The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-17
FALSE NOTIONS AS TO OUR CITY,

The occurrence of severe epidemics in this
city in past years has created an impression
abroad respecting its insal1brity which is
very hard to remove. Contrary to all facts
there are millions Of strangers to our city who
entertain the idea that it is very sickly and
dangerous in summer.
| They have, in some unaccountable man.
ner, taken the exceptional visitations of cpl
demic disease as the rule, and fixed in their
minds the idea New Orleans is almost q
| charnelhouse, subject to perpetual plaques.
The false notion must in time wear out, but
until then it will continue to produce effects
prejudicial to our city and Injurious to its
commerce.
Resulting from this false notion is the fact
that any rumor or report relative to disease
in New Orleans finds a million of readers
ready to accept and to circulate it.
All reasonable pains ought to be taken to
keep the people of the whole Union well in
formed as to our sanitary condition.
The Associated Press dispatches might do
much to disabuse the public mind, by giving
the weekly abstracts of our mortuary reports
to the principal journals of large cities.
These reports are in all respects reliable,
being made up in pursuance Of law upon
facts systematically ascertained, and consti-
tute news as valuable and interesting as any
thing that can be communicated. The Board
of Health would do well to put abstracts of
their weekly reports into the hands of the
officers of other cities, with request to cause
them to be published.
Citizens might do much towards curing the
public mind of this false notion by enclosing
in their letters to distant cities correct health
reports, duly accredited and inoorsed by
themselves as full and true. People at a dis
lance do not doubt the average veracity of our
journals and citizens, but their old and tenacious
prejudice and fixed notion as to the sickness
Of New Orleans in summer prevails over their
respect for the candor and fair dealing of our
people. With respect to everything else they
believe all our deliberate statements, but |
when we claim that New Orleans is as healthy
7ear by year as any other large American city,
hey can not reconcile our reports with their
'wn preconceived ideas. We are obliged,
therefore,, to prove what we assert; even then
he proof is soon forgotten, and the old notion
evives.
All are much interested in giving vide cir
ulation to the truth in order that the COM
1erce of our city may not suffer by the
roundless fears that would otherwise keep
isitors away. If our city authorities were to
xspend a few hundred, or even few thousand
ollars in causing to be regularly published
broad correct and full sanitary reports and
.atistics Of New Orleans, it would be money
isely employed.
Our business season is about to open under
vorable auspices. 1t would be great mis- ,
'rtune if wanton reports as to the health of
lie city were to be allowed to keep away an I
my OF customers coming from Southern and
'estern cities.
In time our good city will outgrow this 4
Use idea and SO far regain her merited repu- ?
ton for salubrity, that people at distance :
i'll be prepared to believe the truth when I
vorable and to scrutinize unfavorable ru- s
ors, which often bear their absurdity upon
Ieir faces.