The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-24
THE YELLOW FEVER
EIGHTEEN NEW CASES OCCUR
IN NEW ORLEANS

tionaI Cases at Mobile and
Cases Generally Of a Mild Type-Dr. Holt
Produces q Sensation in New Orleans
Railway Oficials Leaving M~obile-Camps
Of DeteBtiOn.
New Orleans, September 19.-The To-
cal fever situation has undergone little
change since yesterday. At 6 o'clock
tonight the record book in the board
Of health office bowed a total Of six
new cases and one death. The official
bulletin to be issued tonight will show
TWO deaths, that of the woman Santa
Graffeto, who died in the hospital last
night, not having been included in the
official bulletin, although reported in
the Associated Press dispatches.
Two cases are in the extreme upper
portion OF the city; one is in the
Fourth district; one is in the ST. Claude
street house where the original six
cases were reported, and one is in the
williams's house, where two cases al
ready existed. There are three cases
under investigation, and the health au-
thOrities tonight still view the situation
with some cOmplacency. They do not
yet anticipate an epidemic.
The detention camp at Fontainbleau
has been declared practically completed
and to be ready for the reception OF
guests.
A special train went to BOlixi and
Ocean Springs today and carried about
forty persons to the ann Tomorrow
the camp will be thrown Open to all
corners. Those who are not immunes
will have to stay in the amp ten days.
according to the rules laid down by
Surgeon Murray, these rules being SIM
ply the federal law, which the sur
geOn, as commander OF the camp,
rs bound to enforce. There were no
new cases reported at Ocean Springs
ND to noon, but the weather was heavy
and sultry, and one OF the patients,
Mrs. Laura Atkin, was not expected to
live.
WORST DAY OF THE FEVER.
New Orleans, September 2O.-The
largest number of cases reported on
any day since the yellow fever first
made it's appearance, two weeks ago,
was recorded on the books Of the board
of health this evening at 6 o'clock, al
though at that hour not a single case
had proven fatal during the day. There
were eighteen cases in all, including
nine by DIR. Joseph Holt, all Of the lat
ter having been duly tagged and put
under quarantine regulations.
The most sensational incident Of the
day was the announcement from Or.
Joseph Holt to the board of health that
he had discovered nine cases among his
practice, the first of which a come
under his observation on Friday. DR..
Holt wrote a letter to President Olli-
plant and entrusted it to the mail and
his letter reached the board Of health
office his morning; but, fearing that
the letter might not reach it's destina-
ton in time, DR.. Holt sent a special
messenger to the residence Of DR.. Olli-
phant, of the board, at II o'clock last
night, giving this information. The
public, however, did not learn Of the
Holt cases until shortly before noon
today. At the board Of health office
when the Holt letter was opened there
was first incredulity and then criticism
of DR.. Holt because he had adopted
what the board considered an irregular
way in which to make known his gases.
Immediately upon the receipt Of the
letter the machinery of the board was
placed iE motion and inspectors were
sent to the various houses where DR..
Holt reported sickness to exist. The
places were all disinfected and guards
placed in front Of them, but the board
said it had very little hope of the eff
feotiveness of these measures, since all
those who desired were given an OPP
portunity to escape from the infected
houses. One of the houses, where four
of the patients are, is a fashionable
boarding house. The first case to de-
velOp in this house was at 2:30 o'clock
Saturday morning, and the other cases
in the same place were noted on Satur-
day afternoon. Those living in the
house, of whom there were quite a
number, knew of the existence of fever
early Saturday morning and, therefore,
got out as fast as possible. Some Of
them moved their baggage on Satur-
day and others on Sunday, while it is
said some of the bOaruerS took a train
and went to Atlanta.
Shortly after the BOARD of health was
made acquainted with the contents of
the letter of DR.. Holt, it held an ex-
ecutive conference and decided to i'm
mediately order it's board of experts
to visit the nine cases of DR.. Holt and
decide whether or not they were suf-
fering with yellow fever. The experts
attempted to carry IOut the instruc-
tions this afternoon, but when they
proceeded to the first house DR.. Holt
entered an objection and refused them
permission to examine any Of his pa
tientS, taking the position that he had
properly diagnosed them. and that be-
ing an expert himself there vas no Oc-
casion for further investigation. After
the experts made their report, the
board of health went into executive ses-
sion and discussed at length what vas
termed DR.. Hollis violation Of a city
ordinance which he himself had passed
and which provides for the punishment
by fine or imprisonment of any phySi-
elan who might fail to REPORT a posi-
tive or suspicious case of yellow fever
IN a period like the present. The ques-
ton Of the immediate prosecution of
DR.. Holt came up and was considered,
but the board finally decided to sum-
mon DR.. Holt to appear before them
and explain tomorrow his alleged neg
figence in the premises.
The result of a meeting tomorrow
will decide whether or not there shall
be a prosecution Of DR.. Holt in the
courts. DR.. Holt is n of the most
--,;,nrt phx-ioinrc ~, this ,jfx- Woe