The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-07-11
NO FOUNDATION
FOR FEVER
RUMOR
Dr. Amesse Explains How Report
that Yellow Jack Existed
Became Public.
The New Orleans States says:


DR.. ]. W. Amesse, representing the
United States Public Health and Ma
rine Hospital Service at Gulfport,
Miss, came over yesterday morning as
promised and explained his action in
circulating an unfounded yellow fever
rumor to President Irion of the State
Board Of Health.
His explanation was the best that
could be made under the circum-
stances, but after being stripped Of all
verbiage 1t may be seen as matter Of
fact that he repeated and allowed TO
become public private telephone mes
sage from Health Officer Goldthwaite
OF Mobile to DR.. j H. White, in charge
of the United States Marine Hospital
Service in this city, which, if not con-
stituting an offense against right con-
duct, is certainly one Of the most con-
spicuous examples OF action lacking all
sense of good judgment that has re-
Gently come into public notice.
Before DR.. Amesse left DR.. IRONS
Office he signed and gave out this state
ment, showing his connection in his
own words with the dissemination OF
the rumor:
Il made the following remark to Dr.
LIE Barron at dinner on Friday even
ing just after my return from New
Orleans, in response to his inquiry re-
garding conditions in that city:
Il could give you very satisfactory
bill of health, indeed, on the authority
of DR.. White were it not for the fact
that, at the moment Of my departure,
telephone communication came from
DR.. Goldthwaite of Mobile to the eff
feet that an afternoon publication in
that city, Mobile, was announcing the
discovery of case of fever accom-
panied by black vomit. This informa-
ton was presumably received from it's
correspondent in New Orleans.
DR. LIE Barron, as health officer of
Gulfport, deemed 1t his duty to trans
NIT this intelligence to his superior in
Jackson, expecting 1t would be regard
ed as confidential, and further informa-
ton regarding the case conveyed to
him through DR.. Hunter. AS a matter
| when got it, as can be readily shown
by, the Mobile evening papers of last
Friday"
President Irion who telegraphed Sat
urday night for the name of the cor.
respondent of the Mobile Item in New
Orleans yesterday replied to the presi
| dent, saying that that paper had not
published any, special from New Or
leans concerning supposed sllspici
GUS case of yellow fever here The
Item stated that what it did print was
''Rumors of case of yellow fever al
| New Orleans were current on the
street today. The report was investi
gated by the Item and prompt denial
made by the New Orleans Board Of
Health"
| The rumor has evidently done much
harm, as 1t has spread all the way to
Cuba, and yesterday a message was
received by DR.. lrion from the health
authorities of Cuba concerning it. The
Cuban authorities also mention in theil
report that a case of yellow fever APP
peared in this city Jan. goth. AS 6
matter of fact no case of yellow fevel
! has occurred here since last Novem
! Der. It is probable that the alleged
case that occurred at Kenner is the
/ one referred to in this report.
On the 2Sth of last January DR.. Cor
put, of the United States Public Health
and Marine Hospital Service. reported
a case of yellow fever from Kenner
although it is asserted by prominen
/ local physicians that DIR. Corrupt neve
saw the case in person Thst ease wa,
i printed in the Marine Hospital report
although declared not to be yellow 1e
yer by prominent yellow fever experts
DR.. Rucker, of the Marine Hospita
Service, reported three cases of yellow
fever from Lafourche on March q
and it is asserted that one of thes
cases he never saw. This case wa
that of child who fell in the bayou
The other two cases were pronounce,
by prominent authorities to be case
of malarial fever which had com
direct from the state or Arkansas.
On March 2Sth Or. ]. H. White, il
charge of the United States Publi
Health and Marine Hospital Service il
this city, reported case OF yellow e
yer from Kenner and telegraphed it L
the health authorities of Mississippi
who in turn informed Governor Vards
man, who made the information pull
Tic, This was the case of Joe Manuel
a boy at Kenner, and again prominen
authorities declared this was not
case of yellow fever. This case, a
though reported by DR.. White, wa
never for some reason or other put
,ished in the official bulletins of tn
4 Marine Hospital Service.
Thus with the spreading of the ri
NOR by DR.. Amesse, also of the Marin
Hospital Service. there is a CROWN
feeling among he people of New o.
leans that the Marine Hospital Servic
] is not reliable enough in its method
of operation to be desired as absolut
arbiter of the health affairs of thi
city.