The sun., 1897-04-05
N. Y. HOSPITAL SMALLPOX.
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE OF THB
PECULIAR OUTBREAK.

| No New Cases ana mn Efficient Quarantine vow
Maintnined-Two Nurses Among Those who
Caught the Disease-Two Wards Anccted
ami n Large Number or Persons ENpused.
THE SuN printed yesterday an account Of the
smallpox cases in the Now York Hospital Fur
ther details have been learned which are deemed
interesting to physicians well rs TO the pub
lie, being narrative from an authentic source
OF the outbreak In tho hospital.
Three weeks ago last Wednesday mnn ne mod
James Hogan, who said he lived AT 22A Park
row, went to the New York Disponsary for
treatment for what he thought was skin dis
case. The physician in charge was suspicious
OF the case, as there were present many of the
symptoms Of smallpox There wasa rash on the
mans body and other indications of the discnse
so the physician determined to ask tho Board Of
Health to investigate the case before Hogan
was finally received for treatment.
Word was sent to tho Health Ohflco, and
doctor connected with the board who came in
answer TO the summons declared after exam-
nation that Hogan did not have smallpox The
physician in charge of the dispcnsary was still
suspicious, and when Hogan was sent TO the
New York Hospital for treatment the authori-
ties of that institution wcrc asked to keep q
close watch on him
Hogan was put In ward ii. along with about
twenty-five other patients, and he lay there fer
five days before it was finally determined thaS
he did have the smallpox In the meanwhile the
Health Board had been notified again, and
consultation of its physicians WIS held which
resulted in u decision that the patient was not
suffering from any contagious disease, but tho
visiting physicians of the New York Hospital
were still suspicious, and Superintendent Lud-
lam was notified that every precaution should
be taken to prevent the spread of tho disease in
case 1t turned out to he smallpox
1t is stated that the nurses and attendants
who werc employed in Ward IL were allowed to
mingle freely with the other employees, that the
bed clothes were sent to the commrn laundry,
and that the food supply and dishes came from
tho common kitchen, while some of the men who
waited on the patients in Ward II in the day,
worked in Ward X at night.
When IL was finally decided that Hogan had
Island. Superintendent Ludlam had tho pa
tients In Ward II removed 10 another room,
while their old quarters were fUGnigatcd. Nhcn
back 10 Ward II.
their quarters in the Nurses Home and to eat
IN their old dining room, while the cOnvaiCscent
patients patients OF the ward were @ allowed to use the
they mingled with the other patients.
Two weeks and two days after Hogan, who
subsequently, died. was taken 10 North Brother
Island male patient in surgical ward x was
seized with smallpox. He had been in .he hos
pital for more than three weeks and he had almost
recovered from the operation which was per
formed on his face. During the latter part Of his
and chat. He had not left the building from
the day, he entered as patient, so tn t it is
building. A Health Board physician sum
Doned and the man was removed 20 the island,
tendants, nurses and patients there were
On Tuesday last a nurse in Ward was
stricken and the disease developed with great
rapidity. She is woman OF twenty-five, and
up to the time she became i'll she was in splendid
hR W al Enn GlfE NJ. psrEt
Ward K. She was Immediately isolated in the
Nurses Home, which is within the grounds OF
North Brother Island. On the same day that
sho was removed from the hospital another
pox. and she. too was tAken TO the island.
On the day on which the first nurse in ward z
CLARK. " ho was a COOK in a Boarding house in
Sixteenth street, between Sixth and seventh
cured She had BEEN an innate n OF o Ward @ x for or
six weeks, and although she had recovered
from f ~ the effects of II the OPERATION which
Immediately went back to her old place of en-
and besides cooking the food the Clark womgn
assisted in the general housework and made tho
beds. At night she slept in with her daughter.
On G Friday last, Hannah. accompanied by
and she was Immediately shown to the
in the basement, where .
She q saH.
ing pains in her back and there was a rash on
her face. She was in the room twenty minutes,
however, before her turn came, and when she
was examined the physicianin In charge immedi-
ately pronounced il case of smallpox She
was hustled away 10 another room and isolated
until she could be sent to North Brother Island.
In the mean time the Health Board physician,
who was in the hospital at the time. ordered all
hands who were in the dispensary TO be vacci-
mated. All the doctors and nearly every one Of
ersl refused, and their names and addresses
were taken for future reference Then the dis
pensary was closed and fumigated, and it waS
not reopened on the following day.
On Saturday another nurse in Ward K was
taken Ill. and she displayed all the symp-
IONS Of smallpox she Immediately isolated
in the Nurses Home
DR.. Benedict, Chief of the Bureau OF Conta-
yious Diseases. said last night that efficient
quarantine is now maintained at the hospital.
There are no new cases.