The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-10-23
THE Dali Y DISPATCH
r.e.s.. nsrriss, Oc.sssr !. 3, 1885.
m.-.~,-- 8 - Fever N Norfolk.

49,. sy---~-~@-s-Ss>
Hs.,erv n the Fever IN Norfolk.
The Charleston Standard has long article, CIV.
Rug = history Of the rise and progress Of the vel
,o,v fever In Norfolk The "reminiscences Of its
earlier stages, are not without interest
The steamship Ben Franklin, Capt. Buynam,)
which II Is generally supposed brought the disease
arrived at quarantine, direct from St Thomas, on
the 9Th Of June last with no of fever on hoard
and with but two deaths reported since leaving 'h.
las, port one Of which occurred from apopexy, anu
the ether from exhaustion. She was deianeu -
quarantine until the 10th of June, when no
dence of disease occurring. she was "'.o
,ocosror, and 10 the ship yard Of Messrs'
- e .u... ,,.x, the Portsmouth Navy ! ard,
$500 /, i stated that here, in violation oil
,,-,u...;,,, ,,,, eaptain opened his hold Hands
- - -, Ward and elsewhere were employed
= -, .ho,, the vessel but no sickness occurred
,,,, ,ha s,b Of July On that day one of the hands
was somewhat exposed, by participating In the res
,ivi,ies of the occasion, and on the ngh, OF 'he
of July was attacked by disease, attendei "n,'
:; .,a h..t and limbs and high fever, which
,x.. pronounced by the attending physician yeiio"
f.,er The attack terminated fatally seven days
after its commencement
.,o,,,er man who was employed on the ressei al
quarantine and up to the 18th OF jury was 'ahen
dawn on that day with the disease, but after nihe
.o.o,,.rad Another hand, who left before
-, ,o,s ,,.as onened did not take the fever until
..,.,s, .f,er II had become epidemic: but his SIS
.,.ha r,,ed in the same house with him, took
tho fever on the 18th of july and died on 'ne @is'
Every effort was then made TO isolate the injected
ds,rct from Portsmouth, but it was too late otner
.ases were reported in that place on the s4th ana
y, the LIST of August fifteen or twenty cases were
renorted in Norfolk, after which the Disease III
creased and ragged with destructivencss unparal-
leled in the history of pestience.
The last appearance in those cities OF yellow
fever to any serious extent, was, 1t Is saio' III ieo'
and II seems that the same thermal ana a'ios'
nberic pbenomena were witnessed during oo'n
seasons In both. the season was unasuan! MOI
and sultrv during the months Of July and August
and though there were frequent showers lhere " a.
an unusual absence Of lightning and thunder
II i, aIso mentioned among facts OF general III
forest connected with the pathological characIe'-
stics of this disease that the fever assumed more
or less Of typhoid form, as was evmcco ny INC
length of time that was necessary to recovery
mat persons Of plethoric temperament were the
greatest sufferers-that those laboring under chro
n;c disease or constitutional debility seldom sur
r;ved The mode of practice adopted by the medi
raj gentlemen of Charleston is believed TO nave
been most successful. They left nature TO night OUT
tho battle with the disease, giving the constitution
o,v that assistance and support that truly need
cd The Standard adds that this system OF practice
has been developed by long experience IN Charles
sto, and reduced the deaths in the last epidemic
which visited that city to less than five per cent Of
cases.
Negroes though liable to the disease, were mucl
Ieas so than whites. Thus for instance, the white
population remaining in Ward No. ]. was GU, and
there had been in that ward $50 cases; while the
blacks remaining in that ward amounted to ZAP
out of which there had been only 10 cases
OF the sixteen resident physicians ten died VI
forty physicians who came from the North, princi
paIly from Pennsylvania, twenty-six died. Those
from Southern ATTITUDES were not SO liable to the
disease. OF seventy physicians and nurses from
Charleston only two died.
The Standard notes as one of the most painful
circumstances attending the epidemic, the almost
utter isolation of those who were compelled to re
main i'll the city The clouds did not begin to
brighten until about the 30th of September, but
even now they have. not entirely broken away lnor
viii they till heavy frost. Deaths are still occur
ring among the refugees who losing sight in their
impatieace of the dictates of prudence, have re-
turned too soon.