The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-24
DIR. LINCoLN,s EXPERIENCE.
Six Weeks Hard Work in the Fever
District.

nah yesterday morning, having been since
Oct. 3 in charge of the yellow fever cpl
demic in Jesup. under the direction Of the
marine hospital service. His friends were
glad to see him back, and he was cor
daily greeted on all sides.
DIR. Lincoln has made a good record for
himself with the marine hospital service.
He has been constantly engaged in work
in the yellow fever district since Oct. 3,
remaining at Jesup until all danger of the
fever was declared to be over, and then
| taking a short trip to Brunswick and the
detention camp. He talks very interest
ingly of his experiences at Jesup.
When he arrived at Jesup on Oct. 3, he
! found the town in a state of wild excite
ment Nobody knew who had the fever
and who hadn't, and there were reports
of cases from every quarter. On the
other hand many declared there was no
fever there at all.
WANTED TO SHOOT THE GUARDS.
There was great indignation in some
quarters at the establishment of quaran-
tine and some of the hot heads were de-
claring in favor Of shooting the guards.
They even wanted to shoot me-" said
DIR. Lincoln. Il soon Quoted things down,
however, and feeling of confidence was
soon established. The people were ready
to do anything said after l had been
there few days"
DR.. Lincoln has furnished a detailed
history to the surgeon general of the
Jesup epidemic, giving the particulars of
every case of fever that occurred.
There were 81 cases Of yellow fever at
Jesup,' said DR.. Lincoln, 'of which q
were of white people and Of colored.
There were 3 deaths, all Of whites. or
the deaths, the first that of Charles
Warren, occurred before my arrival. The
second, that of Mrs. Ogden, occurred the
day after l arrived. The only death
among the patients, whom / had the OPP
portunity of treating, was that Of j. H.
Gray, who died on Oct. II. Gray was
convalescent, but contrary to instruc-
tions, arose from his bed on the night of
Oct. 10. The result was that ne con
tracted cold, suffered a relapse and died
Of the black vomiJ.
BRISK START OFF.
Seventeen cases of negroes were re-
ported TO me as yellow fever by local
physicians on the day of my arrival, all
of whom upon Investigation l found to be
suffering with malarial fever, and dis
charged them. Only four cases of yellow
fever among negroes We're recorded at
Jesup, and of those there is some doubt. as
l did not see them.
LAS to the character Of the cases, up to
the time of the frost they were severe,
after the frost they were mild Those
who were ill at the time of the cold spell
and frost of Oct. II, and those who were
taken i'll during the cold spell suffered
severely, and we had some trouble with
them, but all attacks occurring after the
frost were of a mild character. The last
case of yellow fever at Jesup was
discharged Nov. 4, since which time the
town has been absolutely free of the
disease.
lone case was reported as suspicious by
Surgeon Carter on Nov z which he be-
lieved to be yellow fever | differed with
him, and was supported in my diagnosis
by Surgeon Murray"
DIR. Lincoln does not think Brunswick
will be free of yellow fever before Christ
mas.
The place looks as if it were dead, - he
said. The people have downcast and
utterly hopeless expression. The appear
ance of the town is desolate in the ex-
IRENE. I was in Brunswick Monday and
helped to perform a post norton upon
patient by the name of Schlatter. The
post norton was conducted by DR. Muir
ray. 1t proved to be a typical case of
yellow fever"
NOT ALL YELLOW FEVER
"There is no doubt" said DIR. Lincoln,
THAT the majority of cases Of negroes
reported as yellow fever at Brunswick
were not yellow fever, but only malarial
fever. / say this on the authority of the
government surgeons al Brunswick The
surgeons cannot investigate every case and
consequently have to accept the reports of
local physicians upon the majority of cases. |
Their Investigations have convinced
them, however, that many cases of ne
grOes reported as having yellow fever
were only malarial fever. This accounts
for the extraordinary low death rate.
The actual death rate is much higher
than reported"
From Brunswick DIR. Lincoln went to
the detention camp, where he spent one
day. Having had the yellow fever in Sa-
vannah in 1876 he was an immune. and
was only required to remain long enough
at the detention camp to have his bag
gage disinfected
DIR. Lincoln feels that the experience
gained in the treatment of yellow fever
fully compeusates him for his stay at
Jesup. He was acquainted with the
disease before, but with the experience
gained in the personal observation of the
disease and its treatment according to the
most approved methods of modern science
will prove valuable to him in any emer-
gency of the kind that may arise here
after.