The San Francisco call., 1899-05-27
A VOLUNTEER HAD MEASLES
SUCCUMBED TO THE DISEASE AT
COUNTY HOSPITAL.
Owing to Suspicious of Contagious
Disease All Persons Brought in
Contact With Him Are
Vaccinated.

The death of James w. Gustn at the
City and County Hospital on Thursday
has created a scare among all the people
with whom he was brought in contact.
Malignant measles was the cause of
death, but the report gained currency
that he was suffering from smallpox.
When the Sixth Infantry arrived from
the East last Monday it was accom-
panied by w. Gustin. He wore the uni
form of Uncle Sans men and said he
belonged to the Sixth, but was not at
tached to any company. At the Govern
ment wharf he was taken i'll and was re-
moved to the Harbor Hospital. DR.. Hop
per, made cursory examination, and
finding the man to be seriously i'll at once
notified the medical authorities at the
Presidio. After some delay an army doc
tor arrived. After questioning Gustin, he
found he was a discharged volunteer and
did not belong to the regular army. He
therefore declined to have anything to
do with the man.
In the meantime Gustin was suffering
a great deal, and as he had all the Symp-
toms of typhoid fever the City and Coun-
ty Hospital officials were notified and he
was moved there. He was placed in a
ward, but owing to the serious condition
of the man he was moved TO room in
which there were other men afflicted with
measles. These men were under the care
of DR.. William w. Kerr, one of the visit
ing physicians. At his suggestion Gustin
was isolated in order to allay the fears
he was suffering from smallpox.
The man died on Thursday. DR.. G. E.
SuSsdorff, superintendent physician of the
hospital, together with DR.. Reilly of
Cooper College, and DR.. Jules Franken-
helm of Toland College pronounced it a
case of malignant measles, with suspected
intercurrent measles. No autopsy was
held, 1t being considered unnecessary. AS
there had been question as to the pres
ence of smallpox, DR.. Sussdorff ordered
the body placed in sealed casket.
AS an additional precaution, all persons
vaccinated. while the rooms were disin-
fected. Down at the Harbor Hospital
there was a decided scare.
Mrs. Andrew, the matron, had done
everything in her power for Gustin, and
Driver Kelly had given her assistance.
patient, while Drs. Fitzgibbon and Oliver
had been in to see him several times.
Mrs. Reid, the night matron, and George
Liby, the driver who is on night duty,
had also been in attendance upon Gus
tin.
When the news of the death reached
the hospital DR.. Fitzg;bbon al once vac
cinated all the persons named. He de-
clined to be treated himself, saying he
had been vaccinated six months ago The
while some held Fitzgibbon, DR.. Fine vac
cinated him over the right knee. Each one
as he was cut with the lancet gave yell
of pretended pain and fear and by the
time the last operation had been per-
formed there was crowd of several hum
dred people around the hospital.
DR.. SusSdorff hopes the scare will has
ten the erection of a building by the Su-
pervisors in which persons suffering from
contagious diseases may be placed. At
present they endanger the health of the
inmates in the great public institution