The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-09-09

| yellow fever IN New OTlcaHs UP W Iit
| present time and | am sure we nave
the city fully covered
There seems to be today in some quar-
ters n disposition to criticse the health
authorities for not having given earlier
warning that the dreaded fever had
made its appearance at Ocean Springs.
The best expert opinion, however, sus-
taius the position of the doctors who
have been familiar with the conditions
at Ocean Springs in their declaration
that the development there of yellow
fever has been of very recent occurrence.
| During the week ending August Il re-
ports reached President Olliphant Of the
board of health from various parts of
the coast of the prevalence Of IA sickness
at Ocean Springs as to the nature ,ot
which there was considerable doubt.
Ocean Springs and her sister coast
towns are in frequent and daily commn-
nication with New Orleans, or were at
that time, and apprehension lest me
| fever mt the springs might be OF
serious type induced DR.. Olliphant 10 pay
A personal visit. in company with mem
Der of the board of health. to the III,
fected town. DR.. Olliphant learned
that there had been mp to that time
| some 400 cases. In company with the
attending physicians. one of whom was
| DIR. BcmiS, an eminent medical pricii-
| TONER Of New Orleans, who has slnc'
| died at the springs, he visited II NUMBER
of the cases. While the doctor learned
| that out of 400 cases there had been
| only one or two deaths, he nevertheless
ascertained that in two cases the sylnp'
toms were so suspicious AZ to give rise
to the belief that the fever was OF
| violent TYNE. Without vOuching an
opinion DR.. Olliphant retired to the city
and at his suggestion Doctors Gar.
| nowski and Solomon, of the board OF
experts, and DR.. Patton, secretary OF
the board of health. all of whom have
had experience in the treatment OF vel,
visit to Ocean Springs. On their arrival
there they were joined by DIR. II. ii:
HARRISON of the Mississippi board OF
health and DR.. Bailey and DR.. Belnls.
the physicians of the town. who were
then treating many cases. They visited
some eleven patients. the cases cores
! ponding in clinical history with existing
cases and cases which had previously
occurred. and after II careful! ana
thorough examination and investigation
unanimously reached the conclusion that
thr fever was denguc The physicians
agreed that in none of the cases. mp TO
the time of their visit. We're there. or
had there been, any symptoms OF more
scrio,ls disease. All the physicians
have had experience in yellow fever cpl
denies and are eminent in their pro-
fcsaion, and through the unanimous con
illusions seems to leave no doubt that at
the period spoken of the fever was. OF a
mild type. II proved fatal only III
few instances of very young or very
aged patients. During last week. how
ever, yellow fever in virulcnt form ap-
pearcd at Ocean Springs. The quick
death of DR.. Bcms aroused suspicion:
and by Saturday the boards of health OF
Mobile and New Orleans were III pos
session of information that Justified the
fear that yellow fever had slipped INTO
Ocean Springs. Official representatives
of the boards of health of Alabama. Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana and the rcpreS"n-
tatiycs of the marine hospital service
went at once on Saturday to Ocean
Springs, and cursOry examination OF
several fatal eases ut once convinced
them that their gloomy apprchenslonS
were not unfounded.
Careful autOpsies were made, but, aside
from Dr. Saunders of Mobile the eX-
perts were disposed to await further
and complete autopsy to remove all dount
before making official announcement to
the world of the appearance OF the
scourge. Last night another patient.
woman. died. and this morning an an,
all previous doubt.
Acting President Walmsley of the
Louisiana board said this evening:
There was never doubt of the first
diagnosis of the sickness ut Ocean
Springs. At that time it is not to be
questioned that dcngue fever only was
prevalent. Out of 600 cases the death
rate was only one-half of | per cent.
ANY one who has any knowledge of the
ravngcs of yellow fever knows that IN
cpidcmics of that disease the death rare
is infinitely heavier. The mere fact OF
the triling death rate proved mat tne
earlier sickness was extremely mild. In
the past few days. however, yellow Fever
has gotten into Ocean Springs. That is
proven by the rapid death of patients at
hacked with it and by the thorough dag
nosis of the disease which has been made
by the physicians. Under the circum-
stances there is no ground for criticisms
of the health authorities because an
earlier announcement was nor made.
No earlier announcement could he maze
for the reason that prior to the last rev
DAYS there was no yellow fever IN
| Ocean Springs
DR., Walmsley was disposed to hold the
representatives of the marine hospital ser
vice and the Mississippi board of health
to some responsibility for the INVASION.
| He said that the fever had unQuestloh-
ably been communicated by the constant
| Intercourse of Ocean Springs with Shlp
island. On Ship island there is United
States government quarantine station.
Ships from all portions of the world touch
there. A large number from tropical coun-
tries where yellow fever is indigenous to-
the soil report weekly at the island. The
people of Ocean Springs and Biloxi are
nearly opposite Ship island and have had a
notion that the best fishing grounds are IN
the vicinity of the island. There has been
J steady and uninterrupted communication
between the island and the coast towns.
| and DIR. Walmsley has little or no DOUBT
| that this indiscriminate intercourse mas
been the means of bringing into Ocean
| Springs tho deadly germ of the yellow
fever. If rigid quarantine had been
maintained between the island and shore
DR.. Walmsley believes that Ocean springs
| would now have little else to contend with
| than dengue fever. Immunity from cpl
demc. however, has had tendency 10
breed carelessness, and the result is to be
found in the calamity that has betallen
| the popular sound resort.