Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-09-25
TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 25 1855.

CURED IN that locality. But on the 18th Of Sep.em-
ocI ,o'o"iS nau was attncked ut snilOr board
on the corner Of Bond and Thames streets,
reh f",n'. m'. This man died, and within tho two
'''io"'hg there were went fatal cases on
ih"''c' s'ioe, between Bond street and broadway.
Here, again, the snme sanitary measures were carried
out with Ike results. The disease dill not extend To
ahy"ccht streets, but confined to it's favOrite
haunt lhere was not the slightest evidence in any
single instance that the disease hud been contracted
from those already laborng under IT,
Again, IN September, lSoi, yellow fever made it's
appearance IN Block, Wills, and philpot streets, on
| Il narrow neck Of land short distance below the
draw bridge, nnd between the back basin and the
channel leading 10 the upper city docks. These
streets were cleansed and lined and here again the
disease WINS confined To within the COMPASS of two
small city squares. During its prevalence the frecst
intercourse kept up between the infected district
and the rest Of the city, Block street being one of the
pr.ncpal thorou htares between the town aud point.
This locality is directly opposite the wharf then oc
! rupird hv the steamer Tennessee. and report oh
tanned currency that the dSeasc had been brought
by this vessel from Charleston where it was prevail
ing the time; but no positive evidence could be ad
duced 10 confirm the statement.
The yellow fever which happened amongst The free
colorcd population in 7I9 and came from every
ton OF the city, proved 10 be an infectious dlsease
from the fact that at the Baltimore allnshouse 10
which large number Of cases wero carried, several
of the resident nurses, who had not been near the city
sickened Gud died of the disease; and yet tho.
rough cleaning and the adoption OF other HYGIENE
measures cftuctuay eradcated tho disease from all
the localities in which the poison had just before
proved rife And it has hecn that the institu-
tion Of similar sanitary precautions proved an etec-
tua barrier TO the nnu-intcctuous yellow fever which
| appeared on McEderrys wharf, Thames and Block
streets, in the summers of 1853 and 1854.
II would appear, therefore, TINT yellow fever IN
whatever form il may declare ITSELF can only thrive
in malarous atmosphere, and that when the mate
rinls which give employment To heposon arerenov'
cd the disease Is AT once, II were guiiotined ga
rotcd or strangled. In other words, the producing
cause of this fever introduced in community whose
nervous systems ARE depressed by nhalIng m!as.
mnic atmosphere, il like spark amongst finder or
seed sown i'll nutrtve soil but let the same poison
occur amongst people who are living i'll II proper
| hvglenic condition, and breathing MI atmosphere
such IA God in his providence intended they should
consume, aud the poison is ut like fish out OF
wafer, like spark falling OH ice, or seed sown III
desert.
Ii is lamcntahc to sec the city gradually lapslng
into the d..orahlc hygirnic condition it exhibited III
June, ISIS! and il Is hoped that the Council now III
session, will Instantly appropriate funds tor cleaning
and for carrying out at least tie ordinary sum-
! tary measures.
| /, would bc well also To make some radical change
in the health department. Instead of one health Of
frcr there should be II, least Un-onc TOR every TWO
war,s-racli Of whom should be- required To reside
| IN tie district which he presldes The only ar
gumcnt against such an arrangement IL the expense
tlOurh the question uf dollars and cents, in the "pn
! ion uf the writer should never be weighed III the
balance with the lives of citizens and the health q"
the communiiv: and, il this IL an obstacle, then be
a.sr,l that there are in this city number Ol young
medical men wI,o Tor the love of God nnd their tc-
low will willingly volunteer To give their tnle
and labor gra;nit"usly. There should be one he"iuh
officer with authority 10 act and examine th' rri ;
| Puu: wharvcs, the back basin, and Jones ali',
and another ~ supervise the condition oi inc Long
| Dock and the wharvcs connected with the city bnsln.
! 1t is Il common remark that the drainage "i our
civ is 80 perfect and that the streets III lu upper
parts of the town nrr ~ thoroughly washed by rains
bul il seem. Ia DO forgotten that most ot hS drnh
mr.. flows into the basin the foot OF Light Ehy
aud Frederick Streets rnd NJ the head "i hcEiucr
rv'. dock aud into Juucs's Falls; III all ut when
places the foul. bubbng, and serihinS waters abun-
,'an,ly testify that nu1"us gases are hny e'"lFea
proving not only injurious ~ the hcalth, Du' ~ Eiahy
cnses innica t. the lives uf all who brea'he the-
The ri;y ba.n unl indeed the entire water down %
h. Laznrctto is at best only miserable creek, Or
blind hndrance from the river receiving no pure wa
ter nj lis hnd but dependent lur ITS supply on pre-
cnr,nus tides anu each dock making III from II Is n
filthy cni-Ic.s0c, receiving only the foul al" puriu
waShings from Tic city.
citiz.ns recurring them spend considerable por-
tiun rf their time III this n"l-hborho", rehd'is H.
therefore. nf th" first oonreqneirH ma me ,,'Iy anI
ruiI Irion ui .hcse wharvc, anu wntr8 DC c"'''u''!
, attended TO- Every sca-un, after the sprIng rans
and before the hot weather sets IN, me arp""''es "S
crrrc II, the heads Of the docks should be removed"
3 II permitted 10 Ot carTlt'l out itIN' 49, - -
hnsn. This whole mass Of waters may become one
vast pond OF pc-tient fcrmcntntion capable oi gene
rating. under the ardent rays of midsummer su''
| the most drntlly eHha!aiions. "
fan epidemic yellow fever ever visits our city, ana
God forbid that It ever should. 1t will have Its origin
from these suurcea and rather than such calaIni'y
should take place would be better arrr, y ers
no other remedy, to I'LL up the basln anu wharves oS
,nny;ng into them the fresh earth Federal HILL
evens this einonco would be st%"a nn, mR.ove, .s So
| n n
,,,,,rc;,lIv If tho material Of which it is composed
were made to take the place Of the basin. Inv:
would add srcctagc, largely indemnify Tue preseni
wharf.holders and give more imposing outline ana
metropolitan appearance to the city. MEplOeo'
|
That would depend upon whether or not those au'"o'
rites ero as wcnfo.ncd upon the nature md character
and the means OF prevention Of the yellow iever as 'H
author of .Mcdicus" appears to bc-tEd' EH7
AN ELOQUENT LETTERING make tho iol'
lowing extract from the letter of acceptance OF t. D.
Beach. ESQ.,, the Democratic nominee for Governor
of Massachusetts.
I'LL,