The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-09-07


portation the doctors expressed conf
dence 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,
however, expressed no apprehension,
and state their belief that it was quite
possible to arrest a spread of the fe-
Yer. The board during the day had
ordered a rigid quarantine against all
points on the gulf coast, and had
taken every precaution to guard
against the entry into the city Of any
person from Ocean Springs.
We have no fear said DR.. Wins
ley, acting President of the Board of
Health, that the fever will spread in
New Orleans The Board of Health
is prepared TO spend a million dollars
to stamp it out and we see no reason
to feel alarmed. People ought not to
get frightened This one case was
taken charge Of in time and such sci
entific fumigation has been applied as
TO warrant the hope that we shall
promptly and effectively stamp out the
disease. We have made arrangements
to issue tonight a circular to every
practicing physician in New Orleans,
commanding them promptly to report
every case, and if, unfortunately, other
cases of yellow fever should be brought
to our attention. we shall notify the
world through the Associated 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 prominent
physicians of New Orleans have been
been pressed into service, and we have
the closest attention given to each of
these cases. In every instance bac-
THEOLOGICAL examinations showed the
existence of only malaria germs and no
evidence of yellow fever microbes.
L am we'll within the truth, there
fore, when I say the Gelpi case is the
only one of yellow fever in New Or
leans up to the present time, and I am
sure we have the city fully covered.
During the week ending August 2lst,
reports reached President Oliphant of
the Board Of Health of the prevalence
of sickness at Ocean Springs, the ma
ture of which was in doubt. Mr.. Oil
plant, with a 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
violent type. DR.. Oliphant then
brought on Drs. Czamowski and Solo
mon of the Board of Experts. and DR..
Patton. Secretary of the Board of
Health, all experienced in the treat
ment of yellow fever. They visited
some eleven patients. and after careful
and thorough examination, unanimous
ly came to the conclusion that the fever
was dengue. The physicians agreed
that none of the cases up to then show
ed symptoms that would even lead to
a suspicion of a serious disease.
All these physicians have had expert
ence in yellow 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 mild type. During
the week, however, yellow fever in vir-
ulent 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 re-
ports of the Boards of Health of Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana and the representa-
tives of the Marine Hospital Service,
went at once on Saturday to Ocean
Springs. They were at once convinced
that their gloomy apprehensions were
not unfounded Careful autopsies were
made, but aside from DR.. Saunders of
Mobile, the. experts We're disposed to
await a further and complete autopsy
to remove all doubt before making
official announcement to the world Of
the appearance of the scourge. Last
night another patient, a woman, died.
and this morning an autopsy was held.
It's result was to dispel all previous
doubt.
Acting President Walmsley of the
Louisiana board said this evening:
There was never doubt about the
first diagnosis. AT that time beyond
question, dengue fever only prevailed
Out of 600 cases the death rate was on
ly one-half of one per cent. In cpl
. NEiillCo VI StllOW ever the Q6dLU rate Is
infinitely heavier In the past few
days. however, yellow fever has gotten
into Ocean Springs. That is proven
both by the rapid death rate and by the
thorough diagnosis which have been
made by the physicians. No earlier
announcement could be made, for the
/ reason that prior to the last few days,
there was no yellow fever existing in
Ocean Springs"
Mr.. Walmsley was disposed to hold
the representatives of the Marine Hos
pital Service and the Mississippi Board
Of Health to some responsibility for the
/ invasion. He said that the fever had
unquestionably been communicated by
the constant intercourse of Ocean
/ Springs with Ship Island where there
! is a United States Government quaran-
tine station. Ships from all portions
of the world touch there. A large num-
Der from tropical countries, where yell
low fever is indigenous to the soil re-
port there weekly There has been
steady communication between the ISL
and and coast towns, and DR.. Walmsley
has little or no doubt that this has been
! the means of bringing into Ocean
/ Springs the deadly germs of yellow fe-
yer If a rigid quarantine had been
maintained between the island and
| shore, he believes that Ocean Springs