The herald., 1897-09-07
DREADED
DISEASE
Makes Its Appearance at
New Orleans
PROMPT ACTION TAKEN
To Check the Spread of the
Yellow Fever
BOARDS OF HEALTH Notified
QUARANTINE REGULATIONS
PUT IN FORCE
~
New Orleans officials Prepared -
Spend Million Dollars, and
Expect to Stamp Out
BOARDS OF HEALTH NOTIFIED
QUARANTINE REGULATIONS
PUT IN FORCE
New Orleans officials Prepared ~
Spend a Million Dollars, and
Expect to Stamp Out
the Fever
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
NEW ORLEANS. Sept, e.-The Lou.
isiana state board Of health kept faith
with her sister bodies of the south ana
the rest of the country today when It
made official announcement, as a result
of careful autopsy, that Raoul Gelpi.
10 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 here. Soon
after arriving, despite the best medical
attendance, 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 cor
rect. Steps were promptly taken to
prevent a possible spread Of the disease.
As the case was one of importation, 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
among the lay public. Physicians, how
ever expressed no apprehension and
stated their belief that it was quite pos
sible to arrest spread of thefever. The
board during the day had ordered rigid
quarantine against all points on the
Gulf coast and had taken every precau-
ton to guard against the entry into the
oif Of NV from Onaqn SnriuUS
1--WE have no fear" said DR.. Wimsley,
acting president of the board of health,
chat the fever will spread in New Or
leans The board of health is prepared
to spend a million dollars to stamp 1t
out, and we see no reason to feel
alarmed. People ought not to get fright
ened. This one case was taken in charge
Of in time and such scientific fumigation
has been applied as to warrant the hope
that we shall promptly and effectually
stamp out the disease. We have made
arrangements to issue tonight cir
culars to every practicing physician
in New Orleans commanding them
promptly to report every case and II, un-
fortunately, other cases of yellow fever
should be brought to our attention we
shall notify the world through the Asso-
ciated Press Of the facts. There have
been at least four cases in addition to the
Gelpi one of people suffering from fever
who have come to New Orleans from
Ocean Springs. Ten Of the most promi-
nent physicians of New Orleans have
been pressed into service and we have
the closest attention given to each one
of these cases. In every instance bac-
THEOLOGICAL examinations showed the
existence Of only malaria germs and no
evidence of yellow fever microbes.
IT am we'll within the truth, therefore,
when 1 say the Gelpi case is the only
one of yellow fever in New Orleans UP
to the present time, and I am sure We
have the city fully covered"
During the waak ending August 81
reports reached President Oliphant Of
the board of health Of the prevalence
of sickness al Ocean Springs, the nature
Of which was in doubt. Mr.. Oliphant,
with member of the board of health,
went there and learned that there had
been 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 serious as to give rise to the
belief that the fever was. Of a, violent
type DIR. Oliphant then brought on
Drs. Czarnowski and Solomon Of the
board of experts and DR.. Patton. secre-
tary of the board of health, all expert
enced in the treatment of yellow fever.
They visited some eleven patients, and
afr a careful and thorough examine
ton, unanimously came to the conclus-
ion that the fever was dengue. The ply
sicians agreed that none of the cases
up to then showed symptoms that would
even lead to a serious disease. All the
physicians have had experience in yell
low 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 q
mild type. During the week, however,
yellow fever in virulent form appeared
at Ocean Springs. The quick death Of
DR.. Bemis 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
boards of health of Mississippi, Louis
lana and the representatives of the ma
rine hospital service went at once ON
Saturday to Ocean Springs. They were
at once convinced that their gloomy an.
prehensions were not unfounded.
Careful autopsies were made, but.
aside from DR.. Sanders of Mobile, the
experts were disposed to await fur
ther and complete autopsy to remove all !
doubt before making ofi1cial announce
ment to the world of the appearance of
the scourgs. Last night another pationk
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