The times., 1899-07-16
THE YELLOW FEVER OUTBREAK.
An American of Low Type the First
Victim in Santiago.

Victim in Santiago.
Assistant Surgeon Herman B. Parker, of
the Marine Hospital Service, under date
line of Santiago, June q, makes this spe-
cial report to Surgeon General Wyman on
the outbreak of yellow fever in that city:
1.-THE first case of yellow fever to be
recognized in this city this year occurred
June Is, the subject being a civilian Amer
ican of the lowest type, who for the last
FIVE weeks had been living in saloons on
lower Enramadas Street. He was taken
sick on June u, after prolonged debaueh,
but his condition was not recognized until
the evening of June 10, when black vomit
set in. He was removed at once to the
civil hospital and afterward sent to the
army yellow fever hospital on the western
shore of the harbor. When received in
the hospital he was in extremis, dying dur
Ing the early morning hours of the follow
ing day. A post mortem was held six
hours after death, all the gross pathology
ical features of the affection being present.
There is no doubt in my mind that the
disease had existed in the town some weeks
previous to this discovery. In the saloon
from which this case was taken three in
diyiduals presented evidence and gave a
striking history of attacks closely follow
ing one another that leaves little room
for doubt as to the nature OF the affection
Certainly the finding of this case acted as q
stimulus to the discovery OF others and
they were not long in succeeding, for on
the next day five cases were removed from
the Army general hospital and isolated
That the diagnosis was not hasty is shown
by the fact that in three days three of the
five had died with positive ante and post
mortem evidences of the disease. In the
beginning the diagnosis was somewhat diff
ficult, owing, perhaps, TO some inexpe-
rience. The severer cases were recognized;
this accounts 10 some extent for the higher
mortality at this stage, than that succeed
in.. July II one case was sent from the
Army general hospital. He developed black
vomit in transit. This continued without
intermission until June 20, when he died
As Dr. Fabricius, Acting Assistant Sur
geon. United States Army, had succum bed
to the disease the evening before, 1 held
the post mortem. The post mortem evil
dences could not be mistaken. June 10 two
new and pronounced cases developed. They
then began to appear more rapidly. On
the Goth there were five cases; on the 21st
three; on the 22d, four, two being soldiers
and two being women on Lower Marina
Street. OF the latter one died Cases then
developed slowly, two TO four per day. I'm
til this date, a total of thirty eight had
been lSOlaIeu, Will IuoEt suspicious cases
under observation. OF these thirty-eight
there were eleven deaths, among them be-
ing Dr. Fabricius who died just eight days
after infection. He made a post mortem
on Sunday, the 18th, was taken sick on
Monday night, and died on the 25th.
THE first cases were removed from the
guardhouse and bandroom in the barracks;
other cases followed these from the same
locality; then cases were traced to the
barracks occupied by the various COM
panies. new foci appeared in the town, four
cases being removed from a san Basilio
house two doors below this office; sew
eral cases have also been taken from the
arsenal The military hospital is one Of the
greatest sources of danger, several cases,
among them a hospital steward, being
traced to that institution. Distinction
was commenced as soon as positive evil
denee revealed that the barracks were in
fected. and continued without iatermis-
sion to this date The system was not
that used in this service, owing 10 the
military details to be followed. l offered
the use of the disinfecting bark Rough
Rider, and disinfected one afternoon thir-
ty-five men, who went into a detention
camp The next morning nearly as many
more had Joined the camp without disin-
lection. Since then several cases have de-
veloped from this camp" Under date of
| July 10 Surgeon Parker cabled that the
| number of cases reported to that day were
! 14S with twenty-eight deaths.