Volume 1

Report on the origin and spread of typhoid fever in the U. S. military camps during the Spanish War of 1898 / by Walter Reed, Victor C. Vaughan, and Edward O. Shakespeare.

Reed, Walter, 1851-1902.

Date:: [1904]

Credit: Report on the origin and spread of typhoid fever in the U. S. military camps during the Spanish War of 1898 / by Walter Reed, Victor C. Vaughan, and Edward O. Shakespeare. Source: Wellcome Collection.

41/786 (page 17)

$/ The following is an alphabetical list of total deaths in this regiment so far as we have been able to ascertain: Name. Rank and company. Date. Place of death. Cause of death. Bailey, Burt B. Brace, Dwight C. Corpl.,M. Pvt., E. 189S. Sept. 12 Sept. 17 Sept. 9 Ponce, P. R. .do. Acute d y s- entery and typhoid. Typhoid. Do. Bartlett, Sumner P... Corpl.,E. Coamo, P. R. Casberg, Maurice. Pvt., B. Aug. 5 Oct. 8 Aug. 9 Nov. 9 Fort Monroe, Va... Chapman, Earl A. Curtins, Paul. Pvt., M. Pvt., K. Sparta, Wis... Charleston, S. C. Consump¬ tion. Typhoid. Do. Cumming, Charles V.. Corpl., H. Ponce, P. R. De Lapp, John W. Pvt., D. Nov. 9 Syracuse, N. Y. Do. Eaton, Frank N. Pvt., M. Nov. 23 La Crosse, Wis_ Acute dys- enterv. Eck, Charles. Pvt., E. May 22 Camp Thomas, Ga.... Convulsions. Edwards, George H... Qm.sgt.H Aug. 31 Coamo, P. R. Typhoid. Gates, Daniel W. Sgt., A. July 13 Chickamauga, Ga .... Do. Gamble, James PI_ Pvt.. F. Sept. 20 Ponce, P. R. Do. Ganger, Frank. Pvt.,G. Oct. 21 _do. Do. Goodhouse, Fred R... Corpl.,D. Oct. 24 Hospital ship Relief .. Do. Hetherington, E. W .. Pvt., A. Oct. 16 Division hospital. Do. Keilev, Thomas L.... Pvt,, I. Dec. 11 West Superior, Wis... Do. Loomis, Frank B. Corpl., F. Pvt., L. Sept. 8 Nov. 1 Coamo, P. R. Do. Mover, Miner E. Philadelphia, Pa.. Do. McArthur, Charles L. PvtM L. Sept. 11 Coamo, P. R. Do. Noyes, Ellis. Pvt., A. Aug. 23 Ponce, P. R. Cerebral em- bolism. Nolan, Peter R. Pvt., L. Oct. 27 San Juan, P. R. Typhoid. Dysentery. Typhoid. Olson, Halvor. Corpl.,C. Pvt., H. Oct. 15 Fort Monroe, Va... Roberts, Frank W.... July 31 Charleston, S. C. Smith, Christie H .... Corpl., K. 1899. Feb. 1 Do. Swift, Hector R. 2d It., I. 1898. Julv 22 Charleston, S. C. Do, Stanley, Frank E. Sunderlin, Charles ... Corpl..A. Pvt., H. Sept. 6 Oct. 2 Ponce, P. R. Coamo, P. R. Do. Tumor of Swanson, Oscar R .... Pvt., L. Aug. 12 Asomanta, P. R. brain. Killed in ac- Thoreson, Alfred G... Pvt., M. Oct. 4 Hospital ship Relief .. tion. Epileptic Tucheck, Joseph. Turner, James. Pvt. B. Pvt., H. Oct. 18 Sept. 8 Ponce, P. R. Coamo, P. R. Convulsions. Typhoid. Malarial fe- ver. Vought, Fred J. Wagner, Charles. Pvt., L. Pvt., H. Aug. 12 Oct. 6 Aibonito, P. R. Coamo, P. R. Wounds. Typhoid. Do. Wachter, Edward .... Pvt., H. Sept. 18 .do. Zimmerman, Oscar L. Pvt., K. Oct. 15 .do. Do. Total deaths. 36 Deaths due to typhoid fever. 25 Total deaths. 36 Deaths due to typhoid fever. 25 Percentage of deaths among total cases of protracted fever (378), 6.61. Percentage of deaths among recognized cases of typhoid fever (107), 23.36. The case of recognized typhoid fever was that of a private in Company L. The initial date of his sickness is given as Ma\r 16. The disposition of this case is not stated. It may be of interest to observe that the case of recognized typhoid fever and that of fatal ptomain poisoning occurred in the same company. As the reg¬ iment left Springfield May 14 and reached Chicka- mauga May 17, it will be seen that the recognized case of typhoid fever developed on the journey, and the dis¬ ease must have been contracted before leaving Illinois, and the probabilities are that it was contracted before May 7, the time when the regiment was mustered into service. It will thus be seen that this regiment carried typhoid fever with it to Chickamauga Park. The case of inter¬ mittent malaria was off duty for only three days. Another case which might possibly have been typhoid fever is that of a private in Company B. This man was taken ill May 31, and with a diagnosis of undeter¬ mined fever was sent to the field hospital of the first division of the First Ami}’’ Corps. In the June report Lieutenant Ames makes the fol¬ lowing statement: Mumps and measles were prevalent during the month. The epidemics subsided near the close of the month. Isolation was rigidly enforced. About twenty cases of typhoid fever developed, the diagnosis being confirmed after transfer to the first division hospital. Strict sanitary conditions were secured, and a futile attempt to control huckster traffic, which has infested the camp from the beginning, was made. The epidemic is now subsiding. Lieut. Ezra C. Chacey, of Company E, was granted sick leave and sent to St. Vincent’s Hospital, Chattanooga, June 24. Condensed Sick Report for June. Mean strength. 1, 298 FIFTH ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. First Brigade, First Division, First Army Corps. In the May report Lieut. E. W. Ames, in charge, makes the following statement: The regiment was mustered into service at Camp Tanner, Spring- field, Ill., May 7, 1898, and departed for Camp George H. Thomas, Chickamauga Park, Ga., on May 14, arriving at the latter place May 17. Climatic conditions at Camp Tanner were such as to cause much sickness alter departure. The hospital was open May 14. Private Roscoe C. Gibbons, of Company L, was found in his quarters on the morning of May 15 in an unconscious condition. He had secured food from a huckster wagon. He died in the regimental hospital the following morning; diagnosis: Ptomain poisoning. Condensed Sick Report from May 14 to 31, Inclusive. Mean strength. 1, 066 Intermittent malaria. 1 Acute diarrhea. 5 Ptomain poisoning. 6 Typhoid fever. 1 Other diseases. 36 Total. 49 Intermittent malaria. 2 Malaria.:. 2 Acute diarrhea. 4 Enteritis. 3 Dyspepsia. 5 Typhoid fever. 2 Other diseases. 69 Total. 87 It is interesting to note that while the surgeon in his comments states that 20 cases of typhoid fever developed during the month of June, his report contains only 2 recognized cases. This confirms the fact frequently observed in other regiments that while typhoid fever was known to prevail, the cases were not always recorded with proper diagnosis. Dyspepsia seems to have been a severe disease in this regiment, and several cases were sent to the hospital for treatment. Some of these, as we shall see later, proved to be typhoid fever. It is quite evident that this regi¬ ment brought typhoid fever with it from Springfield, and that early in June it became quite widely infected. The report for July is signed by Major Kelly, without comment. H. Doc. 757, 58-2-2$