The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-08-31
The Health of Charleston and the Action
of the Medical Society.

A.. an extra meeting Of the Medical Society
Of South Carolina, held on August 18th. the
following papc; was read, and it WAS ordered
that it be published in the daily papers:
We, tho members Of the Medical Society Of
South Carolina, feeling that cur interests arc
inscparably connected with the city OF our resi-
dencc, and The home Of our selection, fully
alive to the advantages Of her growth, her gen
eral prosperity, and also TO her character for
honesty, in view of the general circulation Of
reports Us to the prevalence of pestilentia dis
ease. and the manner in which such reports
have been dealt with by city officials, the Board
of Health, and the Press Of the city, think it
best to offer plain statement Of the facts con-
nccted with the present sanitary condition of
the city.
In SO doing i; is not our object to arraign the
action of the constituted authorities, to step
between them and their official duties, or to
pass judgment upon the course they hayo
thought proper TO pursue. We desire simply
10 cynrcss our deliberate and honest conviction
a. to tho manner Of meeting the situation, in
which the community finds itself unfortunately
placed, and to show by our action that We are
alive to the duty we owe to our telow.cltlzens,
who arc making constant appeals Tor lnforma-
ton and advice. Our purpose is to follow truth
wherever she may lead, to affirm only what can
be substantiated, to announce nothing calcula-
ted to deceive the most credulous, to quiet un-
usual excitement and alarm, but at the same
time to put every citizen in position to take
such steps as he may deem proper to subserve
his interest and protect his life.
/. First, then, We announce that Ycflow re-
yer does prevail to limited ertent in our city.
The first case, as far as can be ascertaincd, oc-
Cured as carly as the 9th July, since that time
I Il Ill
as thirty-ive cases Out Of this number nine
have proved fatal but as in few instances !'n-
certainty existed in the minds Of the attending
Physicians to the true character of the cdiseascH
and in a few others for prudential reasons, tho
true name was withheld, the mortuary ccrtifi !.
Gates in the possession of the Registrar shoy
less than the entire number Of deaths. Fl r
mortality, hoWsccr, eren mM tbs GHowance {
c.rceediaqly small, and ,poUld seem 10 iadicdt D
mild .form IF the disease. !;
>. secondly, we are happy to state that C e
large majority of the cases have occurre'n c
one locality. This would seem, in the oppi Il
of some of lis, to furnish the assurancclal =
crcumscribcd local influences alone ha{l.a- u
vorcd the development or extension OF tllliS- =.
case, and thai lis area may continue rcsltea' :,
8. Tic period ol time that has clapsetnce
the report of the first case declares clrctcr G
of disease not disposed to extend rary OF !,
widely. !;
i. There are differences of opinion ;ongst !,
ourselves as to thc probable cNlensopi TIC Il
disease in an epidemic form. To tlFanic- h
stricken, however, we would say, lcayhe city ',
if you can At your earliest conyelir,e, i'r y
fright is strong prc-disrosing cause disease. 81
To The large mass OF our fellow -ctiz whose o
interests are identified with ours, alryth the "
city, VIC would advise a patient waif Tor iur- IL
ther DEVELOPMENTS unless residing our IN
fcctcd locality and, in the mcantif'n avoid II II
ancc of any excess or unncccssncXpoSl!!re 81
Let each and every one, without !iimehIllg "
or animadvcrting upon the action INC powers OF
that be, who, in his opinion, mayve, by SINS st
of omission or commission, inv5 the pesti- al
lrncc, use his best energies to cal ont, under II
proper direction, those sanitariicaasli,ii's ol ''
known value in staying the raysi oi disease, w W,
that, in some form or other, untl ne myStetl-
o,ls workings OF an overruling syidcncc, isat 10 10
times destined to visit rvery emunily. NJ
(o@cia0 L. NJ. Eon3RoN. NJ. y, Sc Sc
1IAyyfSc srNoxs, NJ. ~, fetary.