The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-10
Ii YELLOW FEVER.
A Letter from an Experienced Physician The
ContasiOn at the Lazaretto-The Necessity
for Nurses at that P~eint-Seyere Strictures
Upon the Board of Health.

A Letter from an Experienced Phvsician The
ContasiOn at the Lazaretto-The Necessity
for Nurses at that Peint-Seyere Structures
Upon the Board of Health.
We publish below the letter of an experienced
physician, a resident of Chester, with reference
to the deaths from yellow fever at the Laza-
retto, consequent upon the arrival of the vessel
Home from Kingston, Jamaica. While we ask
for it q careful perusal, it is necessary to state
that there is no occasion for any alarm among
our citizens, as the presence OF the contagion
at the LaZaretto at this season is no unusual
circumstance. For years back there have been
more or less deaths from the fever at this time
of the year. In 1869 there were six cases taken
from one vessel, all of which proved fatal. The
health authorities say they have taken the matter
in inland, and believe that they have adopted all the
proper precautionary measures in order to pre-
vent the epidemic spreading. The facts con-
tanned in the accompanying communication
show how important it is. for the Board of
Health to keep the people posted in all their
movements with reference to the visitation of
this frightful epidemic:-
To the Editor of The Evening Telegraph.
CHESTER, Pa, Aug. 10, 1870.
Dear Sir:-I wish to make TO the public, through
the columns Of your paper, a statement respecting
the yellow fever now existing at the Lazaretto.
MI. Jacob Pepper, a resident OF Tinicum, living
Just outside the bounds or the Lazaretto, being sick,
tine by a vessel from the West Indies, still living In
the river opposite his residence, his friends requested
me to see him professionally, knowing that / had
practised several years in Louisiana, where that
disease was OF frequent occurrence.
j saw Mr.. Pepper last Sunday morning half an
hour before he died, and unhesitatingly pronounced
his case one OF yellow fever. In the same family his
wlfes sister was then, and still is, sick of the same
disease. 1 visited the LazarettO twice a day since
and have seen DR.. Thompson, the Lazaretto physi-
clan, and his wife and daughter, all OF whom are
dangerously sick OF yellow fever. On Monday |
found MIR. Robert Gartside, the Quarantine Master,
in the first stage OF yellow fever.
DR.. Thompson's family has no nurse except a lady
friend who volunteered her assistance before she
knew it was yellow fever. His brother, who is also
a physician, has medical charge of the family. Mr.,
Gartside has no nurse except his wife ana daughter,
both Of whom are, by their relations to the patient,
and by their anxiety and alarm, untitled 10 perform
the highly important duties OF nurse in yellow fever,
The Board Of Health has not furnished any nurse for
these officials, who have been stricken down in the
performance OF their duty, nor have they even been
supplied with ice in SUFFICIENT quantity and the
many other things necessary in such cases. Be
lieVing that the importance OF these facts in
their relation to the health and safety Of the citizens
of Philadelphia were not duly appreciated by those
who are elected TO the guardianship OF the city's
health, and fully understanding the importance of
proper nursing, under medical direction, In the first
few DAYS OF this dangerous disease, l felt impelled
to visit the Board OF Health, and did so at its meet
ing on Tuesday of this week, accompanied by Mr.
Amos Gartside, a brother OF the quarantine Master
obtain IL. One Of the members came out from the
meeting and said that the Board was controlled by
a few physicians, who dd not ike 10 be dictated to
by an outsider. After the meeting | had some con-
versation with Drs. La Roche and ard, whs L be-
leve are members OF the Board OF Health, in
presence of several other members. DR.. La Roche
was imposing in his manners, and asked a few ques-
tioHs that were not intended to elicit
DR.. Ward informed me that they were the conserva-
tors OF the city's safety in this hour OF danger, and
that they were competent to meet the'exigency.
This would all have been very satisfactory If l had
not met these gentlemen few days before at the
Lazaretto, where they both had TO be convinced, by
evidence / there pointed out 70 them of symptoms
In the living and the appearance of the dead, before
they would believe that the cases were yellow fever