The evening times., 1898-11-23
Health Department Report on
the Death of Miller.
FIRST ONE RECORDED HERE
No Question As TO the Correctness
of the Diagnosis.
Reduction I'm the Number of Scarlet
Fever and Diphtheria Cases-The
Weeks Mortality Record.

The weekly bulletin of the health de-
partment, issued this afternoon, gives
lengthy reference to the yellow fever case
which was noted here last Saturday, and
reiterates the former statement of the
local health officer TO the effect that the
case was one of genuine yellow fever. The
report is as follows:
THE death which occurred from yell
low fever on the 18th instant, was the
first ever recorded from that cause in the
District of Columbia The deceased was
a civil engineer who had arrived at New
York on the steamer Allegheny on the
10th instant, from Greytown, Nicaragua,
via Port Limon, Costa Rica. The proba-
bic source Of infection was Port Limon
at which the steamer touched on the 7th
instant The deceased was, according to
the statement of a fellow-passenger, ta-
ken sick during the voyage, but al the
time of his arrival at New York. on the
9Th day, was able to pass the quarantine
officers and come to this city, where he
arrived during the afternoon. He regis
tered at a hotel about O'Clock, as nearly
as can be learned, went Immediately 10
his room, and apparently became uncon-
scious shortly afterwards; this was on
the ninth or tenth day after leaving Port
Limon, and if the disease developed aft
er the ordinary period of incubation Of
four or five days, was the fifth or sixth
day OF his Illness. Nothing more is known
of him until about O'Clock a. m. on the
morning OF the 18th instant when the
occupant Of the adjoining room was
aroused by noises in the apartment occu-
pied by the deceased.
"A physician was Immediately called.
and from the fact that the patient had
been in country known to be infected
with yellow fever, and because of the
serious nature Of the disease, and the
presence At that time of characteristic
black vomiJ, suspected the infectious
character of the malady. and took proper
steps TO have it definitely diagnosed.
Specimens Of urine showed the presence
OF albumen ard no casts, and an exami-
nation Of the blood failed to reveal any
evidences OF malarlal infection. The pa
tient died about o'clock, without hay-
ing recovered consciousness. An autop-
sy, performed the next day, revealed the
characteristic LESSONS Of yellow fever and
no evidence Of disease of any other va
riety. There is, therefore, no question as
ks the correctness Of the diagnosis. 1t is
not, however. probable, and, in fact
is scarcely possible. that there should be
any spread of this disease in this Dis
trict at the present season of the year
AT the close Of last report there were
139 cases of diphtheria under treatment
in 80 premises. During the week 40 new
cases were reported and 60 We're discharg-
ed from quarantine, leaving 110 in isolation
in 81 premises.
'Of scarlet fever there We're 124 cases
in isolation in 80 premises at the close of
last report. During the week "a new
cases occurred and - were discharged
from treatment, leaving ll6 cases still
with warning cards in SO premises.
The mean weather conditions We're:
Barometric pressure 29S4; temperature
of the atmosphere. - degrees, and rela-
tive humidity, 30. The rainfall was 2
inches, with southerly winds averaging
; miles per hour. The thermometer reg
istered 81 degrees on the 18th instant. and
rose TO 81 degrees on the 18th instant
The mortality in the District during
the past week was l20 of which 69 were
white persons and 81 colored. The annual
death rate was. therefore, 30 for each
thousand of the total population, that for
the whites being 1873 and for the colored
29.SS. The principal features of the week ;
health conditions, as compared with the
last report, were an increase of I in the
deaths from diseases of the nervous sys-
TEN; Of . from those of those of the
heart, and Of from those of the kidneys.
There was a decline of 2 in deaths from
consumption, while those from acute lung
affections remained at s. OF the zymotic
class there were fatal cases of typhoid
fever, II of diphtheria and / of yellow
fever"