New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-10-12
.agoYEzlEs eoRREspoNpENcE.

MARKsyIILE, list October, 1856.
Oar hitherto healthy little village hss BEEN for the
wasting away the population at other points the STATE
It's appearance at this places and the history It's
prosch amongst u.s. will afford food for speculation and
possibly of argument the mooted question with the
medical profession to its contagiousness The facts
here stated unquesonably true though the state
ment may not be % full as might have been desired
Prior to the 10th ult boast was and the fact was
admitted that healthy season had been known
here there having occurred case Of sickness in our
village Of any kind during the summer that had closed
and Il ID believed that the same remark could be applied
to nearly all Of ths country villages in Louisiana
on tie Iath September there died, At the City Hotel
hsd Ave days before visited Grand Gulf On tho Missis
sipp He had bat recently left Auburn, Alabama and
same this place on the stage from the mouth Of RED
4, Nj in good health. On Saturday night he at
tackled and the Saturday afterwards carried to his grave
that q Judge Ctahman at whose house Mr. Ooburn had
dlned the day he WAS attacked The Judge left his
home on the Monday afterwards for place where
be remained till Friday epenng for having also been at
tackled the evening before he brought to his homo
and died Monday morning succeeding; at 10 O'Clock.
yomt Hs dsushter the third ssse was stricken down
the day Of her fatfsrs death, and SON the fourth
oass attacked Tussday might the 18th. These
fth case was that Of John Waddii ESD which termi
mated fatally the sixth day after the attack. Mr..
wadd ls here with his family on ths 10TH for Red
when he taken sick his way back to his home. 1t
ia believed that both Judge Cushman and Mr. Waddi
contracted the disease the river The few days they
where the boats generally were forced to stop and
load From the period Of Coburn's death to the I'D
other case AROSE. but on the 22d four showed
the hotel where Cohurn died. and two
at other points One Of these last was house servant
sho had not been where the disease exissea From te
oped themselves every day amounting in all to thir
tys thirty out Of which ten have proved fatal
most Of the balance having or at present CON
yalescpg 1t Is singular fact that the Howard Asso-
citation formed here Of some six or eight efoisnt mem
be but Of whom had ever had the fever have only
The two ut Judge Cushmans taking place within
two days after his DEATH and within the fourth and fifth
days after the Athers attack show that the disease
Of yiruent character The circumstance Of their being
around the father during the Illness that carried him to
bis grave and inhaling the vtiated atmosphere q the
sick room and being attacked may be reconciled with
the usually received hypothesis of Infection though the
Judges residence outside Of the town. and situated
But what can be said 81 my servants case who had not
been at the Judges at tho hotel but on whose person
the disease manifested itself smultan.ousy With those
occurring hotel It is not possible 70 suppose that
from the Coburn or Cushman case, the surrounding at
nosphere BECAME immediately vitiated lsit not more
probable that this caught = " .ns oo.n
illness She was my house servant and took 20 the
wash the clothes Of the nurse II this case 10 TO be ranged
with the class Of infected cases. then the classification must
be on aome Seetablshed data applicable to infec-
ton and not contagion.
Has the medical faculty eyer YET h5sa WIN precision
amount Of vtiated air Is required to infect and poison
pure and healthy condition Of with which
the contact il nade and secondly within what time Is
the influenced and controlled by the other to such
point a. will make the liable TO an epidemic form
Until these questions be settled satisfactorily the advo
oates Of contsgon have as much Of the argument %
their oppoueus the subject will at least be involved In
great doubt by the conflicting testimony brought to sup
port either hypothesis The writer is no medical man,
processes his inability to discuss these questions His
object In making this statement OF the of the yell
low fever III Marksve been TO direct the attention Of
medical gentlemen to the subject and If he shall
Deed in 20 doing, he will bs more than gratihed.
Tho epidemic has nearly spent its force here for the
violence and thrown desostou around many fre-sids
On m appearance Of population fed with ter
from the scsne leaving their slaves TO De nursed and
attended to BY weak force Of nurses and had 1t not
been that In this way had been sent US from Alezan
dria and Washington, these destitute and abandoned
creatures would have persisted from pure neglect The
epidemic came upon without any preparation. and
Without medical aid none o. our physicians under
the propsr treatment Fortunately for DR.. Wa
tiers happened be here On TIE day Or Juge
" called him home This critical period, too
then had some twenty-seyen GASES on hand-most Of
them in the passive state but at this unctre, your
Dr.. Mather arrived and immediately took charge Of Wa
sers cases These with one exception have
aud are doing we'll Our few nurses, made up of the e
zens Of the place pered their lives and showed them
The eountry people seized with panic. fed the APP
proach Of any one from Provisions became scarce
but thanks to she noble charity Of few country friends
broken In the counry and where the plague Is to
top It i impossible to foretel
One Of these was abandoned on his sok bed and died
without about him and our citizens hearing Of it,
iOwn tbs dssiDg which they dis. with sssyhpg sl "
!