Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-07-14
YELLOW JACK.
The Southern. Plague Makes IA An.
pearance at New YOrk.

49," VIZ 4EAAeaa
Rumors have been in circulation du-
ring the past few days that a large num.
Der Of cases of yellow fever had appeared
at the lower quarantine, and that several
deaths had occurred there during the
past few weeks. 1t is known that the
yellow fever is at present raging with
unusual virulence at Havana and one or
two other points on the Cuban coast, but
IT is only within a day or two that the
disease IS known to have reached this
port. Yesterday a Times reporter visited
Staten Island and obtained from Health
Officer Vauderpoel the following facts in
relation to the nature and extent Of the
epidemic. 1t appears hat cases of vel.
low lever have been arriving at quaran-
tine, at irregular intervals, ever since
last January, butt is only within the last
fortnight that the disease assumed a vir-
uleut form. Two men d.ed of the disease
last week, one of them being the chief
steward Of the steamship Leo, from Ha-
vana, and two more common seamen Re-
longing to different sailing vessels we're
In q dying condition yesterday afternoon.
About halt a dozen other patients are in
q critical state, but it is expected that
several, if not the majority, will recover.
The disease this yeas is much more fatal
than oil previous occasions, and to a
great degree battles the bsst medical
skill. The first fatal cases during the
present summer were brought here on
fruit vessels from Baraooa, a port on the
southeastern coast Of Cuba, and are sup
posed to have originated on board some
Spanish gun-boats in that harbor. The
cases from the lastnamed port, however.
have greatly fallen off OF late, and al
present the majority of the sick people
come from Havana. Every steamer and
sailing vessel which now arrives from
that port is closely %quarantined until five
days have expired from the time of ar
rival, and is then thoroughly cleaned and
iumigated before being allowed to pro.
coed to the city. The cases are treated
at the hospital on Dix Island, n the
Lower Bay, four miles below Clifton. and
several miles from shore, so that there is
no great danger of its reaching Staten
Island. The hospital, which was visited
and examined by the Assembly Commit
tee on Quarantine last summer, is con-
structed after the newest and most sp-
proved pattern, and in such a name as
10 provide abundant ventilation and as
much of isolation as possible. The menu
oers Of the Committee at this time ex-
pressed themselves as highly pleased at
the methods and Arrangements OF the en-
tire %qusraotine and hospital system, and
one Of the best situated and most tho
roughly equipped establishments Of its
kind in the world. 1t could easily &C.
commodate many times the number of
patients now under treatment within its
walls.
DR.. Vanderpoel says that the remark.
able virulence Of the disease during the
present summer is largely due to the
state of the weather in Hsvana-which
IS described by passengers from that port
as being moist and unhealthy in the ex.
IRENE. Sudden showers succeed each
other daily, leaving the atmosphere IN a
heated aud moist condition, which, com.
bined with the dirt and generally bad
sanitary condition of the city, render it
an easy prey to the disease. The past
winter in Cuba has also been an excep-
tlonal one, not a single "norther" or
frost occurring during the whole season,
so that a combination of circumstances
has resulted extremely u~niavorable to
the public health. The dry weather
which has prevailed ia this country, how
ever, is calculated to prevent the spread
OF the disease, and at present the faeili.
ties CT the Quarantine Department are
such as to enable it To. deal successfully
with a much greater influx OF cases than
lslikely to occur. Still the doctor thought
that the present season was likely to be
a siekly one, aud it would be well for
people to exercise caution, and guard
against a possible spread of the epiden-
&c BY strict attention to personal %cleanli-
ness and a healthiui mode Of lie. yell
low fever was not such o terrible sffair
when properly guarded against. He
knew of cases in which ship masters,
plying between this port and and Ha-
yana for twenty years, through the worst
yellow fever seasons, had never had a
case on board their ships, simply by en-
forcing strict personal cleanliness among
their crews, and takieg the necessary
sanitary precautions against infection.
In the present stage OF the epidemic, it
would be we'll, he thought, for the inhab-
itants living near Dix Island and quar-
antine to avoid communication with Dix
Island as much as possible.