The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-27
THE INTRODUCTION OF YELLOW
FEVER HERE.
NEW ORLEANS, July 26, 1878

New ORLEANS, July 26, 1873.
Editor DemoCrnt-In your issue of this
morning referring to my letter in the Plea
Mn,e's evening edition of yesterday, YOU
Emily B. S0uder, feels that great injustice
has been done him by the publication of the
article, and said that WHILE if the publca.
ton had been made at another time, he should
not have noticed 1t, he felt, that being pub
lished just now, when there was fever panic,
1t was calculated to do him great injury
and further, "he has now official certificates
toproye that the two cases, Messrs. Clarke and
Elliott, purser, and second engineer, of the
Emily b. Souder, did not bring the yellow
fever to this city. Now, sir; knowing your
invariable rule to publish facts and expose
errors, from whatever source they may come.
l 40. not hesitate to ask you to publish
all the facts pertaining to this ship, differ
as to the effect that publication will
have upon the minds of our people, who
are as anxious as the Board of Health to learn
how the fever was brought to New Orleans.
II you will ask your, reporter who at
last night, he will inform you that the board
unanimously agreed that the purser and Sec
ond engineer of the Emily B. Souder died of
yellow fever, the certificates of "remittent
fever" to the cOntrary-not that the Board of
Health doubt the ability Of the physicians
signing said certificates to tell yellow fever,
for we all know them to be good yellow fever
physicians, but it is the universal custom
where there Is q doubt to give it against yell
low fever; besides, every medical man re-
spectacle in the profession Is anxious to avoid
what Mr.. Hernandez does, a fever panic. The
president stated last night to the board that
quite a number OF the cases signed by physi-
clans IN the last week were acknowledged by
them to be yellow fever
Again, case may fairly get under way
mild intermittent-an assume the type of
yellow fever and die with black vomit This
]. have often seen in my practice in the last
thirty years. So much for Mr.. II. IS "official
proof" The letter written by me to the
Ptcdytlle was to correct an error made by the
reporter after his interviewing me- In cor
reeting that stated nothing but thefact
and gave my opinion that the yellow fever
was brought here by the steamer Souder. AS
these facts have been controverted, [ am de-
sirous that the treatment and nursing should
be given to the public as taken and reported
to the Board Of Health by DR.. Joseph Holt,
sanitary inspector of the Fourth District, in
New Orleans. 1t is given by q very intelli-
gent and one Of the best yellow fever nurses
in the city, who nursed the purser, Mr..
Clarke, in his last sickness. The second
engineer was taken sick at a private dwelling
and was moved to the Hotel Dieu, where he
died. DR.. Chopin, president of the Board
OF Health, assisted in making the post NOR
tenn examination, and reported it to the board
as yellow fever, having found black vomit in
his stomach. | have not sought this COntro-
NGL6yi DuJ dS IL lIbIlneE Oh bl6 DO6Tu OF
Health, believing that yellow fever is of for
eign origin and does not originate here, | am
anxious to learn how it was introduced
amongst us. 1t may come to light that it
came in through other sources since the
arrival of the Emily b. Souder This does
not prove that the germ was not first brought
here by the ship in controversy. The fact
harped upon that she came eight weeks ago
does not prove anything, as 1t has been
often seen that the germ has lain
dormant for months until great solar
heat, as in this instance, has developed it,
We all recollect 1873, 1874 and 1876 when it
actually wintered over, breaking out in the
Fourth District lin each succeeding summer
until the hard winter of 1876, which killed
down the banana plant, and also killed the
last vestige of the germ. For the comfort of
the strangers that may be in our city, who do
not understand the disease, l will state that,
through the energy and ability of the Board
of Health, though there was twice as much
fever as we have at present In our city, in
each one Of these years it was circumscribed,
confined and driven out. Why should we be
discouraged: can we not do in the future what
has been done in the past? Give the people all
the facts educate them up to the truth that
it can, and must be driven from our city
Investigation gives them something TO think
of something to do; not sit quietly and hold
their hands. You have strong man at the
head-full of talent and energy his zeal can
not be doubted, his heart is in the work; help
him. VIM. &. AUSTIN, NJ. D.