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

them That the comparison with fJroign DIT sOas has
been made ~ the only method whereby the effects
OF imperfect ventilation, and general want of at.
tention To the physical laws, can DO exhibited az
occurring in such institutions.
During the year just past, 1874 year when the
cholera prevailed throughout the whole country
in the Slate Prisons Of the State Of New York the
whole number Of deaths was bat 81 from ali dis.
eases, being only 81 per cent OF the whole number
of prisoners-Do ease being cholera. 10 the same
year, in the State of New Jersey there were 23i
prisoners in the State Prison, and only two deaths
from disease, while the cholera prevailed 10 the
n me date neghb0rhood Not single death from
cholera occurred in our City Prison, although il is
situated within very short distance Of that sink of
pollution ard misery, the Five Points-where the
disease first appeared. There were but three
deaths from that disease in the House OF Refuge.
To this statement can be acded the mortality OF
the State Prisons Of seven different States Cor the
year le4e, which will give fair average Of the
number Of deaths in years Of ordinary health. Tue
average number in all these is LITTLE mora than
Al per cent Of all persons confined in the prisons.
To this general statement there exists one excep-
ton in a oca prison, where the deaths ere report.
ed as 10 per cent. This however only proves the
principle contended for, inasmuch as want Of
ventilation ard inactivity were considered ths
cause Of the greater amount Of mortality in the
prison.
How ever striking and important these facts may
appear, there are others connected with another dis
ease which may be regarded equally instructive in
teaching the importance Of q suitable observance
Of the most evident OF the laws Of our physical ex.
isteDce.
In addition 70 the two diseases which have been
shown to prevail as pestilences wherever masses
of people are crowded together, there s another
which is now almost unknown, but which IN former
years was very fatal at ses-we mean scurvy.
This disease il 10 generally supposed, depends up
Ont ha aua M
seen that, however originally induced, Ike those
already mentioned, a peculiar condition OF those
exposed will multiply il TO frightfol extent and
impart to IL a maignsncy and fatality, which Ia It's
simple and original form, are unknown. Both
plague and typhus fever may exist independently
Of crow ds but that this condition gives them Ger
tain peeuliarties, more especially 10 the case Of
typbns fever, is evident. Its extinction as 1al
fever has followed the adoption of suitable prevent
i've measures for effectisg that object
This disease, although usually prevailing at sea,
and generally believed to be OF MARITIME origin,
was very common in various parts of Englsn in
the 10th and 18th centuries. Grant, in bis observ-
atoms upon the bills Of mortality speaks Of it as
among "the casualties that bear a constant proper.
ton unto the whole number OF burials." Its dissp-
peerance has evidently been in connection with
the same causes which produced immunity from
the plague The improvement in the dwellings
appears to be very prominent reason for the ab.
sence of the disease. The bills Of mortality of
London from 1867 to 1861 the principal part oil
which period was before the great fire, sho " that
the annual mortality from this cause was 60. Since
the commencement Of 18th century, the deaths
have rarely been more than five or six, and during
the portion of the 18th century already past its
mention is very are indeed.
As early as 1866 Claus Magnus speaks OF it as
peculiar to persons imprisoned and the inhabitants
of besieged towns. Ii appeared in the bockaded
towns Of Beda in 1925 Thoon in 1903, at Fort Will
liam in Scotland in 1852, and among the British
troops, with other sickness, when besieged In Bos
ton in 1875 Capt. Cook remarks that the X am
schadales who were habituated TO hard labor aud
the coarsess food free from sourvy, while the
Russians and Cossacks, who were in garrison and
led incident lives, subject to it, though they
used better food. Sir James McGregor saw it pre-
vail in 1901 among the troops at the Pho-os, In
Egypt. when they were abundanty supplied with
fresh vegetables and other food. 1t appeared in
the Mlbank Penitentiary, 10 England, as late as
the year 1922, and on inquiry about the food used
by the prisoners the first thing thought OF, 1t
found by Sir j. McGregor, Dr.. Granville Dr. John
son and MIR Bsmtield, to be good. The disease
even continued with much severity after the diet
was improved In quantity and quality. An over
crowded and exceedingly damp condition of the
rooms existed at the time. 1t also broke out
among some French prisoners in 1898. On re-
moving portion of them from POrtchester Castle
10 ship anchored near by, both parties were vict.
ualled in the same manner, with fresh animal food
and peas Those on board the ship suffered great
ly, being much IN want OF room, while those Ia the
castle escaped. Many similar instances could be
given, but we will cite only one, memorable for its
excessive fatality.
The friehtful mortality in Lord Amons cele-
brstcd expedition is without parallel in the his
tory of this or, we believe any other disease
Rev. Mr.. Walter, who wrote the account of the
voysge, says that ." the three ships departed from
England with 96l persons on board, of whom 62O
died before they reached the island Of Juan Fer
nandez, in about year from the time OF their sail
ing from England. The disease again attacked
the expedition about year erw.rd, " and but
II men could be mustered for duty He also
says, ait has generally been supposed that suiii-
cient supplies Of water and fresh provisions are
eflectusl preventives Of this malady; but it hap
pened that in the present case We bad consid-
cradle stock Of fresh provisions, being hogs and
fowls which we had taken at Paita."
Cold and damp are not necessary to the produc
ton of the scnryy, for it prevailed in the West In
dies in Lord Rodney's squadron in 1881. DR.. Trot-
ter mentioned its having existed az a very severe
epidemic in 1854, among the slaves Of Guinea
man, while lying in Anamaboo road, of the Gold
Coast 1t has prevailed in regiments in India,
Egypt, and other places within the tropics.
Neither is heat essential to its existence for it is
known to exist in Greenland, and it has often pre-.
vailed in Russia, as in Cronstadt in 1871 and 1856
IN W rnorg In lI32i al 81 Petersourgh IN 1883; at
Asoph in 1886; and in numerous other places IL
Capt. Frsnklin's polar expedition several persons
presented the symptoms Of the disease In L ord
Anson's voyage it attacked the crews Of his ships
under both extremes of cold and heat-when they
were passing around Cape born, and subsequently
when they were on the passage from the coast OF
Mexico to the Lsdrone Islands, while they were
still between the equator and the tropc of Cancer
! Thus we have the disease appearing under cir.
cumstances that vary as much as they can in re-
gard TO diet, climates, heat cold and moisture but
whatever may be the real cause, they all agree in
one Uniform condition, that OF absence of ventla.
tion' and the crowding and insction of the people
were close, badly ventilated, and houses wretched
ly constructed In besieged towns and prisons; in
ships and indeed wherever there lived crowds o.
! people in space too small for the supply Of air
1t il not uncommon now for the disease to appear
in the oyercrowded convict ships sent to New
j 81