The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-12-22
a Tennessee Epidemic

An epidemic of a peculiarly fatal char
actcr Is now raging at Alexandria, DE
kalb county, Tennessee. Alexandria is
situated in u wild, mountainous country
The inhabitants in general are hale
hearty and healthy, and heretofore nc
grim-viSaged epidemic has ever disturbed
the peaceful serenity of their quiet home
M locomotive comes laundering neal
the borders Of Alexandria, and no
electric current connects the ScqucStcrcd
village with the outer world. Slow OK
teams pillow their weary way through
the lionel V streets, and the tri-wcckly
stage brings in all the passengers, takes
in all the meagcr mail, and brings back
the same to the almost equally isolated
village of Lebanon. Under these cir
cumStanceS it is not to be wondered the
epidemic that has been rapidly increasing
in violence should create sad havoc in
the vicinity before their nearest neighbor
metropolis, Nashville, should ever obtain
the slightest information in regard to it
1t was thought to have been abating, and
| tclcgraphcd YOU to that effect; but later
adviccs from the place prove that it has
not yet run Its course, bat Is, if anything
worse than it was at first.
From being confined exclusively to
Alexandria the epidemic has spread TO
the surrounding country. 1t seems to be-
travelling castwardly, and has already
made its appearance at Liberty, another
little mountain village few miles dis
tant. The entire population in that Por-
ton of the country are filled with CON
Stcrnation and do not know what to do
to escape the terrible malady. Young
and old are alike afflicted, there being
many children down with it and some
have already died. Local physicians arc
battird ~ To the true nature OF the atillC-
ton and cannot determine what produces
it, nor do they know how to cure 1t Or
stay its progress. 1t resembles cholera
in that it attacks the stomach
and bowels, and produces III most
instances speedy death. Som" per
sons have fallen victims from sheer
neglect to take notice of their condition,
thinking it nothing more than II common
dlarrhea. They are taken, doctor
thcmselve. for week, when finally
they send for Il physician, who arrives
too late to save them from premature
death. In several instances whole
families have been stricken down with
the disease, leaving perhaps, the young
st and most helpless, who would DC I'M
able to reader any assistance to the al
hIctcd members.
For two weeks the disease, which WAS
at first considered trivial, has been III
creasing and augmentlng III severity
and fatality until 1t reached eepedelh'c
PROPORTIONS. Since the first outbrcakinS
Twelve or more persons have died, While
4 lar-e number are alarmingly i'll. Ply
.irions have exhausted their >kIll III en-
dcavorlns to point out the origin OF the
visitation. II WAS ut first supposed that
some poisonous substance was contained
in the water, but askit has not confined
it,rll to auv one locality that supposition
no longer deemed plausible, Another
reason assigned is that this Is the "h"S
killing" season, and the whole. couhtr!
i, Astounding ut the present III lreSh
spare ribs, bacaAoncs and sausage meat,
and every one is tcmtped to indulge ""
much in the animal dcllcaclcS ana To
overload the stomach with them. But
il Is not hardly probable that, should
this be the cause OF the disease, 1t ""h'd
result 50 fatally and would, moreover,
M, cnntine itself to that exclusive local.
~ The eating of pork is general Mt
this time of the year, and yet in no other
section of the country has similar
=: .,, ,r,,if,strd itself. Physicians
state that in Tennessee at present diseases
Of all kinds require unusually grave
treatment. not that there Is ;" muc'I >''N'
ness in the greater portion OF the stat
brt that the various diseases are OIL
more virulent type than usual.