New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-07-31

5000 as the number during a late visitation OF an
equally dreaded disease; and the proportion is al
most the same elsewhere. The historians OF the
fifteenth century give terrible picture OF the dis
tress, desolsiion despair and death which existed
in oil the towns Of Europe. At tbs present time
where the same iuattenton 10 convenience in liv.
ing exists, the plague still remains In Grand Ca
iro the streets are very narrow and so crowded
with people that they ostle against each other in
passing in the best parts of the city. friend in
forms US that he has seen in some OF the Eastern
cities rows Of porters and 5eggars sitting crJuched
against the houses who could scarcely draw them
selves up close enough to prevent being kicked by
the people passing through the narrow streets. In
some parts Of Cairo the streets, they termed,
are only about three feet wide while the houses
are GOV cred with a number Of projecting windows,
and even touch each other from the opposite sides
The rays OF the sun never reach these places,
and they are always cold, damp and dark. Dark
alleys branch off from these some in the form Of
large sewers, where there is an absolute squeezing
to get through If the passenger riding should meet
any living creature. And yet such places are 10.
hlbited to excess with human beings, to what ex.
tent we know not Ssvsny mentions that when
he travelled there some 80 or 90 years ago. 300
people occupied the same space that 30 did in
Paris This is the place where the plague still
makes its appearance almost annually.
In what respect does the condition Of the people
differ now from that Of earlier times, that there
should be so great difference in the mortality
nent is in the different degree Of civiz alton show.
ing itself principally in the dwellings, Of the masses;
for when this is still absent pestilence is still a
most dreaded visitation. Nothing marks the pro-
grtss OF human civilization than the character
of human babitstions Whatever may be the ele.
gsnce Of the theater the splendor Of the palace,
the msgnifcence of the temple with it's finely
wrought columns, culptured statues aud browning
dome, the house in which the actisan or lsborer
lives alone will indicate the degree Of civilization;
and precisely in parallel line do we find the "a
atty of prevailing epidemics.
Having spoken OF the uniform Circumstances IN
der which the most dreaded pestilences Of former
days prevailed, we shall now consider one which
existed on much more limited scale, and is capa-
bic Of q more de flute proof Of the uniform lndl.
ton hich At the same time existed and exercised
n direct control over it's virulence and mortality
We refer 10 typhus fever, or as 1t was formerly
called joh ttrer, from It's prevalence and fatality
ip prisons or ails The JaH fever no longer exists
there is ship fever, which is the same disease,
and with The same proprety of expression typhus
fever may still be described under the name of
cellar or court terer from its occurring primarily in
those places If the same methods OF prevention
are extended to ships, cellars and courts, as have
extermnated the disease from prisons, there is no
reason why it should not also be exterminated, and
the form OF typhus Deepen ling upon crowds cease to
exist
II must be dist 1ctly kept in mind that these dis.
eases belong to a class which are spread by the
same conditions Of air-so that whatever effects
plague or typhus fever, exerts also an influence
over other diseases of the same class, such yell
low fever, small pox cholera, DC
All historians agree that prisons were ths places
that exhibited the greatest concentration OF maIig
nancy in disease. In early history W. have but
little detailed accounts of diseases in PRISONS and
scarcely any chronological accounts Of their appear
ance. In later days there il more accurate men.
ton made Of the different periods OF pestilental
visitation. When these are exhibited and con.
trssted with the entire absence OF disease as pes
tilepce-the positive conditions OF prisons at this
time-the fact will be very instructive. 1t is per-
haps not generally known that prisons now are the
most he althy places that can be found during
epidemic, showing in the clearest manner the
effects that will follow well directed efforts 10 OBJ.
viate the horrible evils of excessive crowding.
The dreadful condition Of the prisons in Eng
land, made known by the philanthropic Howard,
excited a general feeling Of indignation through
out the civilized world. The amount OF disease in
them was truly appalling, aud all produced by the
promiscuous crowdiDg In loathsome, narrow pest
feptia rooms and vaults, without any means what
ever for the circulation of air, with the usual at
tendance of accumulation of filth. The discovery
of the causes Of the vast amount OF sickness led
Immediately TO the construction OF larger build.
ings, as suggested by Howard, and the adoption Of
q regular ~ stem OF discipline
That the contrast may be made with a proper
knowledge Of the facts, we will give brief chro-
nology Of the prevalence Of typhus fever in the
prisons Of England, whence it derived the nsme of
Jail fever.
Two of the most remarkable and fatal instances
of this fever occurred in 1857, az Oxford aud 1850
at Old Baily. There are more detailed accounts
of its prevalence in later times. 1t existed in
Wood st. con pier in 1873 and l776 in the county
sil Of Hartford in INA and ING; in those Of Maid
stone in l774 in the town bridewell Of Cambridge
In 1879 in the county Jail Of Augsburg in 177f aud
l776; 1t was very fatal in the county jail OF Bed.
ford about the year 1856; in that of Warwick in
l772, when it destroyed the keeper, in addition to
q great number Of prisoners; in the county BRIDE
well at Southwell Ia l772-73; in the county Jail of
Shrewsbury repeatedly in the county jail OF Mon.
mouth In MA when the jailor, several Of the prs.
oners and many Of their friends died in the county
brideweh OF Lske, where it also attacked the
keeper and his family great number of the prs-
oners died in Gloucester Castle in 1773-74-75 and
76, when many died in the county jail Of
Wincbester, where the surgeon and twenty
persons died; in the brdewel of Devices, pre-
vious to IVA; in that of Marlborough in l776;
In the county Jail of Lancaster in IVA, where
the keeper, his assistants and all the prisoners
were sick, several Of whom died--the keeper
and bis wife in one night 10 the county bride.
well OF Taunton, where in 1869 il destroyed 8
out OF 10 prisoners in the county bridewel of
Thoork in l776i in the Liverpool borough iail in
l774. -
Mr. Howard, after giving description of the
state OF the prisons from the absence OF water air
&c. says that when coming out of the prisons m
clothing was in my fTst journey offensive that
In u post chsise could not leave the windows M
and was therefore obliged to travel on horseback
"Msny Of the jailers made excuses and would moi
go with me INTO the felons ward lone reason
Why some jsils are so close 10 the window tax
which the jailers have to pay this leads them L
stop the windows, and stihe the poison" Many o
the jsls were private property, which will accOun
for their bad condition.
The number Of deaths or the rate OF mortality
which occurred in these prisons at the periods
toned above, there il no means Of ascertaining
but all accounts show that it must have been yer,
great. MIR. Howard in his accounts of prisons
says that " from my own observations was fall,
convinced that many more persons wera dost-,vayy