The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-10-29
The ss,T:ar:,n.fssc system.

Plate, diffose,. Iooatts II Grand 4sirie
and Plaisancc, and even as near the town
as one or two miles, have been visited by
the epidemic WITH more or less severity.
Whence comes then our total immunity
from a disease which has scoIrgcd the
nearest neighborho6d?
IT is not the superior health(ulne~s of
Opelousas, for localities quite as free from
malarious, influences, such as the breezy
open prairies north of this place, have
been. severely visited. 1t is NOT. the SAM
tary endorsements of The Town authorities,
for the bitches, drains, and street refuse,
take care of themselves ; nor is there any
specific counter poison in the atmosphere,
such as positively exists in the resinous
odors of the pine regions. To the strict
quarantine regulations alenc we owe our
salty. 7.' "*' '"@
From the first appearance of the fever
in Washington the, town has had q station
at every point where communication was
possible with the infected districts, and the
citizens themselves formed a watchful com
bination to see that these quarantine laws
were rigidly enforced. Of course these
have been anti quarantine people among us.
Those who complain Of the injury dore to
trade, ignoring that trade in country
towns is somewhat slack in early Fall, and
that an epidemic prolonged into November
would infict a more deadly blow upon the
trade interests than all the Inconvenience
of a prolonged quarantine. Then there
are those who insist upon the yellow fever
being an indigenous production of Louis
lana, and under certain conditions of the
atmosphere springing into existence like a
poisonous fungus In localities where the
malarial influences s are as marked and as
deadly as in. the Pohtine marshes, we have
known a severe type of bilious fever ter
inmate yin black vonit, but in a perfectly
healthful place like 0pelousas, that theory
is absurd. There is another class who,
With but a vagles knowledge Of the disease,
have all kinds of ridiculous 4%ranics, and
fancy Yellow, Jack vaults about in the
most unheard Of manner. .g. . nv
But setting aside all these diversities Of
opinion, we think our community are by
this time very well assured of the efficacy
of the quarantine system. 1t is the second
time with us that the experiment has been
satisfactorily tested and that yellow fever
has ragged around the town without invad-
ing IT to any extent. In Che two or three
cases which occurred IN 1867, they were
clearly traceable to, SPECIFIC contagion, and
by proper means were prevented from
spreading. 81 ~s#aa#o$ III :. a~f3yyz 3.
We know right we'll the4hanthorities
which are ifr rlei at sthe quarantiaes.sys-
tematssSenseless, "suicidal, "''old gran.
nyish, u 4t'barbarous q ignorance" are the
most tender of the epithets applied to this
precautionary. measure. but whether.
it is a question Of specific c~ontagion or not
we are certain that the causes which ever
produced it in this parish, have been
clearly ,traceable to outside importations.
Had the bedding and goods of the Haytien
emigrants been subjected TO certain quar-
antipc rules oatsides of New Orleans We
would have been2spared the Z merciless'
scuourge fn,Washington!t Were an country
towns III Loouisiana willing 3 to enforce
quarantine regulations during a season Of
epidemic, the South woald offer greater
inducements for the emigration. which she
so much needs in her agricultural districts.
We have been fortunate in our expert
mept; and whether opposed by the highest
medical authority or not, we will, be, apt to
aryaitqover again when the need presents
itself. What a people have testedoepee to
tlheirstg,reat gain, they are very apt to- OPP
pose as a certain truth against the most
speaciousi reasoning on the other side. ilsti
Our physicians. Have been very success
full in the treatment Of the disease this
season, for : eQursee'WlhqFse7er their ser
vices were needed they went to any dis
lance required. But " prefer that their
skill was exhibited outside the corporation.
Should some speradicyeasesEo of fever occur
now, iniconseqtieneet of thearelaxea risor
of thalanarantine, it is too late inhtae sea-
son forthe diseaseato spread td anysex-
tent. The town has been remarkably
healthy as, howherveerr,, It always is; and al
thong, I'll, drought has Somewhat injured
the cane crops, we aresin hopes they will
not fall very short If the general ss ezpFe0iaI
lsion. p Asas tdt asisi .ataeg4s
h fsssTT-7 T-T---rTAA TT T7TT u T~T-ftsss
ansr VI a aTorpid SYSTEM. a~tigsea
Sometimes. without any assignable cause,
the physical strength and animal spirits give
way and d strange torpoor falls 4alike: on the
body and Intellect. aThers is little sof no
pain psrhaps,shut the natural xigo and elias
ticity1o f the, nervous and muscular system
seems to have departed and an interference
fIfa t9se rlaaaS{res ~ ia s1ad seypns of Hifs grave