whatever new cases of fever they see which,
IN their Jua2ment may probably prove to be Of the
KIND mentioned In the foregoing ordinance.
To aid physicians and other citizens IN their
efforts TO cooperate with the Board VI Health for the
timely Of The sick poor aad tneir1necsed apart
mentS, tile SUPERINTENDENT respectfully submits
following sfaIeInenls:-
Ftrst-Relapslng lever is not a pestence, but is
a debiliatng and pa1perlzlng disease, which, IN
almost all cases, sholld be treated ia hospital FIRST
because II Is very contagious fever ana because is
can be externinated by removing the sick aud pur-
tying their crowded teneinents; and second, be-
cause Is Is fever that al 1lrst, ana until II gains
great headWay, WIZ prevail aiinost exclusively IN IA
that class OF families aud tenemeDts which can afford
no means for proper medicat care. Therefore, the
sick with this lever wili with lew exceptions, be
removed TO tue special hospital whcn the ComRIis
scners or Public Charities nave assigned Tor treat.
ment OF TINS fever.
Second--rne symptoms and characteristics which
peculiar TO reiapsing fever Should be under
stood py every medical attendant upon the poor and
should De rlgiay inquired INTO in every case where
tins fever reasonably be suspected, SO 3S 10
the requisite sanitary care at an early period
Iii every case The following are the chief points
which aid tue physician ana tne medical o!cer OF
FIRST that tie onset oil the disease Is usually more
sudden and accompanied by more pain IN the mead
ana muscles tnan apt TO 0ccur at Iae beginning OF
other kinds OF fevers and that vomiting more ire
quenty occurs tnan IN common continued fevers.
Ihtrd-Ihat on the filth, siXtl or seventh day.
most frequently din New York the past two weeksl
upon the sixth, proluse perspirauoa and sudden
cessation OF the fever occur ana that alter period
OF ABOUT fourteen from tue first onset oil pain
and fever there suddenly occurs a relapse accom-
panied BY all the symptoms OF the first attack.
FO9trtiL-rhat III WDareyer apartment, be IT O cel-
lar bedroom or an ordinary living room, in winch
a case OF fever OF tas klnd has occurred some days
preyiously-say rom nine TO Aisecn days pre-
ordinary occupants and the frequent visitors
In tnas Apartment where the SICK person
this fever. % Tnis establishes group o Cases, and
similar groups ate multiplied and may be traced Ia
connection by the medical attendant wherever the
disease III prevailing. W tais characteristic and
proof of contagousness alone nearly every case that
wll hereafter occur IN New York can probably be
person undertakes the care OF . patient
rHS oHourisG OF PATIENTS AND sloX ROOM IN
FICTION.
No other disease thar have ever seen or invest
gated bears comparison with the relapsing lever
Tor the certainty Of communicating intecnon from
the sick to other persons IN the same room or In
communicating aud open rooms. In the investigation
OF the frat 400 cases OF tins fever that have beer
appear
Mrst-Thas nearly all of this number Of stci
persons who have received treatment al nome nave
received only casual visits from physician, BENZ
charity patients.
.Sscond-rhat with few exceptions the attending
physician In such treatment has regarded and men
Toned these pa,ents beiug sick with remitten
fever or with "a typhoid fever without the usna
eruption and bowel symptomsi, and with Academia
relapse Of the disease before nnal recovery.
7htY'd--Ihat the fever mas not thus Tar sprea'
throughout the various families OF any feueman
house. but has been confined strictly To single fan
lies and such groups OF persons and families IS hav
been directly exposed In the sick room or 10 the I'm
washed clothing OF the sicx.
Fourth-In critical inquiry into the history OF 100
cases thnt have occurred at the following places
| namey-163 Worth, IS Mulberry, 81 Mulberry, 8,
chersy ySs 6 Cherry 70 james % s7 First avenue. 2s
! West Eighteenth street. 10 Jersey, 90 Mulberry,
Baxter steamers fcrecastle and 332 Water street
we md not . single exception TO this lmportan
nabit which relapsing fever has OF attacking the ma
JOrity OF every family In which " appears. II ha
attacked an average Of seven IN eacn o. tae prncpn
| have we found 1t extending from story to story
ascending or descending.
1 BEGINNING AND PROGRESS OF THE FEVER.
As The nature Of this disease was not suspects
| even by hospital physicians until some OF them ma
| been attacked With It IN the wards Of Bellevue en-
as physcians excepting those on duty IN h0splts
or under the Board OF Health have reported ITS pre-
sence In tue city, we ore not certain That the yer
Hrst cases are yet known to the Board OF Health
The earliest group OF patients discovered began
| sick during the last ten Gays III September. fha
| group In two houses. near the corner OF Worth an
| Baxter streets. multiplied into four groups, com
| prlsng th,rty-three patents The contagiousnes
| In those sick persons is now clearly proved.
thatneary al Of lis nests are already known an
broken up. But all poor persons and families tina
have been exposed in any such fever nests will b
| kept unQeT s&uiEiTy cure OuIinkA pcIiou vi Two Y
| three weeks Our chief difficulty In restraining tn
| spread OF the fever consists In restraining an
| watching the low lodging house Class Of persons
They have been the cnet carriers OF this fever. an
have become the centres that gave origin 10 nftee
out OF nineteen OF the groups or tenement epidemic
| WHAT ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN.
! Every nest OF TINS fever must be purined rs 500
az found, the sick being kindly provided for In nos
! plta Every exception to the rule OF sending th
| sick to hospital Will have constant sanitary car
| Tne following extract rrom the Memorandum OF il
structons TO Sanitary inspectors will aid the ctzer
to do their part towards arresting and exterminatn
this fevef:--
Medical officers OF the Metropolitan Board OF Health
CURED 10 make thorough Inspection OF every inhab
cellar and OF the enre tenement district under their
spectvely and often once Ia each week to make
searching tour for reinspecou through those teDeme
house regions where this fever 10 most liable TO becon
prevalent. AL uncieany cellars lodging houses alleys
and badly crowded nthy tsnemsns should be
ported upon Official form. s DAY the inspection q mad
and forthwith whatever the Board Of Health ard SANTA
Superintendent do TO apply execute the needed
| n