The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-15
WORK OF TYPHOID Fever
Six of the Tanning Children III with
the Disease at Green Ridge.
ANOTHER is NOW RECOVERING
House Turned Into an Improviscd Hos.
pital-Disease is Said by Attending
Physician TO BE Due to q Cess.
pool Near the House.

At the last meeting of the board Of
health DR., Allen, the medical officer,
made a verbal report that there was
but one case of typhoid fever in the
city, while almost side by side with the
report of the meeting in the columns of
The Tribune was reported a case where
seven persons were suffering from
typhoid fever on Breaker street.
A Tribune reporter yesterday visited
the house occupied by the Tanning
family on Breaker street and was
shown the two bedrooms, in one Of
which were four boys-George, aged 1S;
Matthew, 6; Richard, s. and Michael 10,
and in another small bedroom were two
girls, Katie, aged 16, and Julia, 9-all
confined to their beds in two small,
Stuffy rooms with the undoubted mark
of the foul disease of typhoid fever
marked on their pinched and ghastly
looking faces. One of the boys, James,
has almost recovered.
The reporter found DR.. Sureth, of
Providence, the medical attendant, and
Miss Jordan, the nurse, present, and
in reply to his inquiries DR.. Sureth re-
marked that he had been attending the
| family since the latter end of Septem-
ber, when the son George was taken
| i'll, and in a brief time six others fol-
lowed suit and the seven children were
stricken DOWN with typhoid.
Miss Jordan Volunteered.
| Some time ago Miss Jordan, who Is a
graduate Of the City hospital, Boston,
| heard of the case and visited the house
and volunteered her services to anchor
ate the sufferings of the seven children.
The rooms We're in an unclean state
and the mother had no time, as can be
easily imagined to do anything but at
tend her sick children. The whole sur
roundings were quite the opposite to the
requirements of hospital. Poor Direc-
tor ShOtten was approached and
| granted the use of six cots, as one of
the boys was partially recovered. All
the beds were burned and the premises
thoroughly disinfected and the rooms
cleaned up as far as possible. Miss
Jordan obtained money from a charit-
able society and expended it in milk and
other nourishments, and very soon a
great change was wrought in the APP
pearance of the temporary hospital
The reporter asked DR.. Sureth his
opinion as to the cause of the outbreak
and he replied that it was without
doubt due to the disgraceful state of the
cesspool within five yards of the house
In reply to the question as to what
steps had been taken to remove the
nuisance, the doctor said that nothing
has as yet been done.
DO you mean to say that the cause
of the illness of these six persons has
| not been removed" asked the reporter
That's the exact truth" replied the
doctor.
Questioned as to whether the sanitary
officer had inspected the place, 1t was
elected that Dr. Bentley had been once
to the house, but no one else had been
seen there.
What DR.. Surcth Says.
"At the time of the board of health
meeting. when it was reported that
there was but one case of typhoid fever
in the city, continued DR.. Sureth
some Of these children were in the
very throes of death and not expected
to recover Happily they have all SC
far pulled through and there is now
every reason to anticipate their COM
plete restoration to health in course OF
time"
Both DR.. Sureth and Mrs. Duggan say
they notified the board of health of the
serious outbreak of typhoid, and how II
attacked each member of the house.
hold. The former has been attending
the family since September withou,
hope of reward. Rev. p. j. McManus
of Green Ridge, has taken a deep inter
est in the Fannings and has been Of
great assistance to them and theil
medical attendants.