Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-05
THE EPEsr1LENCE Ar CALVES.
TON.
TefrORs OF Yellow Fever-Incidentslo of
- the Epidemic ...r


ION.
TefrOrs OF Yellow Fever-IncIdentsIbf of
bss s4 the EPidemic. rfl,f,f aa1
Files of Galveston papers to the 23d ult.
furnish the following 1-.f.,,, N ..r,ss ,s;f
We noticed, yesterday, the hauling OF
several loads of coffins through the streets,
piled up. - Ia cordwood, on carts. This is
altogether wrong. We see enough at pres
ent to intimidate the timid, without un-
n tnecessarily creating unpleasant rrmem-
/ Among the Incidents noted yesterday
was that of lady, who, having been four
days sick OF the fever, and almost without
hope OF recovery, gave birth to a beauti-
full Fchild-a son, we believe. Both died
subsequently,. % 6E' = 9ia1 ~ "a - 7I
30 Fhe scenes during the day are suggestive
as we'll llasmelancholy. Yesterday Icount-
ed eighteen funerals from my window, and
the day before fifteen. Two have passed
while have been writing this correspond
ence. Some of the streets are almost de-
sereeo,s and IN many others one can only
see pale. faced women and anxious-eyed
men, hurrying to the nearest lee dealers or
drug store for comforts to the sick. Many
Of the istorekeepers take advantage of the
panic and charge the most exorbitant
pFeSes f0r the commonest necessities of the
sick room. -. -, l.,,---, - 80
: The Catholic priests, of whom there are
at present but few in the city, have all they
can do to attend to the spiritual wants of
the SICK. The nuns in charge of the char
ICY hospital are few in number, and reduced
by sickness. Their. Mother Superior died
YESTERDAY at her post like q brave woman
Reprehensfble is very mild caption for
the nasty and dangerous customs to which
we are about to alIude. There is a wagon
which goes toward the beach about sun
down, laden with the offal Of the hospital
and the cast off garments OF the fever pa
tients, and the blankets of such as have
died:o These are drawn to the beach and
cast out to poison the gale with their pes
tilential stencil. Nor is this the worst of
it. Negroes go out and gather these arti-
eles and bring them to their homes, scatter
ing the disease wherever they GO. 'sa vtrr
g Old Texan nurses, careful and untiring
usually save their patients. It is difficult
to restrain the morbid craving for Just a
little food, but that little is almost certain
death. :, "a, .4,,,.r rE,v.sl s..ll {. i =, - So
The mortality is by no means so great in
proportion to the population as is generally
supposed, In 1858, with a population one-
third OF that which we now have, the NOR
tallty was eighteen one day. This would
De equal to ffty-four at the present time.
One of the phases of the present epidem-
ic Is tendency to congestion. This is par
ticularly the case with those whose voca-
tiops nave calletl them much in the sun, or
whose habit has been to take strong drink.
Speaking of this, we are constrained to atl-
wise all who can to keep out of the suns
heat, and to caution all unacclimated per-
sops against practice which has already
proved fatal to several. There are those
who. in their fear of the fever, rush to
drink as an antidote. Those who regard
whisky either as an antidote or a remt dy
for the yellow fever, will be greatly mis-
taken, and probably find out to late to save
their lives.
qThe fever has exhibited a marked prefer
ence for that portion OF the city whose CEN
teris the Second Ward market house. The
frame houses there standing are among the
oldest in the city. Originally they were
built fiat upon the ground. The street has
gradually risen till the grade is in many {.
places two feet higher than the houses orig
nally were. Under these houses there is
standing pool of stagnant water enriched
with the drainage of yards and filthy re-
not to be named ); these pools are
sending that reeking contagion
which men breathe and dieM
It Is feared that on accountof the scarcity
If drivers the operations of the Gulf street
'ailroad will have to be suspended.
."-4A = THE DISEASE. -' q 70 so
A description of this truly awful disease
ind its attending horrors may not be aniss.
Commencing with feeling of chilliness, a
luick fever supervenes, accompanied by
PAINS In the head, back and limbs. The
,ain in the head is frontal, and often ex-
'eedingly severe, attended with compress.
ion of thought and violent delirium. The
stomach Is early affected, and vomiting en-.
ues almostimmediately.i The matter Vom-
ted consists of the contents of the stomach,
II bile, and of thin colored fluids. The pa
lent complains of burning sensation, in
he haf foo - A.,
he eyes reds suffused, muddy and sensitive
o light. The breathing is sometimes hur-
led and irregular, sometimes slow and en-
,arrassed.3T { tt E}Et}t}I +. -4ssl
The skin is commonly hot, dry and harsh.
The syellowness, from which the disease
ierives its name, first tinges the eye, then
spreads to the forehead, neck and breast,
md nd last to the gextremities. The color
1artes from an orange to a bronze, and
in the last stage, approaches a
lark mahogany. The tongue is at first
moist and white, then red. The 2
pulse leaps to 100, and is tnil and bounding.
The patient is very restless, constantly
his position, while the expression
,f the facets gloomy and anxious, or some
lines fierce and threatening. ga ri haa~41
These are the first stages of the disease, Z
;he average duration of which are fl ON 36 .
20 4S hours. The second stage Is succeeded
by an abatement of all the unpleasant
symptoms. The skin becomes moister and
cooler, the pain in the head and limbs is
relieved, the stomach is less irritable, the
pulse calmer, the expression of the coun-
tenance more natural. The yellowness of
the skin, however, becomes more different,
and deeper In tint. This stage of remission
generally lasts from twelve to eighteen
hours, though it may be prolonged to twen-
tyrfour or thirty-six. The third stage is
by prostration: the pulse be-
comes more feeble and the skin darker; the
tongue may remain large and moist or be- 3
come dry and brownlor smooth, red, fis-
sured and bleeding. The irritability of the
stomach returns or isincreased. The vom-
ting is often incessent. At first it may
consist of colorless, acid liquor; soon, in
bad cases, It begins to contain flakes of a
dark colorg increasing until the matters
vomited look like a mixture of SCOT, or @
coffee grounds and water, this is the black
vomit. The quantity thrown up is often
very great, and it comes up with little
sometimes diarrhea now supervenes, the
stools bling the matter elected from
she stomach. With the appearance of
1hese symptoms the patient becomes more
and more prostrate; the skin is cold and
;lammy, the pulse very feeble, frequentor
intermittent. the breathing irregular and
abored; the tongue is black aud tremulous;
5here Is low, muttering delirium, and death
closes the scene. Pathological anatomy has
not hitherto added much to our knowledge
of yellow fever. The most constant alter
alton is found in the condition of the blood. +
This is unusually dark colored and fluid,
seeming sometimes. to have entirely lost its
The surface OF the body is
usually more or less yellow after death,
even in cases which did not present trace
Of that color during life. The liver pre-
'ents a full yellow or fawn color, and is
more or less fatty; and the stomach is more
Or less Redeemed, and its mucus membrane
more or less softened. eas'''
,i.ai 's Twelve Years!