The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-09-24
An Official Statement tn the Eavages OF
the Disease i'm Galveston.
The following document which will be read with To-
teres yesterday received by Or. Harris the Core
sno.dinp SECRETARY of tina Board Of Uaaltb

spending secretary or tho Board oil Hoalih -
GALvisros, Texas Sept. H. 1867
Or EtIsH. Hams Corresponding Secretary Metropolitan
Board OF Health, New York.
My DEAR siR--Iour letter Of the TIA last so ful o
generous sent mens aud assurance was lai baore
drecora Of The Howard Aasoois ion by the President
| Mr. n. Is. Yard yesterday. the toni it suggests
were duly and most respectfully discussed, the
undersigned were directed to make suitable reply to the
came.
The sympathy manifested in the sunerlncs Of our de-
voted population ~ specially grateful ct such limo;
and the co. let you as it Is sustained aud
endorsed by the mott gonerous donations OF money.
These are indeed substantial "peacs onerings;" aud
your confident assurance hat Ike the 'crui.e Of OIL
orr supply shall not la uhe labor fo tho relief Of
the afflicted, 1nds gf8cf4i response in every heart N
siri noi-cannot can-e TO ilror however evhaugfrr
the odora, 50 long as Ito Qess!eace may continue s
Your bold proposition 40 remove al the unaecll-
mated 10 point safety, however encouraged By
distant friends was deemed wholly imDracicable and
for reasons Is duo recte briefly yo that lhor
force may be appruciaed:-
1. We know not now any place OF safety The cpi-
demic district may bs stated az VI two hundred
miles In length and one hundred and twenty Ave miles
IN width, uprising the Gulf 'front.' Of % least
from Galveston to Corpus Christi and in latitude,
bounded by line nearly parallel 10 the Guh ehore a.
distance Of moro than one hundred miles. hicap,
the Brazos; huntsville, on tho Trinity, and Lagrange
tie Colorado are now sady involved, aud no human
sagaciy can tell bow much further interior the virus
may be carried ana take tho epidemic FORM go many
persons have fed to the country In ell directions from
Galveston Houston and other infected places that II
would appear 10 be spreading among the rural popula
ton Tue panic IN fact Ia 60 great wherever cases have
been carried that few VINO attacked obtain the
nursing which all experience proves to DO indspena-
bic 70 o recovery FROM yellow fever Dead subjects and
fc,id clohng thus exposed. would appear generate
the virus elecuaiy tnan the sick living subject.
We forbear TO thcorzs upon tho mode OF generation
distribution OF yellow oysr virus; but certain II Is
that tho disease Is now epidemic in several villages and
towns and that number OF others have had we'll
marked and are IN probable expectancy OF cpl
deJnic yellow FOYER Several already have and others
viii appeal 70 US for aid which we hope ere long to be
able TO render
But certainly there Is no place to which to
our unacclnaed, and wherever might remove them
the disease would be certain 10 break out among them,
out OF convenient reach OF remedies nursee tee and
Respecting the duration Of the epidemic VIC would
that cause known 10 our wisest can srrost
the rayages of the disease except freezing weather with
us This cannot he expected ill late November,
often not I'LL December. and on this island, seagr. as
H. we have often green gardens at Christmas But all
fires expire when the fuel burns out and our experience
has heretofore bocu that yellow fever runs
It's course in about 0fy or sixty days by exhausting
ns ndo,o 20 s1S hsoso pes.iU0
weather The New Orleans eptdomic Of 1853 was an
example, the business Of the city being resumed early
nifty Galveston was little later but even here many
people returned, and strangers came In with safety
before freezing weather II must be stated however,
thai there occasional in both cities Wherein
the adventures lost their lives This but verified what
We believe 70 well and generally understood snns .ns
retained with increasing intensity, for long time, per-
haps several month"; Closed rooms and vessels and
unvsrated bedding are understood to BE- most emcisn'
10 preserving the poison.
We confidently expect TO BE- freed from epidemic fever
before freezing weather. and for the reasons Indicated
But our city and 1pdanola ESPECIALLY Galveson) navo
been the contres from which the Ore has spread y AZ
The surrounding country. yhe appeals are already mads
70 us for aid TO those who have been nocuIatsd by
and wscan but respond to the measure Of our ability
TO those who suffering more 10 proportion 10
numbers than We bavs yet suffered. favasota, one
hundred and twenty-five miles distant BY rail, has
already lost one In I'VE Of 10 remaining Eppuation;
n least this 10 the rude estimate. HaETisburg,
~ A~a UnllA =
WAhavs been sending nurses 10 The bearsr and more
dstsVt points afflicted, venturing 70 divide ths purse
% GENEROUSLY supplied BY frenas 81 home and abroad.
Tbis vovk Ne shall hpvs 70 continue, ~ you snggset,
mi cola Ssobsf shall come 70 The rsscue Of aessd