New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-07
FIGHTING YELLOW FEVER.
THE DISEASE BREAKS IUT AT OCEAN
SPRINGS, MISS.
SEVERAL DEATHS THERE AND ONE IN NEW
oRLEANs-sOUTHERN BOARDS OF HEALTH
TAKING EVERY PREcAUTION TO
PREVENT TIE sCOCRGE
rpoM sppE ,DrSG

TAKING EVERY PREcAUTIoN TO
PREVENT TIE sCorRGE
FROM SPREADING.
New Orleans Sept. 6.-The Louisiana state
Board OF Health this afternoon made official
announcement as the result Of a careful autopsy
that Raoul Gclpi. thirteen years old had died
from yellow fever. Gelpl was the of prom
nent people here. and had been spending some
time at Ocean Springs Miss. where be was taken
down with fever and brought home. soon after
arriving. despite the best medical attention. he
died Dr. Theard. the physician in charge. i'm
mediately reported to the Board of Health. and
expressed the opinion that death due to
yellow fever This afternoon an autopsy proved
that Or Theard's diagnosis Of yellow fever was
correct. Steps promptly taken to prevent
possible spread of the disease. As the case
! was one of importation. the doctors expressed
/ confidence that they would be able to check the
J spread of tine disease.
RIGID QUARANTINE ORDERED.
! The death Of young Gep naturally caused no
/ little excitement In the city. Physicians, how
! ever. express no apprehension. and gave their
/ belief that 1t quite possible to prevent a
! spread Of the fever. The Board during the day
! ordered a rigid quarantine against all points on
! the Gulf coast. and took every precautlon
! to guard all avenues Of communication against
| the entry into the city of any person from Ocean
! Springs. Biloxi or other points the Sound
which it was thought the fever might reach
| During the day the bulletin boards have been
| thronged the Board OF Health office besieged.
! and the wires freighted with messages to and
| from the various coast resorts. In the mean
! time however, reassuring kilograms arrived
! fror- Ocean Springs that the Mississippi Board
l. attt m
to circumscribe the limits OF the epidemic and
! prevent It's communicate to the outside world.
we have fear" said DR.. Walmsley. act
Ing president Of the Board Of Health. that the
fever will spread in New Orleans. The Board
y Health is prepared to spend Sl.WoWU to
stamp 1t out and reason TO feel
alarmed People ought not to get frightened.
This one case was taken charge Of in time. and
such scientific fumigation has been applied as
to warrant the hope that shall promptly and
. effectively stamp out the disease. We have
made ARRANGEMENTS to issue tonight circular
/ 10 every practising physician in New-Orleans.
, commanding them promptly to report 10 the
Board Of Health every suspicious case Of fever.
We have made arrangements to act promptly
/ In every case. and IL. unfortunately other cases
Of yellow fever shall be brought to our atten-
,on. we shall without delay notify the world
through the Associated Press Of the facts.
THE CASES AT OCEAN SPRINGS.
"Thore have been at least four cases in addi.
,on 10 the Gelpi one OF people suffering from
| foyer who have come TO NeW-Orleans from
! Ocean Springs Ten II the most prominent ply
slcians Of New Orleans have been pressed into
service and we give the closest attention 70
each " these cases. In every instance bac-
THEOLOGICAL examinations showed the existence
/ only II malarial germs and no evidence OF yell
| low fever microbes ! am we'll within the truth.
therefore. when : say that Gelpi's is the only
case II yellow fever in New-Orleans up to the
present time and am sure we have the city
fully covered"
During the week ending August 81 reports
reached President Olphant Of the Board Of
| Health II the prevalence OF sickness at Ocean
Springs. the nature Of which was in doubt. DR..
| Ophlnt with n member Of the Board OF Health.
went there. and learned that there had been
up TO that time some four hundred cases. or
these there had been only one or two deaths
/ but In Two cases the symptoms were so sus-
plcious as 10 give rise the belief that the
fever was Of n violent type. DR.. Ophant then
brought on Drs Czarnowsk and Salomon. Of the
! Board of Experts. and DR.. Patton secretary OF
the Board OF Health all experienced in the
| treatment Of yellow fever. They visited some
| eleven patients. and. after a careful and thor
ouGh examination and investigation unani-
mously reached the conclusion that the fever
! dcngue The physicians agreed that
! Of the cases up To then showed any symptoms
that would even lead to a suspicion Of more
serious disease. All these physicians have had
experience in yellow fever epiiemics and are
eminent in their profession. and their unan-
nous confusion seems to leave doubt that
at the period spoken of the fever was OF a mild
| type. During the week. however. yellow fever
in virulent form appeared at Ocean Springs.
The quick death Of DR.. Bemiss aroused sus.
picon. and by Saturday the Boards OF Health OF
! Mobile and New-Orleans were in possession of
information that justified the fear that yellow
fever hal slipped into Ocean Springs. officials
of the Boards of Health Of Mississippi Louisiana
and Alabama. and the representatives Of the
Marine Hospital Service went on Saturday to
ocean Springs. They were at once convinced
that their gloomy apprehensons were not un-
! founded.
RESULTS OF THE AUTOPSIES
Careful autopsles made. but aside from
DR. Saunders of Mobile. the experts were dis
posed to await a further and complete autopsy
to remove all doubt before making official an
nouncement to the world Of the appearance Of
! the scourge. Last night another patient, a
woman died and this morning an autopsy
| held. Its result was To dispel all previous doubts.
Or Walnsley VAS disposed to hold the repre-
/ scntstives Of the Marine Hospital Service and
the Mississippi Board of Health TO some respon-
! sihility for the invasion He said that the fever
! had unuuestionably been communicated by the
/ constant intercourse Of Ocean Springs with Ship
! Island where there Is a Government quarantine
station
REPORTS DOUBTED IN WASHINGTON
! MARINE HOSPITAL. OFFICIALS UNWILLING TO BE-
| IJEvE THAT THE DISEASE Is YELLOW FEVER
! Washington Sept 6-The latest information
| ceived by Dr. Ba!ibache. acting Surseon-tieneral
| @, the Marine Hospital Service is to the effect
| 49,. H. ll.o.... rn1,nr,nL III Ocn,n Snrln.s Nh