The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-10-12

the Pesthouse. when volunteers for the
service were required.
Typhus is the most deadly OF all the
acute diseases except cholera, being as
contagious as smallpox and nearly as IA
tai as cholera.
The pate mt is Z. Miller, formerly of the
Union Iron Works. who lived at 4l6 Mis-
sissippi street until taken ill and sent 10
st. Luke's. DR.. Dodge attended the case
a few days, discovered that II was typhus
AMI sent the patient to the Pesthouse.
DR.. Gianninni at once agreed to attend
the sufferer, knowing that nearly all
physicians and nurses contract the dis
ease and that more than half CT the adults
who contract it die. John Hawkins, VINO
is working at the hospital for a nurse 6
diploma. agreed to aid DR.. Giannini, and
the two have been in charge without
respite since Sunday. DR.. Williamson
has as yet been unable 10 find a second
nurse TO risk his life IN the service.
DR.. Giannini is a graduate OF the medi-
cal department of the State University,
and is painstaking ard ambitious de-
votee of his profession.
Drs. Chalmers (of the quarantine serv-
ice) and Williamson (oi the City and
County Ho.pitaD say they have strong
hopes that the disease will not spread
beyond the ..Pesthouse, though they say
that lfit gets start the bad sanitary con-
dltion of the city's tenements and sewers
will initiate against stamping it out.
There has never been case of the dis
ease on this coast so far as known, though
there have been several marked epidemics
In New York and Philadelphia. Accord
ing to DR.. Austin Flint the disease has
been known from the earliest antiquity.
He reports that be saw sixty-five cases in
the Buffalo Hospital, and that twelve Sis
tiers OF Charity who had charge of the
patients contracted the disease, while
twenty-five of the house staff of physi-
clans were Frustrated at the same time
DR.. William Osler OF Johns Hopkins,
one OF the greatest authorities on such
diseases, defines it as an ''acnte infectious
disease" and adds:
tebrtte affections. In epidcmicS nurses and
doctors are almost GtsCGys attacked. There
as no disease which has so MANY victiBls fu
the profession. Bedding and Clothes retain
the poison long time, and the disease IS
always present IN London and LiUer pool. i"
There were 7S5 cases in New York in
1883 and many cases in the Philadelphia
hospital at the same time.
DR.. Felix Niemeyer says the disease is
akin 10 smallpox and that those who at
tend the patients almost always get the
disease
According to the work of DR.. Daniel
Hughes the disease is commonly known
as "ship fever. jail fever, camp fever,
spotted or putrid fever, icing character
lied by sudden invasion and profound de-
ression of the vital organs
DR.. Giannini was spoken to over the.tele-
phone last night concerning his patien
and his preca ution as attending physi-
clan. He said:
The patient is resting we'll tonight,
though the symptoms are at times
alarming. The crisis has not been
passed. The, disease runs its course in
about two weeks. The books say that the
temperature at times runs to LOT, but my
patients fever has not yet gone beyond
105. The only thing we do is TO take care
We wear what is called linen gown when
we 20 near the ratient. There Is plenty
of fresh air in the room, and as there is
but the one case l feel that the danger is
reduced to the minimum. BY this kind
of isolation there ought to be no danger to
any, save few of US here at the mans
side. The general population is safe
enough, but, OF course, the nurse and l
run some pretty strong risks, but those 60
with the professions we have chosen