A history of the yellow fever : The yellow fever epidemic of 1878, in Memphis, Tenn., embracing a complete list of the dead, the names of the doctors and nurses employed, names of all who contributed money or means, and the names and history of the Howards, together with other data, and lists of the dead elsewhere / By J. M. Keating.

Keating, John McLeod, 1830-1906

Date:: 1879

Credit: A history of the yellow fever : The yellow fever epidemic of 1878, in Memphis, Tenn., embracing a complete list of the dead, the names of the doctors and nurses employed, names of all who contributed money or means, and the names and history of the Howards, together with other data, and lists of the dead elsewhere / By J. M. Keating. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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the bark Viscount Canning, Murphy, arrived in the lower bay on Monday, in ballast, from Rio Janeiro, having left that port on the first of February. There had been two deaths from fever, the last one on February 14th. Cap- tain Murphy visited the city on Tuesday, to see if the bark would be allowed to come up. The Board of Health took the matter under consideration, and in the meantime Captain Murphy was asked to return on board until some definite action was taken, for, although there might be no danger of contngion, yet, in the feverish condition of public sentiment, it was best to run no risk. one in New Orleans, the other in Memphis—given in the closing pages of the first division of this book, and enforces the conclusion there stated that frost does not kill the germs; yet it is only just that Mr. Gamgee's opposing views be given, especially since the National Government has appropriated $200,000 for the purpose of fully testing his freezing apparatus. He says that the United States vessel Plymouth was not thoroughly disinfected by the operation of natural frost, as alleged, while last winter in Boston. The report is that fire was kept up uninterruptedly in the captain's cabin, and moreover that the presence of water around the hull would preserve a temperature on the decks below the water line sufficiently high to keep the germs alive. Mr. Gamgee insists that cold air must be forced into the lower holds of ships by artificial means to make the freezing process successful. The Surgeon-General of the U. S. Navy has furnished the following facts in regard to the last outbreak of yellow fever on the United States steamer Plymouth: On Nov. 7, 1878, four cases of yellow fever occurred on board the vessel while lying in the har- bor of Santa Cruz; these were removed to the hospital on shore, and the ship sailed to Norfolk. Three mild cases occurred during the voyage, and the Plymouth was ordered to Portsmouth, N. H., thence to Boston. At the latter port every thing was removed from the ship and all parts of the interior freely exposed to a temperature which fre- quently fell below zero, the exposure continuing for more than a month. During this time the water in the tanks, bilges, and in vessels placed in the store-rooms was frozen. One hundred pounds of sulphur was burned below decks, this fumigation continuing for two days, and the berth-decks, holds, and store-rooms were thoroughly whitewashed. On March loth [1879] the ship sailed from Boston southward ; on the 19th, during a severe gale, the hatches had to be battened down, and the berth-deck became very close and damp. On the 23d two men showed decided symptoms of yellow fever, and on the recommendation of the surgeon the vessel was headed northward. The sick men were isolated, and measures adopted for improving the hygienic condition of the vessel and crew. The surgeon reported.that he believed the infection to be confined to the hull of the ship, especially to the unsound wood about the berth-deck, all the cases but one having occurred within a limited area; and that, while the Plymouth is in good sanitary condition for service in temperate climates, should she be sent to a tropical station, probably no precautionary measures whatever would avail to prevent an outbreak of yellow fever.

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