The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-08-12
PENsACOLA,S PLAGUE.

PENSACOLA'S PLAGUE.
HEALrHFUL PROPERTIES OF THE LOCALITIES
-sTRICrQUARINTINE-- HOW THE FEVER WAS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A correspondent OF the Inter Ocean writes
from Pensacola: The heslthful properties of
the cool, fresh water abuudantly supplied
by nature through thousands of gushing
springs, the invarisble fresh gulf breezs by
day and land breezs by night. laden with
the odors OF the vast pine forests that skirt
the coast for hundred miles in the interior,
and the total absence of low, msrshy, or
malsrious grounds. would seem to combine
tue essential elements of health and Ion
gevitv to an eminent degree. This view of
this case is fully supported by a record of
her mean temperature, sanitary, and mortu
airy statistics, for five years last past, which
indicates that Pensacola Is by far the most
heslthful city in the United States, in pro-
portion to her population. It is true ship or
yellow fever has existed here in summer,
averaging for the last twenty years about
one season in four, though always in mild
form, and of about two months duration.
Its prevalence, however, has in all cases been
due to the absence of a well-regulated quar-
antine system, which, strange to say the city
authorities have hitherto failed to adopt, on
the ground that its adoption and rigid en-
forcement would prove more detrimental To
THE BUSINESS INTERESTS
of the city than would the disease. This
year, however, Commodore Cooper. of the
United States Navy, now stationed here,
has taken the matter into charge, aud the
efficacy of a rigid enforcement of the
system during the present summer will be
thoroughly tested. From information
gathered from naval and army officers, and
other disinterested sources, together with
the absence of any known local cause of its
origin, it seems well-assared fact that a
case of yellow or ship-fever has never been
known to originate here, and that ii is not
indigenous to this locality more than to ST.
Augustine or K rDandina. Some ten days
since yellow fever made its appearance
among the soldiers of the garrison at Fort
Barrancas, situated fourteen miles south of
Pensacola The fort is built upon low
ground immediately on the gulf coast out
side OF Pensacola Bay, and commands the
ship channel leading from the gulf thereto
On learning the fact, Commodore Cooper
now at the navy yard some five miles north
of Bsrrancas, promptly adopted the most
effective measures Tor the relief of the sick,
the protection of the healthy and
RESTRICTION OF THE DISEASE
to its present locality. The unaffected por-
ton of the garrison have been removed
across the channel to Fort Pickens, from
whence, as well as from Bsrrsncss and
quarantine, all of which are about equally
distant from Pensacola. communication
with the city is impossible, under the
present rigid observance of the quarantine
regulations. The citizens entertain no fear
whatever OF the appearance of the disease
within the city. The origin of the fever at
Bsrrancas, as stated, is traced to pilot,
VINO brought in an infected ship from a
Cuban port, aud instead Of passing directly
up Santa Rosa Sound to quarantine and
remaining there himself agreeable to regu-
latiops, he brought the sbipto. anchor in the
channel, opposite and quite near the tort
and grounds, changed his wet for dry cloth
ing, borrowed from one Of the crew, came
ashore to visit his family, who lived near
the tort, and subsequently engaged in card
playing with some of the soldiers during
the remaining hours OF the night. As d
result of this piece of imprudence the fever
made its appearance among the soldiers in
Just ten days from that date, and the hap
less pilot was promptly placed in irons by
order ofCommodore Cooper and given free
passage to the quarantine, where he now
remains
A PRIsoNBR;
deeply reeretting his rash and iuexcusable
act. Uunlike the interior of east or middle
Florids, especially the region OF the st.
Johns river, ehilis, fevepor other malarious
or billions diseases are entirely unknown to
the coast region about Pensacola. Pneumo-
mia, bronchial, and pulmonary affections are
also strangers here. except when brought
by patients, in which cases the disease in
variably yields to the influence of the
climate, contrary TO the prevailing idea
among physicians, based upon the theory
thpt the salt air OF the coast Is detrimental
to pulmonary affecti ,ns. Here the ply
sicisns attribute the exception to this rule 10
the dry, genial atmosphere OF the guilt,
alternating daily with abe land breeze at
night. bringing with it certain medi-
cal properties impaired by the immense
pine forests through which 1t passes.
Some permanent and remarkable cases of
chronic rheumatism, piles and hstuls, are
also reported TO have been affected
here in a comparatively short
period by atmospheric influences,
combined with Rsn diet, the free
use of the gulf waters by bathing. and other
hvdropathic applications. The mean tenn
peratare of June and July up 30 the present
date. the hcstest period of the year in this
latitude. is 81 80 1O0 the mu3cury reaching
SO on three occasions only during this period
The, cool and in2igorsting gulf breeze
counteracis the depressing Influences of the
SUMS rays, and readers them much less
Objectionable than 10 any of the inland
ciSies OF tbs Northwest during summer.