The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-07-18
LOCAL MATTERS.

HEALTH or THE ClTY.-N0twithstandipg
the labored efforts of panic Makers, to brighten
women and children out of their wits, and thereby
produce fatal epidemic, we think we are fully
prepar ed to show this morning, that all that We
have heretofore said In regard to the health OF the
city il strictly true-that there Is now prevailing
epidemic In our midst-and that sober, temperate
and prudent persons, have nothing to lear from
cholera
By referring to the register of interments at the
Shockoe Hill Burying ground we find thst from the
9shto the 18th ofthe present month, ceHytro white
persons have been buried
Tareire of this number were under the age OF IL
wears and eight of the twenty-five are reported to
have died of the cholera We ask the reader II the
death of eight white persons from one disease in
seven days in city with population OF 600 in
habitants, is any indication oil prevailing epidem-
c or on the other hand is 1t not the best evidence
that could be given that there is no epidemic in our
midst
For 1853, from the 9th to the nth of July there
tacelre white persons buried at the came place
showing an increase this year OF ten only
With the colored population, the number ofcases
of cholera and of deaths have been much greater,
| the cause of which we shall endeavor to explain
From the 9th to the 18th of July, 1854, there were
fortyone burias of negroes, and thtryjor oil that
number are marked as cholera
In 1853 during the corresponding period of time,
there were but eierea negroes buried-showing an
increase this year of thirty.
While examining the re si.ter we were struck with
the fact, that notwithstanding the large number of
negroes that had been inferred, there were but to
scoen mark ed to have died with cholera This dife-
renee in the number of deaths OF the two sexes was
very great, and the proportion OF burials the
10 h, 18th and 18th insts, much larger than the
18th l4th 18th and l6th that were forced to the
conclusion that there was some local cause for the
fatality of the that did not apply to the women,
and we therefore account for it ia this way The
| jority of negro men employed in the city given
board money-and receiving it on Saturday, the 9Th
they purchased unhealthy food, partook of it that
ing the Sabbath in drinking bad liquors, pros
trated by the disease which terminated their lives
| And we are strengthened in this conclusion by the
fact that comparatively few cases of cholera have
| occurred among servants who were fed and lodged
| by their masters. The women do not receive board
money, and being more temperate and better fed,
have escaped the disease which have carried of SO
| many men. We ask IKE attention of masters to
these facts that they may the Importance of pro-
| vid .ng for their slaves in a proper manner.
| Some of our kind friends seem extremely anxious
to make it appear that we have endeevoIed to con-
cea the true state of the health of the city from the
| public; and to judge from their mourntul notes OF
| warning, one would suppose that every ether man
| and woman were either deaf or dying with cholers
| So far from attempting to mislead any one, we have
| given facts and figures to prove what have said
Our object has been to prevent unnecessary alarm
| to show that there real cause for psnic-to
protect the business of the city from serious injury
by false reports, and to let persons in the country
see that they would risk in visiting Richmond
at this particular time. If this be crime, then we
| plead guilty.
| From various sections of the surrounding country
| the enemies of Richmond have labored most zeal
ousy to create the impression that our people were
DYING by scores and hundreds from cholera, and thai
stran ger would be just safe in smallpox hospi
tal though never vaccinated within its borders.
Against these base fabrcations we have warred ani
| shall continue to long we know that cpl
demic prevails in midst If our city should be sc
unfortunate as to be visited by epidemic Justice t.
our thousands of readers and the public large. viii
induce US to them of it at once but until thai
is the case shall content ourselves with facts
figures, which cannot be controverted
| Most of the cases of cholera that have occurred
here have been traced directly to imprudent eating
| or drinking, or both Those who know anything Of
| negro character, know that they will eat almost any
| thing that they can get; and when they have money
| to feed themselves they sure to buy the cheap
| est in order to have spending change TO purchase
| poisonous liquors with. As proof of this, at least
four.ifths of the thrtytwo men who died last weeb
were in the habit of receiving their board money
| uIarly on Saturday night While that practice il
continued owners of slaves may expect to lose them
Since the first of July we have continually warned
readers to be prudent in eating and drinking
to avoid unnecessary exposure to the weather, and
| we now renew that caution. But again repeat
that our city is entirely free from anything like an
epdemic-that most, If not all the of cholera
that have occurred be traced to local causes and
that persons in the country need have more feal
of visiting Richmond now than at any other season
of the year. 1t is the cleauest and most healthy city
of its size in the Union and if invads who are
ing comfort at the Springs would change their dest
nations, and spend their summer months at some 81
our fine hotels where good living and the best of &C.
combinations always to be had, they would find
their health improved vastly more than any Spring
can do.