New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-17
is THIS YELLOW FEVER 2
A SUSPICIOUS CASE OF SICKNESS DIS
COVERED IN ALLEN.ST.
SYMPTOMS OF YOUNG WOMAN WHO REcENTLX
CAME FROM HAVANA WHICH PUZZLE DR.
sCHMITz AND DR.. CYRUS EDCoN OF
THE HEALTH BOARD-MANY

sCHMITz AND DR.. CYRUS EDCoN, OF
THE HEALTH BoARD-MANY
SIGNS OF ," YELLOW JACK"
Is there case Of yellow fever in this cityf
lhis was the question that puzzled DR.. Edison,
chief of the Bureau of Contagious Diseases,
last evening and there is a grave suspicion that
the doctor was satisfied in his own mind that
he had found genuine case
Yesterday about l p. m Dr. Joseph Schmitz,
whose office is at No. 81 Allen-st., was called to
attend a woman at No. III Allen-st., who II was
said' was suffering from a strange disease.
Ut. Schmitz went to this number and found
IN oed young woman who gave her name as
Flora Schmidt Her face was red her eyes
CLASSY, and she appeared to have high fever.
Her temperature was over 102 degrees her
pulse about ninety and weak, and her tongue
was entirely covered with graytsh-whfte sub
stance. She was not in much pain, but said
her head appeared TO be too large and heavy for
her to hold up The symptoms indicated that
the woman was on the verge of a severe illness,
but the doctor was not sbs to tell
exactly what its nature would be. He
prescribed for her and went away expecting
to call again in the evening
About half-past ) o'clock q messenger ran 20
DR.. Schmitz's Office and said that Miss Schmidt
was dying. Dr. Schmtz hurried to the patient
and found her in critical condition. Both
her pulse and temperature had risen suddenly and
she was derious and violent Four persons were
required to hold her in bed and she kicked and
fought with the strength OF a maniac. She biz
two of the attendants severely in the hands Her
constant cry was for water, and she went through
the act of swallowing all the time. Dr. Schmits
gave her a little water and she Immediately
vomited a thin fluid, as black as ink, which had
a disagreeable odor. This surprised the physi.
clan, and he was astounded when shown a large
basin nearly filled with the sort of f1id
that the woman had thrown up during the pre-
vious hour. She had also been bleeding freely At
the nose, and the pillow on which she lay was
stained with blood and black vomit
DR.. Schmitz was greatly puzzled He had never
seen anything Of the kind in his practice before,
and the symptoms that were manifested bore o
strong resemblance to what he had read of the
symptoms of yellow fever. He had never seen
case Of this disease and was not familiar with
it, but from what he had read he
believed it to be genuine case There
was also another element in the case that tended
to confirm the suspicion.
The patient had come to this city on Thursday
from Havana, on the steamship Manhattan, of the
New-YOrk and Cuba Steamship Company which
has pier at the foot of Wall-st. She was sick
before she left Havana and had been sick the
entire trip. The steamer left Havana last Satur-
day. The woman lived in O'Reilly-st, in tho
American quarter. DR.. Schmitz was unable to
find out from her, on account Of the delirium,
whether she had been in Jacksonville or in any
other fever fected district He made up his mind
that he would not take the responsibility of
trestng Miss Schmidt upon himself and hurried
to Police Headquarters. None of the Health
Board officials there, but a report of the
sent to DR.. Edison at his home. DIR.
Edison went to Allen ST. without delay, and made
a thorough examination Of the patient. She
at this time even in worse condition than when
DR.. SchmitZ had last seen her. DR. Edison
puzzled and said that he could not determine
what the matter with the Tho
symptoms were dangerous and sufficient to arouse
suspicion, and he determined to have her re-
moved at once to a place of safety. She was
taken in ambulance about 80 o'clock TO the
reception hospital at the foot of East Sxteenth-st
She still dcrious and violent, and cried for
water DR.. Edison would neither deny nor affirm
that it yellow fever, last evening
The place where the woman lived is filled with
women boarders, and is presided over by Peter
Ffcfer Mr.. Ffefer and all the others there were
greatly alarmed by the sickness and nearly all OK
them stated to a reporter that they felt unusual
pains and aches The house will be fumigated this