The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-09-18
THE YELLOW coURG

Becoming More Aggressive Every Day
Thirteen Cases for Observation Reported
by Attending Physiclans-Hard Work by
the Board of Health and Strained Efforts
to Appear Calm and Confident.
New ORLEANS, Sept. 1S.-At night.
fall last night the books of the board
Of health showed the following re-
capitulation of the days developments
in the yellow fever situation. There
had been reported to the board for in
vestigation % cases which the attend
ing physicians regarded as suspicious
Two of the cases were found to be
suffering from a harmless fever, five
cases were regarded as serious, but
necessary to be further investigated;
there were no reports as to four cases
and four cases had been pronounced
genuine yellow fever, though n of
the latter was classed as of mild type.
The most serious of the four yellow
fever cases is located in the neighbor.
hood of the French market The To-
cality is far from a clearly one, is pop
ulated by a poorer class of people,
many of whom are foreigners, and
might be considered dangerous ground.
For that reason especial pains were
taken by the board of health to quar-.
antine the infected houses. Officers
from the police force were detailed to
take charge of the neighborhood, a
restaurant, a bakery and a shop mex
door to the premises in which the
sickness was found were closed up, and
a large quantity of disinfectant was
sent to the scene to be used.
OF course the report of new cases
daily is creating alarm in some quarters,
but the disease has shown but little
malignity, as witness the record of one
death out of II cases, and none of the
practicing physicians are yet on record
as expressing Il fear of an epidemic.
President Oiliphant of the board of
health said last night: Il repeat to-
night what L have said to you hereto
fore. Of course it is an unpleasant
task to have to report the appearance
of new cases, but the moment has not
yet come when we should throw up
our hands and admit that the fever is
in a fair way to conquer the city. 1t
will not be surprising, and we should
not be disappointed if other cases ap-
pear daily for some time. How many,
! am not prepared to say. That is, OF
course, to be expected from the extended
intercourse that has existed between
New Orleans and the infected places
on the gulf coast, and from the tardi-
ness with which the character of the
fever at Ocean Springs was finally es-
tablished. So far, however, as the
fever in New Orleans is concerned, you
may say that we are convinced that
the disease is not spreading beyond
the limits of the place which we are
quarantining. L mean, for instance,
that it has not extended beyond one
side of the square in st. Cloud, in
which it was originally found. This
prevention of a spreading proves the
efficiency of our sanitary methods and
quarantine regulations. Not one of
the cases in New Orleans originated
here. Each one of them may be traced
back to Ocean Springs or points on the
coast. For these reasons L may say
hat the situation has not become
alarming, and you may tell the people
of the country thai we are still feeling
hopeful of our ability to control what
ever cases may appear in New Or.
leans"
The same rigid attention is being
given to the suspicious cases as OBJ
tains in the treatment of those which
are declared to be yellow fever.
Guards are stationed about the prem
ises, the streets are kept clear, pedes.
TRANS are warned and liberal use is
made of disinfectants, for the authori-
ties have come to realize that the stu
alton, while not alarming is certainly
serious, and that only w~atchfulness
and vigilance will hold the scourge in
subsection.
One of the features developed during
the day is that people of maturer age
have been attacked. Heretofore the
disease has been confined principally
to children of tender age, and boys and
girls not yet grown to manhood and
womanhood. Two of the late cases
show hat older people have been at
tackled.
Under instructions from the Super
%intendent OF the railway mail service.
the post Office authorities are fumigat.
ing all outgoing mail.