The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-06-02

New York, Wednesd.y, Jans ?, le47.
The Steamship Eibernia.

The Steamship Hibernia.
This steamer had not made her appearance at
Boston at shutdown last evening. She then had
entered her fifteenth day. If she remains another
day at sea, her 'stme" will have been beaten by
packet ship Adam Carr, which arrived here seve-
raj days ago.
The Ship Fever, and ats Dangers to the
Public.
In consequence of the prevalence of what
is termed the ship fever, among the newly ar
rived enigrants who are daily being landed on
our wharves, the minds of the public in general
have become much excited, through fear that
this fever may become epidemic, and attack
all unfortunately. To such an extent has this
fear prevailed in some parts of the country in
the vicinity of our city, that it has led to the
commission of the most lawess and violent acts.
From what we can learn from the various we'll
informed and intelligent medical men, whose
opinion we have asked on the subject, we are
persuaded that the fears which many have given
way to, as to the infectious nature of this fever,
are ungrounded. The ship fever is what is
known as ordinary typhus, of somewhat
aggravated form. Typhus fever is almost al
ways found wherever large bodies of persons
are collected together in i'll ventilated situations,
such situations, fever is almost the necessary
result; and when We add to all these causes the
depressing influences OF poverty-arriving IN
strange land the having left their native one,
and their early associations behind tor ever,
it is not wonderful that these poor emigrans are
peculiarly apt to become subjects for this disease.
1t is disease, which before proper attention was
paid to the due ventilation of prisons and gaols,
| -. Il
used frequently to rage In these institutions, ana
defy all the efforts of medicine to arrest Its pro-
gress, until the places were thoroughly cleansed
and ventilated, and the unhappy inmates better
attended to.
The ship, camp, gaol, or typhus fever Qor
| they are all identicaD can be generated then,
wherever the condition of the locality is such as
| we have described; but all medical men, we be-
lieve, agree in saying that it never becomes In
fictitious or epidemic, that is to say, spread from
street to street or house to house. If healthy
person takes up his abode in house where
there are many cases of this fever, and exposes
himself continually to an atmosphere saturated
with the exhalations from these patients, he
would run much risk of being attacked by it;
but there is no reason to suppose that the infec-
ton from it extends beyond the immediate vici-
nifty Of the patient, and we think that 1t
may be safely laid down as a rule, that
wherever due attention to- the venti-
lation of apartments is paid, there is no
chance of typhus making its appearance. 1t is in
fectious only among those who are all exposed to
the same influences that generate 1t. Thus we
see the physicians who are in attendance on large
numbers of such cases at our different hospitals,
daily filling a sacrifice. to it. This is be-
cause they are continually exposed to the exha-
| lations, and absolute contact with such nume-
| rous cases, but the health of the neighborhood
of these hospitals is good as ever, and we
| have no doubt that no more fever prevails In
| such neighborhood now than at any other time,
nor will there, unless the causes which lead to
| the production of typhus become developed
| among them.
| One circumstance connected with this ship
fever is worth recording, and that is the untiring
zeal with which the younger members OF the
profession give their time and care, and thus far,
their lives in several instances, to such cases
All the subordinate situations in the hospitals
are filled up by them Immediately on their be-
coming vacant and the most dangerous duties
fulfilled by them without hesitation. These
Offices have no pecuniary emoluments attached
to them; on the contrary, the privilege of enter
Ing Oh tHcHl Is puICHdscu ouiy Wy INC pay INV"
of considerable fee; and this is sufficient proof
that it is solely and truly wish to see practice
and benefitby it, that incites these young men to
assume such dangerous posts. Such self-sacri
fcng assduity is worthy of reward, and form.
striking comment on the charges Of apathy
| ignorance, and Indifference, which certain small
but vocferous medical ciiques have lately de-
lighted to shower down on theirrising opponents
and future ver,hrowers-the rising generation
of physicians
| ARRIVAL OF EMIGEANTs. We were last eve
ming favored with the following interesting sta
tistics relative to the arrival of emigrant passen
gers, and the number of deaths that have taker
place amongst them, at sea as well as In the hos
| pitals:-
| Number arrived from January LIST to May 18th,
inclusive. '''-' $500 go
| From May 18th to the. 3lst,. 1904
| Numhor ~ death on mass age .... 60