The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-07
NO FEAR OF FEvER'S SPREAD.
HEALTH OFFICERS HAVE THE DIS
EASE IN HAND.

That Has Developed at Ocean
Springs-New Orleans Has Kept
Faith With Her NeighbOrs and
Will Continue to Do So.
New Orleans La, Sept. 6.-~The Louis
lana state board of health kept faith with
its sister boards of the south and the
rest of the country this afternoon, when
it made official announcement as a result
of a careful autopsy that Raoul Gelpi, IS
years old had died of yellow fever.
Gelpi was the son of prominent people
here, and had been spending some time
at Ocean Springs, where he was taken
down with fever and brought home here.
Soon after arriving, despite the best medi-
cal attention. he died. DR.. Theard, the
physician in charge, Immediately reported
to the board of health and expressed the
| opinion that death was due to yellow
fever. This afternoon an autopsy proved
that Dr. Theard's idea of yellow fever
was correct. Steps were promptly taken
to prevent a possible spread of the dis
ease. The doctors expressed confidence
that they would be able to check the
spread of the disease.
The death of young Gelpi, naturally
caused no little excitement in the city.
Physicians, however, express no appre-
hension and state their belief that it was
| quite possible to arrest a spread of the
fever. The board, during the day had or
dered a rigid quarantine against all points
| on the Gulf coast, and had taken every
precaution to guard all avenues of COM
| municaton against the entry in the city
Of any from Ocean Springs, Biloxi, or
| other points on the sound, which it was
thought the fever might reach.
During the day the bulletin boards had
| been thronged about, the board of health
office besieged and the Western Union
wires were freighted with messages to
and from the various coast resorts. In
the meantime, however reassurlng tele-
grams arrived from Ocean Springs, that
the Mississippi board of health had taken
every precaution possible to circumscribe
the limits of the epidemic and prevent its
communication to the outside world.
I'VE have no fear" said DIR. Walmsley,
acting president of the board of health,
chat the fever will spread in New Or
| leans. The board of health is prepared TO
| spend $1.000000 to stamp 1t out, and we see
no reason to feel alarmed. People ought
not to get frightened. This one case was
| taken charge of in time, and such scien-
tific fumigation has been applied as to
| warrant the hope that we shall promptly
and effectively stamp out the disease.
1--WE have made arrangements to issue
tonight a circular to every practicing
physician in New Orleans, commanding
him promptly to report to the board of
health every suspicious case of fever We
have made arrangements to act promptly
in every case, and it, unfortunately, other
cases of yellow fever shall be brought to
our attention, we shall, without delay,
notify the world through the Associated
Press of the facts.
There have been at least four cases in
addition to the Gelpi one, OF people suffer
ing from fever, who have come to New
Orleans from Ocean Springs. Ten of the
most prominent physicians of New Or
leans have been pressed into service, and
we give the closest attention to each of
these cases. In every instance bacteriol-
ogical examinations showed the existence
only of maIarial germs and no evidence
of yellow fever microbes. / am well with
in the truth, therefore, when l say the
Gepi case is the only one of yellow fever
in New Orleans up to the present time,
end I am sure we have the city fully COW
ered.'
During the week ending Aug. q, reports
reached President Oliphant of the board
of health of the prevalence of sickness at
Ocean Springs, the nature of which was in
doubt. DIR. Oliphant with member of
the board of health, went there and learn
ed that there had oeen up to that time
some 400 cases. OF these there had been
only one or two deaths, but in two cases
the symptoms were so suspicious as to
give rise to the belief that the fever was
of a vrulent type.
Dr. Oliphant then brought on Drs. Gar
nowski and Salomon of the board of ex-
perts, and DR.. Patton, secretary of the
board of health, all experienced in the
treatment of yellow fever. They visited
eleven patients, and after a careful and
thorough examination and investigation
unanimously reached the conclusion that
the fever was dengue. The physicians
agreed that none of the cases up to then
showed any symptoms that even lead to
suspicion of more dangerous disease.
All these physicians have had experience
in yellow fever epidemics and are eminent
in their profession, and their unanimous
conclusion seems to leave no doubt that
at the period spoken Of the fever was
mild type. During last week, however, vel
low fever in Yirulent form appeared at
Ocean Springs.
The quick death of DIR. Bemiss aroused
suspicion and by Saturday the boards of
health of Mobile and New Orleans were
in possession of information that justified
the fear that yellow fever had slipped into
Ocean Springs Official representatives of
the board of health of Mississippi, Louis
lana and Alabama and the representatives
of the marine hospital service went on
Saturday to Ocean Springs. They were
at once convinced that their gloomy ap-
prehensions were not unfounded. Care
full autopsies were made, but aside from
DR.. Saunders of Mobile the experts were
disposed to await a further and complete
autopsy to remove all doubt before max
ing official announcement to the world Of
the appearance of the scourge.- Last
night another patient a woman died, and
this morning an autopsy was held Its
result was to dispel adj previous doubts.
Acting President Walmsley of the Louis
lana board said this evening: There was
never a doubt about the first diagnosis.
At that time beyond question dengues
only prevailed. Out of 800 cases the death
rate was only ] per cent. In cpl
denies of yellow fever the death rate is
infinitely heavier. In the past
few days, however, yellow fever
has gotten into Ocean Springs
That is proven both by the rapid death
rate and by the thorough diagnosis which
has been made by physicians"
DR.. Wamsley was disposed to hold the
representatives of the marine hospital
and the Mississippi board of health 10
some responsibility for the invasion. He