The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-03
FATAL OUTBREAK
IN SALT LAKE
Sixteen Persons Die of Menin-
gifts in a Single
Month.
QUARANTINE is ORDERED
MYSTERIOUS MALADY Diff
CULT TO COMBAT.

/ =
! = MENINGITIS VICTIMS
Jan. Francis Billiard, 7O4 South I
= Main street. aged s years. spinal 4
meningitis due to pneumonia. 4
= Jan. Virginia Evans, 23S East 4
= Second South street. aged years, 4
y simple spinal meningitis
= Jan. Paul A. Fee Eagle block. 4
: aged years, cerebro-spinaI menin- 4
+ gifts 4
Jan. 17-Cnfford B. Burbidge. 155 !
p West Second North street aged 4
= years, simple meningitis 4
Jan. D.-Mary c. Harris, l.. d. S. 4
2 hospital, aged 10 days, simple menin- I
y gifts =
Jan. 2S-willard. c. Irwin. 81 East !
Second South street, cerebro-spinal 4
y meningitis !
/ \ Jan: 24-Henry Rosenbaum. % South :
= Fourth East street. aged months, I
y cerebro-spinal meningitis
Jan &-Violet Mcmillan. 100 East I
Z Fourth South street. aged AZ years, 4
y cerebro-spinal meningitis. !
Jan. sc. ). Opperman, st. Marks I
hospital, aged % years, cerebro-spi- Z
= nal meningitis.
y Jan. 2I.-Ida NJ Wagner, IS South !
y Third East street aged q years, 4
cerebro-spinal meningitis.
y Jan. Cavalier Cowley 453 South !
: Second West street, aged years, 4
y simple meningitis.
= Jan. 27-W. S. Davis. 25S West Fifth !
South street. aged IA years, conges- =
= ton of the brain :
Jan. 26-Robert ]. Southam, So )
= street, aged 3 years, congestion of the =
y brain. !
Jan. 31-Margaret Johnson. 351 First !
= street, aged months, simple menin- =
y gifts.
\ Jan. S1-Ada Leyston. 100 Mead !
y street, simple meningitis =
y Feb. 2-E. b. CritchlOw. jr.. $50 =
y South Seventh East street. aged y
y years. cerebro-spinal meningitis \
<+*<<%<<<<<<<*+*+<<<<<%+<%
The above is the death list in Salt
Lake City from Jan. l to date, from men
nights in one form or another. While
the diagnosis of the cases was not in
every instance meningitis, the cause of
death III the death certificate was filled
in as given.
That Salt Lake City is in the grip OF
an outbreak of cerebro-spinal meningitis
many physicians are agreed. Whether or
not the disease is Of the variety known
as epidemic has not yet been definitely
decided. Physicians to whose notice the
ABOVE deaths were brought did not in
every instance report them TO the board
of health. with the result that out of a
total of sixteen deaths to date only three
cases have been Quarantined.
At meeting of the board of health held
yesterday morning there were present
Mayor Thompson. Health Commissioner
Stewart. Assistant Health Commissioner
5. Ct. Paul, Drs. Fisher and Raley and
upon the suggestion Of DR.. Paul il was
the disease of any nature whatever, the
quarantine to consist of a white placard
announcing the reasons for the step. The
public will then enter houses so placarded
on its own responsibility.
Shorn of medical phraseology, cerebro-
spinal meningitis consists of an inflamed
condition of the membrane surrounding
the spinal cord, which In it's more violent
stages is transmitted to the brain. The
rate of mortality from this cause is high,
amounting to Is to 20 per cent of all
cases. The period of incubation, that is
to say the length of time elapsing be-
time when the disease manifests itself. is
unknown, and anywhere from few hours
to six TO eight weeks may elapse before
death enSues.
The disease is generally admitted to be
more prevalent during the early spring
and late winter months, although il does
not appear to be confined TO any particu-
lar climate. Physicians have claimed
that severe cold accelerated it's progress.
while others give as their opinion that
in temperate climates only is there any
real danger of q serious outbreak. It's
symptoms are about as follows: Chill,
followed by vomiting with intense pain
In the head, back and limbs, muscles of
neck and back become rigid and con-
tracted. and neck is bent backwards and
back Strengthened. Unless the disease is
CHECKED the brain quickly becomes affect
ed. followed by stupor and coma. when
death ensues usually at the end of few
hours. Inc disease as a rule involves
the Cranial nerves and in the event Of
recovery the patient Is usually left af-
flicted with cross eyes, deafness or some
other ailmCnt.
The disease usually makes its appear
ance in conjunction with some other dis
ease, la many cases not until the original
disease is almost eradicated. IL is in
many cases the result of pneumonia ty-
phoid, scarlet fever, grippe or ordinary
puS Infection, and perhaps more frequent
~ than any of these. tuberculosis. The
form of the ailment however
tiOus than any other. The germ of in
lection has been regularly classified. but
physicians are unable to offer any eXpla-
nation whatever as TO the manner in
which il reaches the spinal membrane
As to the necessity of strict quarantine
regulations, physicians are by no means
all of the same mind. One prominent
doctor said yesterday that IN his opin-
ion every case of meningitis should be
sent TO the pest house forthwith and kent
there for the customary twenty-one days,
after every trace of the disease had van
ished. The consensus of opinion appears
to be. however. in effect that only the
most severe cases should be held subject
10 the full legal quarantine regulations
and that in the great majority the dis
ease was no more contagious than pneu-
nOnia or typhoid fever. In view of the
number of recent deaths however. and
he uneasy state of the public mind IL
mas been deemed advisable to treat all
cases alike. and give due warning 10 the
public Of the presence of the infection i'm
Every house where a case is reported.
In addition 10 the number of deaths
which have already taken place there are
upwards Of a dozen cases in the city at
his time. Some few of these are In the
but the majority have not been
from their homes. Quarantine
equations will be established at these