National Republican., 1883-10-25
YELLOW FEVER.
Report OF the Court OF Inquiry Appointed
TO Investigate the Origin OF the Disease
at PensncoIa.

Report OF the Court Of Inquiry Appointed
TO Investigate the Origin OF the Disease
at Pensacola.
Tho report of the court Of inquiry APP
pointed to investigate tho origin of yellow
fever at tho naval station, Pensacola, Fla,
has been received at tho navy department.
1t says that tho following facts arc estab-
hshed by the evidence addressed: First. II
does not appear that there were any cases of
yellow fever of suspicious nature on the
naval reserve prior to Aug. 1. While we are
not prepared to say that yellow fever really
existed in Pensacola this season, IL is not un-
likely that fomtos and bedding, that were
not destroyed during tho epidemic of 1882,
generated mild sporadic cases. which elu ded
the vigilance of the attending physicians,
and owing to the constant communication
between the city of Pensacola aud the naval
reserve, the fever may have been
introduced either through the medium Of
persons or fomites. Persons are known
TO have visited more or less between
the two places, and some have been employed
in Pensacola during the summer. There is u
possibility that tho marines may have visited
Pensacola, although thore is no evidence that
they did So 1t is ascertained by evidence
them, had at least one case of yellow fever in
them in 1870. There are quantities of equip
ment stores in the equipment store house,
which have been there for many years, and
were probably there during the years 1867
and 1874, and have never been taken out
and opened until this year. On Aug. 3 Of
this year laborer in the equipment store
house and on Aug. 5 the storekeeper in the
engineers store house sickened with symp-
toms sufficiently suspicious to be classified as
yellow fever, although not so diagnosed by
the attending physician. The first case Of
death from yellow fever was Charles II. .Thomp-
son, child living in Warren ton, who died
Aug. Ia, the attending physician then below
ing the case to be inflammation of the bowels.
but since he has concluded that IL was yellow
foyer. Tho funeral of this child was very
largely attended by adults and children of
Warrington and Wolsey, by reason Of which
the disease was rapidly spread, more especially
to the latter village Tho lower room in the
house in which the child died was used as an
ice cream saloon, which was visited freely by
| the young people of the villages, including
some of the marines Having received tho
| evidence, we are now of the opinion that the
epidemic of yellow fever, now near its close,
| prevailing on the naval reserve may be trace
| able to one or more of four origins, viz:
| First, possible infection from Pensacola by
communication of persons and by articles
brought from that city; second, articles in
equipment aud steam engineering store house,
possibly infected in former epidemics ;
third possible infect on in marine barracks
| since 1875; fourth, possible infection from
the ballast used and handled at the Point Nc
Rae jetties, by men who lived in and visited
the villages of Warrington and Woolsey,
weekly and semi-weekly, in their working
| clothes.
The first case of yellow fever having ap-
| peared in tho marine barracks within the
nrI
| case in Warrington, and not finally dag
nOsed and decided to be yellow fever until
| three days after attack, any precautions that
could have been taken at that time to prevent
the introduction of the disease into the navy
yard would have been unavailing, as the
marine guard and the surgeon himself were
| already infected.
The following telegram has been received
| here:
PENSACOLA, FLA, Oct. 23-JoHN D. HAMILTON,
| SURGEON GENERAL. WAsHIgGToN, ID. c.. Three
| deaths and five new cases reported from the navy
| yard. JouN b. GUTTMANN,
| President BJurd OF Health.
Surgeon General Hamilton informed DR..
| Guttmann that II the information was correct,
the Gordon would have TO bo continued. lie
also requested Lieut.. Comdr. Welch to tele-
| graph as to tho correctness of the dispatch
| In reply to this request the following dis
| patch has been received:
| NAVY YARD PENSACOLA, FLA, Oct 2l.-SUR-
| GEoN GENERAL J. j. HAMILTON / forward the
| following statement of the surgeons and physl
| clans here: .. r ...fr ...
| ave, the undersigned, surgeons aud physicians
| of the navy yard aud reserve, do hereby declare
that there have been no cases nor suspicious
| cases of yellow fever on the naval reserve since
| the last case was convalescent on the eleventh
instant. Signed Guiteras, Martin, Arland, Pollock
| Lehman, Mills"
| The last conyaescent case was treated by Dr.
Guiteras, and reported convalescent on the
eleventh. and discharged on the twelfth Instant.
WEIGH.
Upon receipt ofths telegram DR.. Hamilton
gave directions to disband the Gordon on the
twonty-afth instant.