The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-09-22
The Fever at Biloxi.
REPORT OF DR.. GODFREY, or THE MARINE
HOSPITAL SERVICE.

NEPVh4 pf Dr. GODH nE2 ; Dr hEs n = n = 3
HOSPITAL SERVICE.
WASHINGTON, Sept. .13.-The follow
ing report has just been received:
LOUISVILLE, KY, Sept. 10, 1886,
To Gen. J B. Hamilton, Surgeon General Marine
Hospital Service
GESERAL-I have the honor to sub
nit the following report in regard to
the recent outbreak Of fever in Biloxi,
Miss, which | was sent to investigate.
| reached there on the morning of the
Sd and left at a. N. September z,
instant. Nine persons had been taken
sick previous to my arrival. Two Of
these had died; the rest have recovered.
These nine cases, and that of one other
Mrs. Elder, sick at the time, were
those upon whom the Louisiana State
Board of Health based its verdict Of
yellow fever. They all lived in the
affected district, a narrow tongue Of
land, with the bay in front and slough,
sometimes wet, sometimes dry, in the
rear. Their quarters were from so to
200 yards from the shrimp-canning fac
tory. All were in an extremely unclean
staJe, (See repert Of inspector i1ciosed. J
This ingpector, man CT competence
and reliability, was heard to say that he
took from those quarters more filthy
material than he could get from half a
square in New Orleans, which expresses
all that need be said on the subject.
The water closets and wells were sig
nifcantly near together; the latter were
from eight to twelve feet deep, oftener
eight than twelve. The shrimp offal
WAS usually thrown over at the end of
the wharf. but at times it was dropped
near the factory, and was found and
disinfected in large heaps by the inspec-
tor. While the factory was in opera
tion shrimps were constantly dropping
through the cracks of the platform and
factory floor, where they were left to
accumulate. They reached in places
from the ground to the floor, distance
of several feet. Considering that no
live thing decompOses sooner and smells
worse after death than shrimp, it would
be strange if sickness did not develop in
that neighborhood, or having developed,
was not modified by the surroundings.
| am not Of the opinion, however, that
the factory played an important part In
causing the sickness several years ago.
DIR Champlin treated cases of similar
character in the same district, occurring
about Sept L, for more than one season.
Last September Dr. Aldrich had between
fifty and twenty cases of the same kind.
As nearly as could be sscertained,
eight persons had fever when | reached
Biloxi, to wit: Three in the infected dis
trict. one about 300 yards, and one
about 600 yards, and three about mile
therefrom. One case developed the
morning of my arrival, at 10 O'Clock a.
M. This case and all the others had re-
covered before | left Biloxi, excepting
AIrs. Eder, who was taken sick the lst of
September. She was FIVE months en-
ceint> and miscarried on the 6th about
noon All the patients were treated
with calomel and quinine, took beef
broth, chicken soup, bread, coffee; had
slight nausea, sometimes vomiting green
ish matter; stools never darker or more
than ordinarily offensive; had no yell
lowness Of gums, skin or conJunctlve;
had no suppression of urine, and albu-
men in only one. They were allowed to
get up and walk from room to room.
Some had remissions and some had alb
HOlul6
of the 4th the temperature of all ranged
from 1ol degrees F. down to normal. /
requested one attending physician to
withhold quinine in all his cases; at the
evening visit, in every instance but one,
the temperature had risen from one to
three degrees.
With these clinical facts before me,
and with the additional fact that nearly
a hundred operatives were at the facto,
rv in the infected district daily from
morning till night, more than two thirds
of them-men, women and children
going to their houses in another part of
the town and all remaining perfectly
healthy, it would have been a medical
mistake for me to have diagnosed yell
low fever.
As to the work of Drs. Holt, Scales
and Salomon, / have only to say that L
was not able 10 elicit information from
the copyalescents tallying in all respects
with theirs. For instance, all declared
most positively that there was no yell
lowness of skin. As TO Mrs. Rhodes,
who died, her husband told me that she
had never been we'll since having baby
over wear previously, and that since
last November she had been barely able
d
to get about her work. There was no
suspicion of black vomit except IN her
case. She died in commissions; those
present differ. Some say she drank
claret and vomited just before dying
the others that she spilled it on the
sheet in the act of drinking. Referring
only to those that were sick when seen,
am satisfied that they had malarial
fever, modified by bad water, by domes
tic insanitation, and possibly by the
constant stencil of purifying shrimp.
Perhaps It is possible that the first batch
Of nine patients could have had yellow
fever and the next fever caused by
malaria, but ii is so far without the do,
main Of probability that few medical
men could be broug ght to believe it.
/ inclose herewith a tabulation OF al
the cases, together with brief clinica
data of sick visited.
Very respectfully,
JOHN GODFREY, Surgeon.
The above report is accompanied by
statement of Sanitary Officer l.. ID. Al
len, showing what steps he had taken II
the matter, and by the clinical data re
ferred to by DR.. Godfrey.