The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-06
TIE VEL OW FEVER.
Tho Terrible PeetIIence In New York-Report
Of the Board of Health.

The following official report OF the Sanitary
Committee of the Board of Health on the yell
low fever at Governors Island was presented to
the board at the regular meeting this after
noon. 1t will be read with much interest: q
"HEALTH DEPARTMENT No 301 Mott street,
New York, October 4. 1S10.-To the Honorable
the Board of Health NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
The committee who were authorized to take
the necessary measures for the removal to
Quarantine of those sick with yellow fever at
Governors Island, and to protect this city from
said disease and to investigate the origin of the
disease and the circumstances of its introduce
tion at Governors Island, have the honor to
present the following report
''On the morning of the Both September the
ealth Officer of the port having placed his
steamer at the disposal of the committee, an at
tempt was made TO remove the sick to the West
Bank Quarantine Hospital, but the weather
proving unpropitious, the removal could not be
effected until the day following, October l; on
that day all those found sick or complaining,
to the number of sixty persons, soldiers, women
and children, were removed. The bedding,
clothing and other articles that could possibly
have become infected upon the steamer were
taken to the steamer Illinois in the lower bay
and burned The quarters upon the island
where the fever had occurred were vacated, fumi-
gated and cleaned. Provision was made for the
removal daily to the Quarantine Hospital of any
cases that might occur subsequently.
mo communication will be allowed by any
soldier or residents with the infected quarters
upon the island until after frost shall have rem
dered these restrictions unnecessary.
'Thus, by the immediate removal of all sick,
and placing the island under strict quarantine,
your committee hope they may be enabled to
protect the city from the disease.
'The most diligent inquiries have as yet
failed to discover that this disease has been
communicated to any person within the limits
of the city, except those who have been directly
exposed to the infection upon the island, by
visiting the sick nurses or mourners, remain
ing there IN the infected locality long enough to
have contracted the disease. Since the 18th of
Sar,fay pharth thar hau haap laa he in fba
city from this disease, all of whom had been
upon Governors Island for q longer or shorter
period, either as nurses for their friends or as
mourners at funerals of those dead of the fever.
But three other cases have as yet been discov
cred in the city up to the present time, aud
these three were soldiers from the Island
on leave. Respecting the origin of
the disease, and the circumstances
Island, from all the investigation possible in this
limited time, your committee cannot but come to
the conclusion that its source has been from
infected vessels that have been allowed to land
point at the Empire stores downward to as
far as Hamilton ferry, opposite to the eastern
shores of Governors Island. Any Infected
article thrown overheard from these vessels
would, by the natural flow of the tides at
this point be washed upon the beach at Gov
ernors Island, Immediately opposite the quar-
ters where the fever first broke out. On Thurs
day, September %, two members of the Sani-
tary Committee DR.. Stephen Smith and DIR.
Ceccarini, with the City Sanitary Inspector.
visited the island, carefully examined the cases,
and were unable to diagnose the disease as
yellow fever, being further assisted by Surgeon
Page, in charge of the post, who had been fa-
miliar with the disease in the Southern States.
At the first visit of your committee to Governors
Island, on Thursday, September % 1t was diff
cult to form decided opinion upon the true
character of the disease, as by far the largest
proportion of the cases presented symptoms so
obscure and mild in their types, that positive
diagnosis could not be made. Two cases, how
ever, which were in other buildings separate
from the general hospital, were SO well defined
in all the characteristic symptoms of yellow
fever that your committee had no difficulty in
making the diagnosis These we're recent cases.
"The mild type which the cases have pre-
sented at the island from the first has been the
cause of so much confusion and doubt as to the
true character of the disease, and had up to this
time deceived those who had been familiar with
the disease in its southern habitants-even after
| the report of DR.. Mott, who visited the island
by request of the President of the Board, at the
| suggestion of DIR. Smith, on Wednesday last
that the surgeons in charge of the post were not
convinced OF the true character of the disease
until those well-marked cases placed the dag
| nosis beyond doubt.
Respectfully submitted,
sc. CECCARINI, Ch. Sanitary Committee,
81. Nj. CARNocHAN Health Officer
"MoREAU NORRIS, City San'y Inspector"
ACTION OF THE BROOKLYN HEALTH OFFICER.
An order was issued yesterday by Health
! Officer Cochran, of Brooklyn, prohibiting all
communication between that city aud Cover
nor's Island, in consequence of the yellow fever
! which prevails there. party of workmen, who
are engaged upon the island, but live in Brook
lyn, attempted to infringe this regulation, by
| rowing in small boat 10 the foot of Degraw
| street, with the intention of disembarking there
| They, however, turned back again when they
perceived the health squad waiting for them.
In the evening DR.. Cochran himself visited the
| island, and saw General Neil, who assured him
that all communication between the island and
Brooklyn and this city should be suspended
until the island is declared out of quarantine.
Up 10 a late hour this afternoon no fresh
! cases of yellow fever in this city have been