Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-02-28
AN OPEN LETTER.
Dr. BeaIps Statement of the sickness ct Al.
rora-Graphic Description Of ths
state of Affairs There

state Of Affairs There
Editor Gazette.
Upon returning from Aurora my attention was
directed to an article in the Evening Mail Of
Saturday and one in the Sunday GAZETTE that
places me incorrectly before the public. This
has grown out OF Misrepresentation of the con-
ference with DR.. Broiles upon the part of the
Mail, and THE GAzETTE's report, purporting to
be predicsted upon the article in the Mail.
My connection with the matter Is as follows:
The medical profession and people OF Aurora
requested me to visit their village before THE
GAZETTE or people in Fort Worth knew of any
unusual disease prevailing at that place. These
requests were repeated daily until Friday last,
when 1 received several pages of telegraph mat
ter, urging me TO come to their relief. Late IN
the evening Of Friday I teIephoned Aurora,
when Mr.. Barr. druggist, said to me. THAT
the state of affairs YVES deplorable in the ex-
IRENE; that he was the only druggist on duty
) DR.. Bobo was sick, DR.. Burch was confined with
two sick children one OF whom was likely to die
during the night and DR.. Roark was taxed
almost beyond human enduTance the people
were panic stricken, and leaving daily for other
places
Thursday DR.. Broiles told me that he had re-
ceived word that matters were very unpleasant
at Aurora, and that he had been requested to
this in mind, wrote note to DR.. Broiies, ep-
itomizing the information had received, and
stated that was endeavoring to arrange for my
home patients in order to reach Aurora by tho
midnight freight train, which did, and that
when became familiar with the needs OF our
neighbors at the stricken point would let him
know their wants.
After arriving at Aurora I did not recognize
any aid that our people Gould render; so did not
( communicate with Dr. Broiles on the morning
OF my arrival. During the evening of Saturday
/ pr. Broiles telephoned to me, inquiring about
the needs of the sick. l referred the matter to
DR.. Roark. He asked for two nurses for the Ell
lott family, which, am glad to say, DR.. Broiles
secured. and two brave volunteers are now ct
the post of duty
Two nights and days at Aurora places me IN
position TO speak with some degree Of knowledge
OF the state of affairs at that place. have q
diagram showing the relative location of each
house in the place wherein the disease has made
its appearance since the date that Jefferson,
with the light OF heaven forever darkened to him
and toes sloughing from his feet reached the
Jefferson residence to the moment that bright
Charlie, the son of the noble DIR. BuTch, was so
suddenly torn from his once happy household.
did not order property burned, bonfires upon
the square, or burning OF sulphur. The people
had prepared for this before my arrival 1 sus-
gested that as the disease was confined to three
adjoining blocks especial attention be directed
to these blocks. In the rear OF the stores Of the
middle block could be seen accumulation OF
chips and the usual debris common to the rear
few well people who renamed in the village
willingly turned and labored throughout the
night with commendable industry.
1t is Interesting to note that the 2Sth of
January, 1880, James Jefferson and his mother
arrived al Aurora, from the Indian Territory,
and stopped at he Jefte son residence, the
former sightless and toeless, tn & result of q
s-ase, which had led his mother to go to the
erritoTy for him. The mother had been in
Aurora only few day when she was called to
ALE on account of the sickness of another son,
William Jefferson. On her way thither she be-
came very Ill, and was Obliged to stop at DR..
Gordon's, near Axle, where she died, 1t is in
teresting to note that wnen Mrs. Jefferson and
her arrived at Auror the valiss OF the
manned jefferson, by mistake. was taken to the
Deerberry house, and that it remained there six
days. This mistake not discovered until
Mrs. Landers. guest OF the peerberry
to her home near Sunset. Mrs. Landers
arrived at Sunset. and died two days
Deerberry house. Just after Mrs. Landers
departed Miss P. Roberts, an inmate Of the
Deerberry house. was taken very i'll: She was
removed to the home OF her mother, in the north
part OF the town, but proved to be the second
victim OF the DeeTberrv house. The Elliott
family st this same house. and Feb
ruary or lOthe two sons, Cam and zeb, were
taken sick. They were removed two miles into
the country, where their mother was also
berry house, across the street, lives DR.. BuTch
Two of his sons were seized within an hour.
1t was stated to me that after the arrival OF
Jefferson and his mother, the bed clothing upon
which his wife and child died in the Territory
were hung upon a line at the corner of the resi-
dence; that it was the custom of Clements and
Watkins. who were seized with the disease on
the 10th or 18th OF February, and died at the
southwest corner of the square within 100 feet OF
each other to visit daily the stable situated in
front of the residence; forty fifty feet west of
the store in which Watkins was seized lives Mrs.
mother, taken subsequently to the daughter.
died within twenty hours from the onset OF the
ness was near the southwest corner of the
square, was early victim, perhaps the first:
he slept at the Deerberry house.
The physicians are uncertain about this last
case, so exclude it. There is also uncer-
tainty in regard to Mr.. Freylau, who had slight
illness about the same time that Mr.. Deerberry
was sick He was seen at church and after
wards seated upon some lumber the clothes |
line upon which Jefferson's bedclothing was |
ps,1tr h-Aa-
vious to the Friday OIL which day he was seized |
Now, if information (Which l am at present |
nTess1 Shall show that James Jefferson his wife
and child died with the same disease which has |
lately aft icted Aurora, tho inference will be too
plain to admit OF cavll. That the disease is |
portable, that it was introduced in Aurora by !
the valise, person or clothing of the parties |
named. This will be further strengthened when |
positive information concerning the particulars |
of the sickness and death OF Mrs. Jefferson near
ALE, and Mrs. Landers near Sunset. is
What is the disease at Auroraf This question |
the iaity have asked to crafty curiosity, or to
back crude opinion upon equally as crude |
physician, that he may direct line of thought |
in a correct channel, that he may more inteIIi-
gently adapt therapeutics to pathology.
Is it typhus fever? While one or two of the
symptoms observed are common to that disease,
too many of it's symptoms are absent; besides,
we know that true typhus is rare in this age in
both the old and new world, and when intro
duced into this country from foreign lands as
nature is well recognized that prophyiactic
medicine rears shield of defense against it, SO
that the disease is strangulAted as soon as it is
transferred from the merchant ship to the shore |
thus preventing it's acquisition of footnold in |
our maritime jrts.
Is it cerebro spinal fever7 II It is four lin |
tied epidemics participated in by she writer were
not. Thirty years observation in this latitude |
and freque MT and close observation at the largest
medical centers has not furnished him with an
opportunity OF seeing the disease he saw and
studied for two nights and days in our neigh.
boring county. In cerebo spinal fever the de-
lirium is active and the mind is pertubed In
the disease at Aurora, apart from the slight de-
lirium of the incipient fever, the mind is clear
and collected. / saw no mantle station of cere-
bral disturbance of an organic nature. The Ell
liotts were mentally undisturbed: Miss Covey's
mind was clear IS q bell-her intellipence and
mental calmness under the severe pain mental
and physical anguish only presented the index
of the sweet disposition which las won for her
among her friends the reputation of being one Of
the lovelest of her sex; little Mack Burch had
no delirium. his mind was clear and calm; same
condition existed with Miss Peach Rob .rts
When sudden apnBa respiratory faiiurei was
pending in the case of Charlie Burch then car
bombed blood obtunded his bright bright mind
not disease within the cerebrun, membranous |
or otherwise. There was rightly of the GER
yical muscles in other case than the one men
toned, and that due to the lesion of the |
spinal cord or its meninges, and this was the |
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