6o YELLOW FEVER PROPHYLAXIS LN' NEW ORLEANS 



V. — The Financial Organisation. 



A campaign of the magnitude of that which took place in New 

 Orleans in 1905 could not have been successfully conducted unless 

 there had been liberal financial support. The necessary large sums 

 of money to undertake the prophylactic measures were, with very 

 great promptness and generosity, subscribed by all classes of citizens, 

 I will conclude this description of the 1905 Yellow Fever epidemic 

 with the following statement kindly furnished to me by Mr. Janvier, 

 Chairman of the Yellow Fever Fund, of how the funds were raised. 



C'ttizens' Yellow Fever Fund Committee. 



New Orleans, Seftember 15, 1905. 



On Friday, July 22nd, 1905, the Mayor of the City of New Orleans invited the State 

 and City Health Officers and a number of citizens prominent in business and profes- 

 sional life, to meet in his office for the purpose of conferring upon the fever situation. 

 This conference was held on Saturday, July 23rd, and at this conference a Finance 

 Committee was named by the Mayor and charged with the duty of gathering the funds 

 requisite to carry on a fight against the fever then prevalent. This Committee set to 

 work without delay soliciting contributions. The Committee began operations with a . 

 fund of $20,000.00 which had been placed in our hands by the associated banks of the 

 City, and within a few days contributions began to come in generally and generously. 

 When it was realized that the local authorities — State and Municipal — were unable to 

 satisfactorily cope with the situation, and an appeal was made to the Governor of the 

 State to request the Federal or General Government to take charge, the Committee had 

 accumulated about $60,000.00. On Sunday morning, Aug. 7th, Dr. J. H. White, who 

 had been sent to New Orleans by the U.S. Public Health and Marine Hospital Service, 

 received the following telegram from Dr. Wyman, the head of that, branch of the 

 general Government : — 



" Surgeon White, St. Charles Hotel, New Orleans, La. In answer to telegram of 

 Aug. 4th you state that the citizens have raised a large fund and promise to raise more, 

 though amount is not definitely stated. 



" It is very important that this matter should be settled before definite action can 

 be taken. Your estimate in second telegram of Aug. 4th, makes total expenses for 

 eradication at 3 1,500. 00 to 1^2,000.00 per day. 



" You do not state whether this amount is expected of the Service. Bureau estimate 

 for forty officers, mentioned by you as being required, would be about $500.00 per day. 

 The epidemic fund will not stand or permit of $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 per day. This is 

 absolute. Bureau would be willing to give you all the medical officers necessary, but 

 the labor and materials should be furnished by the citizens, as has been done 

 heretofore. 



" Wire promptly whether this arrangement can be effected, that I may give my 

 opinion to the President. 



" Attention should be called to the fact that the Government is now maintaining 

 detention camps in the interest of New Orleans, and expense must be met for inter- 

 state measures. Rush answer. Wyman." 



Upon receipt of this telegram Dr. White requested an immediate conference with 

 the Mayor of the City and the Citizens' Finance Committee. As a result of this 

 conference, the following telegrams were dispatched to the President of the United 

 States and Surgeon-General Wyman : — 



