The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-05-14

ton to claimants sworn statement in
record when the case was here on appeal
positively denying that she admitted to
| the Examiner or anyone else that she
was guilty of the alleged immortality and
also positively denying that she had been
guilty of any immoral conduct. Claim
ant. in the affidavit, sets forth the Exam
iner's conduct in trying to induce her to
confess her immoral relations. The tes-
timony in the case other than her alleged
admissions sustains her good character.
1T is insisted in the motion that the
Examiner used fraudulent and disreputa-
BILE means to secure the alleged admis-
sions, and reference is made to the case
of Frances Coleman, widow of Henry
Coleman, Co. f, It'll U. S. Colored Volun-
teer Inf, decided by the Department Jan.
30, 1903 (press copy book $50. p. 45O, to
sustain claimants contention that the EX-
aminer employed improper and disrepu-
table methods to secure admissions of
immoral conduct on the part of widows
whose claims were under Investigation.
| Referring to the Coleman case cited, it
is found that the same is similar in many
respects to the case of claimant herein.
| alleged admissions made to the same spe-
cial Examiner.
at is shown in the Coleman case that
| the Examiner went far beyond the re-
quirements of duty and that his conduct
| was indecent and outrageous toward the
| claimant. The Department disregarded
his report, showing plain admissions of
| guilt, and on other testimony in the case
directed that Mrs. COleman's name be re-
stored to the rolls. Practically the same
| charges are made against the Examiner
| in this case.
His report cannot be received as
worthy of credit: at least it cannot be ac-
cepted to iniure the reputation of one
whose character is shown by other wit
nesses to be good In the light of the dis
closures made in the Coleman case, his
| report in this case is not worthy of Gre
dence.
sit is not the province of an Examiner
| to seek to entrap or discredit any claim
ant. His duty is to assist in obtaining
the facts in my case without espousins
the cause either of the claimant or the
Government. He must be fair, impair
tial, and diligent to obtain the truth, ire
spective of whom it benefits or Injuries.
| The Examiner is not an attorney for the
Government. employed to defeat claim
ants contention. He is rather the friend
of both, empowered to discover the actual
facts in case and to report them to the
proper authorities without favor or preju-
dice.
''The decision of the Department COM
planned of is set aside and revoked. The
claim will be reOpened and referred to
some other Examiner for Investigate ton.
Another statement should be taken from
her, and witnesses to her deposition should
claimants understanding of tie deposit
ton she signed.
"Other available testimony bearing upon
the question at issue should be taken.
"When the Examiner shall have made
his report you will please make an addi-
tional report to this Department as to
the merits of the case and return the
record for further action upon the appeal.
Let the case be made special"
TYPHOID FEvER-PERIOD OF INCUBATION
SERVICE ORIGIN.
In the pension claim of Arthur G.. Mel
linger Spanish War the Pension Bu-
reau held that typhoid fever and result
ing disease of eyes and lungs
not incurred in line of duty, claimant be-
ing absent from his command on verbal
furlough at date of incurrence. as shown
by records of the War Department"
The decision on the appeal from this hold
ing states asst Secy. Miller, March 233,
1903:
Typhoid fever is now regarded as an
infectious disease caused by a specific
microorganism, the bacillus typhOsus, or
Eberth bacillus, so called from its dis
coverer. 1t is generally recognized that
the VI COutldCiiou VI
this disease, as well as other germ dis
eases, necessarily antedates the outbreak
or physical manifestation thereof. This
interval, known as the period of lncuba-
ton, varies i'll different diseases. Within
the meaning of the statutes it is evident
that such diseases must be held to have
been contracted at the time of the intro
luction of the germ into the system and
not at the time of the development of
recognizable symptoms of these infectious
diseases. Claimants are therefore entitled
to pension if the proof shows conclusively
that such diseases originated or were con-
tracted in the service and line of duty
even though the symptoms developed
while they were ON Through or after their
discharge.
In typhoid fever the incubation period
varies from a few days to two weeks
and even longer as stated in Tyson's
Practice of Medicine, edition of 1900. and |
this agrees with the statements of med-
cal authorities generally. The average
probably about ten and half days. as
stated in the report on the Origin and
Spread of Typhoid Fever in q. s. Mill |
tary Camps during the Spanish war of
1895. by Drs. Walter Reed, Victor G.
Vaughn. and Edward o. Shakespeare. the
board of medical officers appointed to
make an investigation into the cause of
the extensive prevalence of typhoid fever |
in said camps. This board also states |
that from study of a large number of
cases. the shortest period of incubation |
would appear to be slightly less than eight |
days. but there is no definite statement in
this report as to the farther limit of this |
period. 1t would appear from reference |
to a number of text books that the longest |
period of incubation in typhoid fever is |
about three weeks. Osler gives it as IA |
days. sometimes 49, in the last Q90D edi-
ton of his work.
admitting that the average period of |
incubation of typhoid fever is about 10
days and that the shortest period may be
three or four days, as shown by some re-
ports of authentic cases. there is a fair
that the farther the develop
ment of the disease is removed beyond
two weeks the mere remote is the prob