Letter from Jesse W. Lazear to the Chief Surgeon, June 5, 1900 |
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POST HOSPITAL, COLUMBIA BARRACKS, CUBA,
JUNE 5, 1900.
To the
CHIEF SURGEON,
Hdqrs Dept. of Havana and Pinar del Rio.
SIR:
I have the honor to make the following report of a consultation
held by the board appointed to examine cases suspected of being Yellow
Fever. The consultation was held at the Isolation Camp on June 4, 1900,
the following members of the board being present: Drs. Herrera, Angles,
Ames and Lazear. Histories of Cases and Findings. [1] Henry S. King, Teamster, #20, General Lee St. Born in Tennesee.
Admitted May 23, 1900. [Malarial fever in Dec. '99] Patient had not been in Havana lately. Was at
Guanajay for one night just before onset of present trou o [b] le. Onset was
rather gradual, beginning four days before admission to hospital. No
chill. Became worse suddenly on day before admission. Vomited once.
Headache and malaise. Great weakness. On admission temperature was
104 F., pulse 54. Conjunctiva [e] congested. Tongue coated--red on edges.
Gums appeared normal. Urine contained large amount of albumen. Gran-
ular casts. Blood contained no malarial parasites. Widal reaction
for typhoid -- negative. Later on there was bleeding from gums and a
moderate jaundice developed. Albumen increased in urine until on May
27, the coagulum on boiling filled 9/10 of the tube. Bile stained
granular and epithelial casts were very abundant. After May 28th the
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albumen slowly diminished. Widel reactions were tried daily up to the
8th day. with constantly negative result. The temperature fell gradu-
ally making one sudden drop on May 25. Patient is now convalescent.
All members agree that this case was undoubtedly Yellow Fever. [2] James W. Balla [n] tine, Pvt. Co. "D", 8th Infantry. Born in New Jer-
sey. Admitted May 25, 1900, Onset sudden with chilly sensations on
day of admission. There was headache and pain s in bones of legs. No
vomiting. On admission temperature 104.4 F. pulse 90. Two hours later
temperature was 103.4 F. pulse 99. conjunctivae much congested. Spleen
not enlarged. Urine contained a great deal of albumen and a few gran-
ular casts. The blood contained no malarial parasites and gave no re-
action for typhoid fever. The albumen increased until on May 29th [the]
coagulum filled half the tube. On June 1st it had to 1/10. On
May 26, temperature was 100.3 F. pulse 63. Vomiting and jaundice developed
but patient on the whole was fairly comfortable. Diagnosis: Yellow
Fever. [3] George B. O'Cain, Teamster. Lived at Corral back of Palace, Quem-
ados. Born in South Carolina. Admitted June 1, 1900. Patient had
mumps ten days ago. On day before admission testicle became slightly
swollen and tender. Onset was gradual. No chill. No headcahe.
Constipated. No cough. Malaise. On admission temperature was 103.2
pulse 99. Conjunctavae injected. No jaundice. Spleen not enlarged.
Urine contained a trace of albumen and a few hyaline and finely gran-
ular casts. Blood showed no malarial parasites and gave no Wid a l re-
action for typhoid. Widal reaction s repeated for three days with no
r
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result. Temperature fell to 100 on 2nd day and then rose to 103.
After that there was a gradual decline to normal. All were of opinion th
that this case was suspicious but that a positive diagnosis of y [Y] ellow
Fever could not be made. [4] Albert Teeter, Priv., Hospl Corps. Living at #102, Real St.
Born in Nebraska. Onset gradual beginning five days before admission
with malaise and headache. On admission temperature 102.5, pulse 108.
Face flushed. Conjunctivae congested. Headache. No jaundice.
Urine showed a good trace of albumen with a few granular casts. Blood
contained no malarial parasites and gave no Widal reaction for typhoid.
Members of the board with the exception of Dr. Ames considered the case
one of Yellow Fever. [(Dr Ames afterward concurred in diagnosis J.R.K)] [5] Richard Crane, Pvt. Troop "B", 7th Cavalry,. Born in Maine.
Sudden onset with chill two days before admission. Slight headache.
No vomiting. Cough with rusty spu r ta. On admission temperature 104.2
pulse 99. Tongue coated, -- a little red on edges. [No jaundice] Conjunctivae
much injected. There was a slight dullnes at left apex with crepatent
and moist rales. Typical sputum of pneumonia Spleen not enlarged.
Urine con y [t] ained a trace of albumen and a few finely granular casts .
Pulse has ranged from 84 to 103. Drs. Herrera and Angles consider this
case Yellow Fever. Dr. Ames tinks it is simple pneumonia. Dr. Lazear
thinks it suspicious. [6] Mrs. Sherwood, 20, General Lee St., Quemados. Born in Norway.
Widow of Sergt. Sherwood who died of Yellow Fever at this camp on the day
the patient was admitted [,] May 31. She had been feeling out of sorts for
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several days. Tempera ture 99. On January 2 temperature rose sud-
denly to 104.6, pulse 107. January 3, temperature 101, pulse 106 .
Slight hacking cough. Skin is a dusky yellow with small darker blotches.
Tongue coated -- red at margin. Gums bleeding. Urine contained a
distinct trace of albumen. No microscopic examination made. Blood
contained no malarial parasites. Diagnosis: Yellow Fever. [7.] Marie Bertha Sherwood, child of Sergt. Sherwood, was admitted on
on May 31. Temperature 102.4, pulse 100. Temperature gradually fell
to normal. No albumen or casts were found in the urine at first but
on J [u] n y [e] 3rd a very faint trace of albumen was demonstrated. Slight head-
ache and malaise. At the [time of] consultation the child was perfectly well.
Drs. Herrera and Angles were of the opinion that the case was one of
"Infectious Fever". Drs. Ames and Lazear considered that as the child
lived in an infected house and in the same room with her father and
mother both of whom had Yellow Fever, she had had a mild case of Yellow
Fever. In the examination of these cases Drs. Herrera and Angeles laid
great stress on the characteristic odor of the breath and on the red-
ness about the scrotum and neighboring parts in the males. Respectfully submitted,
Jesse W. Lazear
Acting Asst. Surgeon, U. S. Army,
Recorder of Board.
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