The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-04
TYPHUS INCREASING.
Great Activity Of Health Board
Bellies Comforting Assurances.
TEN NEW CASES YESTERDAY.
No New Sources OF Contagion but Every
Proc. ltion IL to be Taken-A Thorough
Inspection of Lodging Houses Is to be
Made.
ESPECIAL TO THE SEws.l

NEW YORK, Jan. 4.-Ten new patients
suffering from typhus fever were re-
ported to the Bureau of Contagious Dis
eases yesterday. Two men who were not
known TO have the disease were reported
10 have died of typhus This increases
the total since Dec. to sixty-nine. a
suspected case at Bellevue was isolated
in the same tent with four typhus pa
tients. and there is little reason to doubt
that this will prove another case of ty-
phus. Two deaths were reported IN the
afternoon from North Brother Island.
Yesterdays new cases were these:
The list discloses no new source OF con
tagion, and the new cases except three
are directly traceable To the pest house
at "a Bayard street. One OF these two
IS George Doherty, who got the disease at
the lodging house at 1874 Park row, which
was cleaned and closed more than a
week ago by the health authorities. He
had left the place before the fever was
discovered there aud soon after was TAX
en- To Bellevue. Another was James
Halpin, who walked into Bellevue in the
afternoon. He had been lodging at the
Eureka house, 2SO Bowery. No cases
have been reported from this lodging
house yet, and inspectors were at once
sent there 10 make thorough cleansing
and tumigation.
While the individual members of the
Board of Health assert with a great show
of confidence that they now have the
plague on the run, marked increase In
activity was noticeable yesterday.
Twenty-six staff physicians who have
heretofore been engaged in other lines OF
work were transferred to DIR. Roberts
staff, and were at once detailed, upon Dr.
Edson's advice, for more thorough ex-
animation Of lodging houses than had
g.. l..sA. IL. fIs. Vanft nf
their work was described in yesterdays
sun. Something Of the sort has already
been doing for several nights
Last night twenty inspectors went out,
each accompanied by policeman in uni
form, with instructions TO visit the
eighty-eight selected lodging houses in
the city, most OF them along Park row.
the Bowery, and in the adjacent region,
but some of them in Third avenue.
rorty-second street and elsewhere. They
were TO search for typhus fever cases.
They reported four suspicious cases from
The lower precincts up TO midnight, and
they were TO keep up the work all nigh {.
What this work means will be seen
from statistics obi aimed from DIR. Bryant
yesterday. There are 1l6 lodging houses
IN the city, of which 40 are in the Bowery,
and the large majority not far distant
from Chatham square. These 1l6 lodg-
ing houses accommodate nightly nearly
$4,000 dodgers, the majority of wnom are
Ill fed and uncleanly drunkards. Each
physician, therefore, will have 541 lodgers
TO examine. Upon DIR. Edson's calcula-
tion it will require three nights to ac-
complish the work. The inspectors shrug
their shoulders and say thai they will be
lucky, indeed, if they get through with
the unwholesome job in that time. 1t
means that each Of them must examine
1S2 tramps each night aud discover
whether each has or has not typhus fever.
drink and other causes, and many will be
too drunk To answer questions.
Yesterday orders were given TO Major
Bullard TO make an Immediate raid upon
all houses which had exceeded their
rights, and to take from each, by force il
necessary, sufficient number OF beds to
bring them within the limits OF their
permits. This morning the proprietors
will be served with orders requiring
them to appear before the board at the
afternoon meeting aud show cause why
their licenses should not be revoked. 1t
Is believed that the board will not deal
leniently with the offenders.
The Board of Charities and Correction
held meeting yesterday morning, and
the following instructions were sent to
all iEstituI ions:
"rhe Board OF Health has notified this
Board TO take every precaution in view
of the appearance of typhus fever, aud
you will therefore have every new in
mate most carefully examined, and, IL
the physicians have the least suspicion.
the case must be at once isolated. Re-
Gently admitted inmates must be care
fully observed"
The situation at the various hospitals
is not regarded as altogether pleasant.
Private hospitals. it was said yesterday,
have begun "A rigorous examination of
every tramp who appears, and are using
every pre- ext to shove oil doubtful cases
upon Bellevue. At Bellevue five wards
have been isolated from the rest of the
hlspiJal. They are wards q, II, "A, 26 and
81. They are those in which drunkards
and outcasts suffering with low fevers
and all res OF nondescript illnesses re-
sulting from irregular lives are placed.