Report of the director of the Bureau of Medical Service / William Pepper.

Date:
[1876]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the director of the Bureau of Medical Service / William Pepper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    The population was distributed as follows: Bureau of Medical Residing at the several restaurants, daily average . 256 Service. Residing at the buildings of the several foreign Commissions, daily average 103 Residing at the several State buildings, daily average .... 88 Resident ' In the employ of the United States Government, daily average “ ‘‘ “ Board of Finance; 91 population. , Centennial Guard, daily average . 802 Firemen, daily average 175 Janitors and others, daily average. 53 Total . . . . 1568 Before considering the amount of sickness occurring among this population, attention is due to the peculiar conditions involved. In the first place, among the numerous representatives of foreign countries quartered within the grounds, most of whom were sufficiently well housed and provided for, there were not a few who suffered severely from the exceptional weather of 1876—the keen cold of the early months of the year, as well as the intense heat of the summer. Un- fortunately, too, some of those whose native climate would render them most susceptible to these extremes were not suitably provided for, in either lodging 'or food. This was particularly the case with the Japanese, who numbered about fifty; and whose dwelling, although a I beautiful model of Oriental taste and workmanship, was barely suitable ' as a residence during the cool weather of an ordinary Philadelphia i spring or fall. It was a frame structure of the lightest description, with Peculiarities i no provision for heating excepting a small shallow box, filled with sand, f placed in the centre of each room, upon which were kept burning a few house, i small pieces of charcoal. It may be imagined, therefore, how ill fitted ! this was as a residence, not only during the severe winter months, but ‘ even during April, May, September, and October. It is to be noted, in I connection with this mode of heating the ap*artments of the Japanese , dwelling, that, as there was no outlet for the fumes of the burning j charcoal, nor indeed any aperture whatever for ventilation when the rooms were closed, as they constantly were during cool weather, the inmates were subjected to a most unwholesome atmosphere. These depressing influences, in connection with their meagre diet, caused considerable sickness among the Japanese. The chief forms of indis- po.sition were diarrhoeal affections, attended with an unusual degree of general prostration, which yielded readily to treatment, but were apt to recur. In addition to this, the want of acclimation and the depressing influences just mentioned, strongly predisposed them to contract febrile affections of typhoid type. Thus, out of about 50 individuals, including the members of the Japanese Commission and