The New York herald., 1878-11-20
Hsv the Disease Was Imported
Az Into New Orleans. '
DISEASE BATTLING SCIENCE.
Filth, Bad Drainage, Swamp Lands and
CareleSsness Helped the Epidemic.
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION.
Significant Addresses by Drs. Harris,
a Woodwork and Bemis.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD. /

~ lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
RICHMOND, Va, Nov. 49, 1873.
The following is the report Of the Yellow Fever
Commission. composed Of Drs. Bemis, Cochran and
Howard, who, together with Colonel 7. s. Hardee.
sanitary engineer. have been investigating the
epidemic in all the fever stricken cities Of the South.
This report will be read to the Health Association
Convention tomorrow. r s .t
The Chairman OF the commission, to whom the
duty Of investigating the origin and spread OF the
yellow fever. which has this year prevailed in the
United States. begs permission to offer the
following report Of the work tho CON-
mission has performed TO the present time
DR.. Cochran joined the chairman Of the commits
sion in New Orleans on the 4th day Of October, and
DR.. Howard arrived the 9th OF the same month.
Nearly two weeks elapsed before tho commission
was ready to take the field. in consequence Of the
great amount of work which should have
been completed in New Orleans. q first
step in the successful prosecution Of the work.
It a matter known to the Board of Health Of New
Orleans. and through their courtesy the facts
placed in the possession of the commission that
case Of yellow fever had been brought to New Orleans
in the month Of May.
FIRST DEATHS IN NEW ORLEANS
On the 23d Of May the Emily Souder arrived At
New Orleans with her purser sick at the time of her
arrival. This man, whose name was Clark, was car
ried to Claborn street. the of Benvile at
point conspicnously designated on the map Of New
Orleans. At this house he died on the 25th of May
The death was returned by the attendant physician
ss one from maaral fever. For testimony establish
ing the fact that this Of yellow fSvcr
refer tho association to DR.. Cochran's notes. An
other of the crew OF the Souder by the nsrhc Of
Elliott took sick Nay a. at the corner OF Grol street
and Front, from which place he was taken 10
the Hotel Dieu May q, and died on the 30th.
The commission deemed it important. rs q hrst
connection existed between these imported and
those occurring in New Orleans TO authorize them
cclare that they afforded the fact Of infection from
which tho disease afterwsrd spread throughout the
city. ss~i.gf s4tl--. /, - = 49,
We were compelled to leave New Orleans before this
point in our investiG had been satisfactorily
complshed. Enough developed, however. to
render II probable that connection yet untrace
able docs exist between the Clark and Elliott
and the nrst among the citizens Of New Orleans
received number Of letters and some verbal state
mcnts purporting to give information respecting vio
enterine the mort Of New Orleans from nec
Every effort which could be made in the limited
time VIC had for work in New Orleans was
put on foot to ferret out the facts connected
with such alleged infringement OF quarantine
laws. We obtained sufficient amount of testi-
mony to justify belief that ono more
Of yellow had occurred in the city prob
ably in the month of June under circumstances
which, rendered. il altogether possible that they
had been brought to the city by convey
ances as yet unknown tsee testimony Of Drs
Cochran and Benis, from the time that
groups OF cases. each having connection with some
other. either by personal association or from
ten n es the pon Ss which We ns
Hll the reported cases which occurred in July. TO
this map have been added group Of occurring
during the first ten days in August. because Of their
Importance when studied in connection with the cpl
demic which subsequently occurred in Canton, Miss.
DIVISION or LABOR.
The appointment of Colonel Hardcc az sanitary en-
gineer enabled the commission to begin field work.
and they left New Orleans the 22d and 23d of
that DR.. Howard should leave one day in
advance and inspect the towns of Donadsvile, Pa
Sicksburg November or 5. Dr. Cochran ,s was K, to
leave on the 23d and to visit oil important points
on the 8, Louis. chicago and New o.;
then. taking the " vicksburs and iA'oa Meridian liam
Railroad to go as far as Meridian. and returning,
arrival. Tho chairman OF the Commission
was to visit Canton. Yazoo City and .vcks..
bns .,. by November Both Drs Howard
Upon arriving at Jackson Dr. Cochran found that no
trains running the vicksburg and Meridian
mp the same rosd to Grenada and Holly Springs,
and from thence to Chattanooga and Decatur
ana return 10 memphis. reached ttCkSDur re- NOvem-
Der I, and on the Sd DR.. Howard Joined me.
Indsposition had prevented the accomplishment Of
that part Of the work assigned TO him, and it
complete the study of the epidemic in Donalds-
VILE. Plagucmire. Baton Rouge and the La
SON. Miss, and Brownsville and Milan, Tenn.
There.wcre no means of reaching Greenville except
by steamboats,. and they rrgularly that IL
feared that any member of the Commission starting
there late as November 5th would find delays
which would prevent attendance upon this meet
ing with this outline Of the routes We took and
METHODS OF INVESTIGATION
now proceed to lay before YOU the methods of
study adapted at the various places visited The first
objest TO the cooperation OF practitioners
Of medicine and public officials. From these sources
obtained the facts which expect lay before you
We then commenced our work by getting the names,
and as q the o S sGS q
ness Of the hrst cases was carefully
The line Of inquiry pursued until the disease
became prevalent in tho town that IL longer
Instructive to continue the study Of cases
tAtion Of the disease and circumstances influencing
is spresd or In any way connected with
and mentioned In report, except two. We located
the houses in which had occurred until as argca
porsbe to obtain in tho short time allotted for the
work. Tho two places excepted arc the towns Of
Lake. Ala and Paris, Tenn. Maps Of both these sta
lions are being prepared but will not reach in time
to bc shown you.
MAPS or DISEASE.
We regard tho method of studying yellow fever az
IN extremely valuable acquisition in any scen-
thc investigation into tho ATTITUDES OF It's poison,
especially IN those where great diffusion
and intensified energy give IL epidemic force.
ihe santarian can look upon these maps and for
himself the precise location of the earliest cases
epidemic. He can determine what influence occupa-
ton OF the same locality excrts upon
tho spread OF the disease. He can seo
for himself how invariably yellow fever
tends to arrange itself In groups of cases and thus
observe its marked contrast with the tendency of
malarial fcvcr TO occur in separate discon-
ncctod and totally independent eases He can
also study Tor himself the influences of
6lth, bad drainage -unsanitary situations and
of elevations and depressions Of surface Il ia mat
ter greatly to be regretted by the members OF the
afforded time 10 locate in this manner
every case Of yellow fever which has