Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-11
VERY POOR PROVISIONS
Made By the New York Authorities Tor ths
Care of the Patients in the Conisgioo'
Disease Camps.

Made by the New York Authorities Tor the
Care of the Patients In the Contagious
Disease Camps.
NEW YORK. March i0.-WOrld re-
porters landed on North Brother Island,
the city's pest retreat, AZ midnight
Tuesday night, aud they discovered
terrible situation. The typhus patients,
and Others have been, and are there
thus:
Number Of typhus cases since Feb
ruary II. 1853.
Number deaths from typhus, l3.
Number OF typhus patients al North
Brother Island to-day, -.
Number OF typhus suspects quaran-
tined, about 80.
Number small pox cases. 20.
Number scarlet fever, "a.
Number measles, 2S.
Number lepers, /.
A tent is used in this winter weather
for the Quaraptined suspected cases,
and the one leper, too, IS kept in tent.
The reporters found from inquiry IN
the quarantine tent that the suspects
were serving out their three weeks OF
probation without any attendants orob-
servation. The only safeguard against
a general epidemic among those quar-
antined lies in the immediate removal OF
a case as soon as discovered and the
prompt isolation OF suspected cases.
There was nobody In charge OF the
quarantine tent, no physician was oo-
serving the condition OF the people con-
fined there, and nobody was watching
their temperature. For two hours the
reporters tried to find some one in
authority. BY inmates Of the tent they
were Informed that a man named Hoch,
known as Quarantine No II" and
'.Typhus Ward Patient No. TO-" was
taken with the fever last Saturday
morning after the fever had been raging
twenty-four hours. He was discovered
by nurse, who reported his case, and
a short time afterwards he was removed
from the tent TO the typhus pavilion.
During the day and night preceding
his removal no nurse, doctor, attendant
or orderly had visited the tent, tney
said
A similar and even more aggravated
instance of neglect was given from the
women's and children's quarantine pa
Wilton. There are about % typhus
suspects in this pavilion. Last Friday
morning n little child developed high
fever. The child's father is confined In
the male quarantine tent and the little
one had no one 10 attend her. The
child continued 10 grow worse until
Monday morning, when 1t was discov-
cred and removed to a typhus pavillioI
For seventy-two hours this child re-
mained in the crowded pavilion with a
well-developed case OF typhus, which
was finally discovered by an attendant
who stepped into the pavilion and was
attracted by the cries OF the little one.
The frst of the isolated wards which
the reporters saw after they landed was
a little tent az the southern end OF the
Island. Throwing back the flap at the
entrance one could see the interior. A
lamp, In which bright light was burn
ing, swung on the centre pole. A vast
ed form was stretched on the bed. II
was the Chinese leper, who had by the
nature of his terrible disease, been sep
arated from all human beings. He was
alone in his tent. Even the GONZALES
cent patients shun with horror that yell
low tent-the home Of New Yorks
leper.
Just inside the entrance the heating
stove gloomed. At the foot Of the bed
was arranged the cooking utensils
with which the lepcr Chinaman pre-
pares the food left al his door by the
attendants from the pavilions nearby.
The face OF the lonely sufferer was pa
tient and peaceful in sleep. Though
the mist crept through the creylces In
the canvas and stole silently beneath
the protecting roof and the top OF the
tent. But the leper waiting 70 die,
needed it not. None needed him. He
was utterly and helplessly alone with
his misfortune.
Passing the solitary leper, the path
leads at once into the circle Of infec-
tious pavIllons. The payilions them
selves are rude frame structures bear
ing signs Of hasty construction. The
scarlet fever pavilion, the smallpox
hospital and the measles wards are
separated from the typhns Pavilion,
but only by few yards.
The quarantine and overflow tents are
pitched here and there between the pa
villions.