Evening star., 1898-11-21
Contradictory Opinions Concerning
Alleged Case Of Yellow Fever.
ARCHIE MILLER'S DEATH DISCUSSED
Dr.. Doty's Views Not Shared by
the Local Experts.
ESULT OF NOSIS

the port of New York, is in the city, and
has given it as his opinion that the case
was not one of yellow fever. DR.. Doty has
been identified with the study of contagious
and infectious diseases for twenty years,
and is considered an expert. His visit to
Washington at this time Is to confer with
President Mckinley, in company with sew
erai other members of the American Public
Health Association, for the purpose of des-
ignating an expert who shall proceed to
Havana to study the disease of yellow
fever and, if possible. isolate the specific
germ which causes the disease.
A reporter Of The Star found Dr. Doty
at the Arlington Hotel this morning on his
way to see the President. He stopped long
enough to say that he had investigated the
previous history of the man Miller, the
supposed yellow-fever victim and was al
most positive he did not have the dread dis
ease. He referred to the trip of Miller to
this country from Porto Rico on the steam
er Allegheny, and the certificate of the cap
tain of the vessel that no one was sick on
board: further. that Miller presented him
self on deck for examination. which would
have been impossible had he been i'll of
yellow fever. The period of incubation is
from three to five days. he said, and If, as
stated, Miller contracted the disease in
Porto Rico. 1t would have developed long
before he arrived in this country. 1t was
bis opinion, based upon the experience of
all experts that little could be learned of
the disease from an autopsy. Miller, in his
opinion, died of pernicious malarial fever
He secuted the idea of an epidemic here,
and said yellow fever was not contagious
and that he would have no hesitancy in
sleeping in the very bed in which Miller
died
Statement Reafirmed.
The statement that Miller died of yellow
fever was emphatically reaffirmed today by
the experts of the marine hospital service
and Health Officer Woodward. They laugh
ed at DR.. Doty's assertions. and said it
was plain that he is trying to escape the
responsibility for permitting Miller and his
companion, Herbert to pass through New
York.
You may say for the marine hospital
service. said one of the officials at that
place today to a Star reporter, that we are
entirely satisfied that Miller died of yellow
fever. 1t makes no difference what DR.
Doty says. The case was seen and handled
by four of our experts, who know what
they are talking about. We don't care to
get into any controversy with DR. Doty but
what does he know about yellow fever?
He is not an expert, by any means and his
motive for discrediting this case is too an
parent. l don't know but what, We're 1 in
DR.. Dotys place. l would do the same
thing. The autopsy performed upon the
BODY of Miller showed that the diagnosis
of yellow fever right Examinations
were made Of the blood, liver stomach and
urine of the man. No malarIal organisms
were found in the blood, so that it is i'm
possible that Miller died of malarial trouble
Il have telegram from Dr. Cobb who
was sent to Pittston to examine Herbert
and he states that the case is suspicious
tie VIII continue to observe It, DR. Cobb
learned from Herbert that Miller was sick
on board snip, but got up in order to pass
the quarantine. The fact is, in my opinion
that Miller had a light case on the ship and
getting up too soon, suffered relapse
which killed him.
AS to the period of incubation, we have
to report of case before US in which the
person, woman, went from Michigan to
Mississippi arriving September % last in
the fever-infected region. She left there
on the 18th and reached her home October
.; She was taken sick the 10th and died
the 18th. The autopsy showed that she had
yellow fever. You will observe the long
period of incubation.
Here is the comment of our great EXPERT
Dr. Geddings. on this case. He says he has
seen cases in which the period of inc,1ha-
ton was nine days, and that it is probahls
II mas been as long as eleven days These
men know what they are saving for sev-
erai nave just returned from the fever dis
tflctS: agree, however, that there is not
the slightest danger of the spread of ths
disease in this city,
Health Officers Views.
Dr- Doty's statement is discredited"
sdtu iealth Of1cer Woodward to a Star re-
porter by the fact that h must protect
ms own quarantine. In order to explain
away the facts against him, he has got To
make the man Herbert, Miler's companion.
out liar Herbert has stated to the ma
rlne hospital people that Miller was sick
on the voyage home, and that lie got un in
order to pass the quarantine This ccn-
firms what we found in his letter to Miller,
Whlch was among the dead mans effects
Doty let Col. Waring through Quarantine
why not Miller and Herbert?
Ihere is no fixed period of ircubatioD
put admitting that II is no more than five
days, we find that Miller left Port Limond
on the Ith instant, and was sick on shin
board. Therefore the fever deyeloped with
In iiVe days, and when he arrived hers 1t
was November II, the tenth day AS yo;,
Know, Or Hooe was called in to the case
ana ne reported to me that he was sus-
plclouS of yellow fever. Thereupon T sent
for experts from the marine hospital SER
vice, and arriving at the hotel, we found
the man unconscious from the black yomit.
Whlch was apparent on the cover of the
Ded. Tests wera made, but no malarial or
ganisms were found in the blood In the
urine there was albumen, but no casts
The presence of albumen in connection
with the black vomit was conclusive of vel
low jack. At the autopsy the stomach vas
cut open and the black matter was found
within 1t. l am not an expert by ary
means. but / am entirely satisfied that Mil
Ter died OF the fever. At the same time
there is no danger of a sprsad Of the dis
ease"
Profession Agrees With Diagnosis.
Notwithstanding the claims of DR.. Doty
the medical profession of this city, it is
said, is willing to accept the diagnosis of
the marine hospital experts and the emf
nent physicians who were present at the
autopsy. One of them consented to discuss
the case with reporter of The Star today,
provided his name was not used. 1t was
unprofessional, he thought. to discuss such
matters in the press. He said:
While l have never seen case of yell
low fever myself, l am conversant with
the literature on the subject and know
what clinical picture of the disease would
look like. The marine hospital experts
who have seen hundreds of yellow fever
cases had no hesitancy. after the autopsy,
in declaring that Miller died of yellow fe-
yer. All of the text books upon the sub
1ect agree in certain characteristics of the
disease, and l tell you frankly there was
nothing missing in Millers case and no
reason to even suspect anything else.
Now, let's see what was done. Before
Miller died his blood was examined The
attending physician suspected malaria, and
TO confirm his diagnosis sent a sample of
the blood to the Army Medical Museum
The microscopical examination failed to