The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-26
REPORT OF Or. CUlTERAS.
Describes His ltlssrsry llsatiso
YeIlou Fever u TIE SoutA.
IN Diagnosis 81 ths case rur-
HiaAeA sonAe weeks Afterwara.
Convinced % Beanncnt Case.

rcport Of the itinerary Of DR.. John t,ul-
teras, yellow fcvcr expert, ha. been made.
The following il report Of thc itinerary;
Sfr-In obedience to telegraphic instruc-
lions received on the 9Th Of September. i
arrived In Ocean Springs, Miss.. on tho Sth
OF september. examined on that dav
twenty eight cases Of acute febrils diseases.
The prevailing disease In Ocean Springs
was undoubtedly an epidemic Of dengue
fever and such was the diagnosis l rave
Of twenty-five OF the cases examined: threc
other cases. however. was convinced were
cases Of yellow fever. Az one Of these
was likely to die within the next twenty
four hours, 1t was dcomed advisable TO
wait for the post mortem examination be-
fore prcnouncing the disease Officially to be
yellow fever. The nccropsy performed BY
Dr. wasdin subsequently, confirmed this
opinion.
The history Of cases that had occurred In
Ocean Springs for several weeks, the re-
suits OF post mortems made by Passed As
sistant Surgeon Wasdin. together with his
opinion OF cases previously eeen by him.
fever had existed In Ocean Springs in the
midst OF an epidemic Of dengue during an
uncertain period Of about four weeks.
The population OF Ocean Springs was
formed mainly Of sumner eAcursionists
from the cities OF New Orleans and Mobile
and the interior country As yellow fever
is usually imported through our large sea-
port towns. It was quite reasonable to sup
pose that In thu present instance the dis
ease had been introduced through ono or
the other Of these commercial ceniers.
After discovering few other cases Of
yellow fever in Ocean Springs. proceeded,
on September 10, to n study Of suspicious
cases at Scranton. l found here, also, q
very large number OF cases of dengue, some
suspicious mild cases Of fcvcr that could
not be positively classified as either yell
low fever or dcngue. ana one unniistnk
able case OF the former disease. Tho ex-
istence OF very mild cases of fever at the
same time and often In the same house
with case OF yellow fever began to be q
prominent feature OF the present epidemic
and one which has led to many mistakes
during the present outbreak
on the 18th | was directed to proceed 10
Mobile and investigate suspicious cases OF
fever that wore supposed to exist there. l
found in Mobile the same conditions exist
Ing elsewhere. On the first day Of my Ia
vestlgation found. after visiting CON
siderable number Il cases Of mild fever
without special characteristic features. two
cases that presented the facies OF yellow
fever and had albumin in the urine. The
physicians who kindly invited me TO visit
their patients, mentioned similar cases In
which albumin had been found In the urine.
| had meanwhile examined tho mTtuary
records OF tho city OF Mobile for the nrst
twelve days In September, comparing them
With the same record for the previous year.
found that the total number OF deaths Tor
1896 was 2S; 20 OF these were colored and
white The total during 1887 was 80: 70
cclorcd and Is white. Among the lattcr
found one deahh from uraemic convulsions
In a man Al years of age and q native OF
Kentucky; enc OF congestion OF the prain
In I, male u years Of age. native oil Ala
bana ore 81 purpura acknowledged aged
30, native OF Mississinpi, and one Of ulcer
OF the stomach. aged IS. native OF Sweden.
On the 14th OF September ! was shown
the case OF n Norwegian sailor In the city
hospital. This case had been considered
suspicious by the health authorities OF the
city and had been carefully ISOLATED. Inc
case was unquestionably one OF yellow
fever approaching fatal termination, an
other case was discovered on the same day.
Taking together tho mortuary record. the
history OF previous cases given by the phy-
sicians and the fact that no connection
could be found between the cases discoV-
cred, was led TO the conclusion that ssv-
eral foci OF infection must exist In the city.
and reported 10 you accordingly that l
apprehended q serious outbreak snpsc-
ouent events have confirmed this opinion.
Under Instructions from your bureau.
visited tho city OF Edwards. Miss, on the
18th Of September Here l was shown ak
casee considered suspicious by DR., Purnell
OF the State board of health OF Mississippi.
These were found to be all cases OF yellow
fever. Az they we're scattered over diner-
ent portions Of the city. became conyia.ed
that there were also here separate fool 81
infection, and that 1t would be impossible
to stamp out the disease. The cases IN Ed
wards seemed 10 be traceable to the family
of Mr.. Anderson. Two members OF this
family were taken sick on the day after
their arrival from Ocean Springs. All the
members OF the household were sUbse-
quentiy attacked, and though they were
not diagnosed yellow fever. the history OF
the case OF Mr.. Champion, who visited
their house. points Enthusiastically to the
diagnosis Of yellow fever.
The case OF Mr. Champion. who was
prominent member OF the community. be-
came the distributing center for the disease
throughout the city. Mrs. Anderson ar
rived from Ocean springs and was taken
sick on the Sth OF August.
I returned 10 Mobile on the 10th. During
the second visit to Mobile visited but few
patients on account of the erroneous Inn
preston that prevailed that my visit TO
Edwards might have infected my clothing.
This was, Of course. abusrd whsa We con-
slider that there were at the time very
probably more cases OF yellow fever IN Mo-
bile than In Edwards wish here to call
attention to the fact that none OF ths per-
sons who came In contact with me con-
tracted the disease. In particular we must
include Passed Assistant Surgeon Glennan.
who was constantly with me. and the en-
ployss Of the Windsor hotel. This place
remains still unnfected. The short visit Of
a physician In an infected room Is not sur
icient 10 infect his clothing. There v not
single instance Of Transmission o. the
disease through my visits TO patients
Were this more generally understood =
great obstacle to my investigations wouid
be removed
Following your instructions. arrived IN
Cairo. ILL.,, on September 10 and was abls
~ coufIrm at once the diagnosis OF two
csses Of yellow fever IN the marine hofpitsl
made BY Surgeon Kaiioch Of the marine
hospital service. Another case was found on
the sanss day in the city hospital. and an
l.