New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-22
YELLOW FEVER IN BUENos AYREs.

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Argentine Republic, situated between the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The city
is on the west side of the river, about one
hundred and fifty miles from its mouth.
1t had a population previous to the plague
of this year bordering on to two hundred
thousand, and its merchants carry on an
extensive trade with this country and
Great Britain. The climate of Buenos
Ayres is represented as healthful and
temperate, and we are not aware that
the city has been subject to attacks
of yellow fever. According to CORE
spondent of the New York Herald, writ
ing from Montevideo, the population of
Buenos Ayres was reduced, in the course
of few weeks, by death and fight, to
about forty thousand. 1t was estimated
that up to the date of his writing twelve
thousand deaths had taken place; and as
high as five hundred deaths in day had
occurred. This far exceeds anything of
the kind that has ever taken place in
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as the most fatal with diaease to our city.
| The highest number of deaths attained
in any one day of the fearful epidemic of
that year did not exceed three hundred,
and this with population about the
same as Buenos Ayres There has always
been a great difference of opinion among
doctors and others as to the cause of
yellow fever in this city, some contending
that there were local reasons for it, while
others believed it to be imported from in
fected places. The same difference of
opinion seems to have pervaded the minds
of the people of Buenos Ayres. The cor
respondent of the Herald says:
The origin of this fever. like many other
things, is question upon which there is
much division of opinion, but all are agreed
upon the assertion that to the BuenOs
Ayreans themselves is attributable the
blame of its wide-reaching destruction.
BY some persons il is said the fever owes |
its existence to the SaladerOs at the Bar |
rancas. These saiaderos are collection of |
gigantic abattoirs or slaughter houses, on the |
border of the river Riachuela, few miles |
south by east of the city. In these estsb |
lishments are slaughtered the gigantic |
herds of cattle which supply a large part |
of the world with dried and "jerked"
beef, bones, hides, horns and tallow.
As to the blame, every one who has ever /
been in BuenOs Ayres must realize where it |
belongs. The city is built on the fiat shore
of vast river, itself notable for the de-
posits it carries to the seq, and which dis
color the ocean for many leagues. The city
iS of drai UI r
ever, and for nearly two hundred years the
inhabitants have buried all filth, garbage,
and refuse matter Of every description, be-
meath their houses. This was done by sink
ing bell-shaped wells to depth of fifteen
or twenty feet the sides being Strengthened
with rude brickwork. These were reached
by small openings at the surface several
feet in depth, and through these apertures
the filth was deposited in the cesspools
below. When the sinks became full
the mouth was filled up and a new cesspool
was dug elsewhere. This system prevailed
everywhere throughout the city, and to-day
the foundation or site of BuenOs Ayres is
honeycombed by these filthy traps For
some years past it has been a matter of
considerable difficulty to obtain safe fOun-
dations for large new buildings, and this
trouble was only recently experienced in
tapping for foundation for the proposed
new club house. To open these cesspoOls
and rid them of their contents would be a
task that would throw the cleansing of the
Augean stables into the deepest kind of
shade. The city would have to be uprOOted
almost to effect it, and leaving out of the
question the gigantic expense it would in
volve, the health of the city would at any
time have been imperiled by the operation.
There is no city in South America that is
in all respects clearly, but the unhappy
Buenos Ayreans are to-day reaping ter
rible punishment for their supreme neglect
AT present there are two measures discus
sed, and both are strongly recommended in
many quarters, one being to burn the city
and the other to abandon it and select
new site some distance removed from the
existing city.
In many respects Buenos Ayres is not
unlike New Orleans. 1t sis built on the
lat shore of vast river, itself notable
or the deposits it carries to the sea, and
which discolor the ocean for many
and is without any system of
lrainage. While we do not believe the
asst river that sweeps by our city, and is
lotable for the deposits it carries to the
ca, is source of disease to our people,
We are of opinion that the want of !,
ystem of drainage has helped to create
isease. Another great cause for disease
n this city may be attributed to the practice
f filling up the low grounds in its rear
nth the filth, garbage and refuse matter
f every description. Many of our old citi- I
ems will recollect that it used to be the
abit to do this, and that not many years
go the land lying between Galvez canal I
nd the Marine Hospital was made the !
umping ground of the city carts for all r
he garbage collected in the city. An
Their horribly filthy practice has existed +
turning loose the feculent matter of the t
of our hotels in the cutters ?
some of our principal streets. 1t is n
ue this work was done at night, but Y
lat did not prevent it from contami- n n
ating the air and breeding disease. Many fl
our citizens who have passed up Com
on street at late hour of night have ex- a
erienced the nauseating and disgusting b
nell produced by this abominable and t,
iminal mode of getting rid of the filth a
ally collected in the privies and cess Il
ools of our hotels. In addition to these s.
luses for disease in New Orleans in the 81
asst we had the slaughterhouses, where @
the meat for this city was slaughtered. O
Gated just above the Waterworks, near '
nj oil Il |