The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-22

! even twas proved that garbage was thrown
upon the streets, and in the immediate
vicinity OF the lowest canals and drainage
reservoirs.
Colonel Hardee has map OF each place
visited by the Commission.
The Fever ut New Orleans.
DIR. Choppin, president OF the Board o
Health OF New Orleans, read paper OF
the yeliow.fever Mt New Orleans, which, III
said, was this year brought from Havana b,
the steamship Emily 3. Souder on May 2Sd
The history OF the spread OF the disease
was given in detail, and the sanitary condi
tion.of the city ably described.
In summing up, the Doctor said:
sThe experience OF the present yea
with regard to the efficacy OF a strict quar-
antine goes to sustain the theory OF i'm
1portation and portability Of yellow-fever
Witness Galveston, which has not devel
oped single case. Witness Shreveport
Monroe, La, and Natchez, Miss, will
their shotgun quarantines turning away
pestience; and witness, again, Mobile
which has certainly escaped an epidemic.
From the statement and facts given ii
the accompanying papers (which he submit
ted to the Association 1t il an irresistible con
cluSion that. yellow-iever is not an indigo
nous disease of Louisiana or any other par
Of the United States, but that the many
years when it has made its appearance ir
this country it could be traced, either
directly or remotely, to foreign source.
/ eve in Louisiana, operating under :
! quarantine law not absolute in its restric
tions, after an earnest effort in executing it,
conducted with all the honesty and energy
at our command, assisted by incorruptible
quarantine officials, have utterly failed il
preventing the importation Of the pesti
/ lence, which has thrown gloom and sorrow
! over our whole Southwestern Valley. NJ
j conditional quarantine can ever be made
effective becauSe-frst, OF the laXity with
which laws are unfortunately executed in
! this country; and secondly, because OF the
cupidity OF commercial interests at stake
who will always move Heaven and earth tc
eyade successfully all quarantine laws anl
regulations.
"The great object to be aimed at is tt
prevent the germs or fomirs OF this dreaded
pestilence from having access to our peo
pie, and the only certain and sure pre-
ventive Of yellow-feyer, in my humble
opinion, is absolute nOn-intercourSe will
ports where yellow-fever is indigenou:
from the 1st OF April to the 1st OF Novem
ber of each year.
|
land, as it must necessarily be by our colo
winters, and, gentlemen, mark my word
we will never again be visited by the terri
BILE scourge unless introduced from abroad
| DR., Chopin estimates the cost OF the
yeliow-fever in New Orleans in 1873 as fol-
| lows: ...... '.r
Estimated number of cases........... $4,000
Cost of 10 days sickness Of each one at
cSsp Of 400 funerals at $25 cach.... ii2,5ot
About TWO frtbs of 4 500 victims repre-
amounting to. ......................... 100000
Remaining three GfIhs. at $780,. $1,000
Loss of time of halfthe industrial nopu-
days. at s2 eioa per day r.ops~.o seooooc
Values DESTROYED by the endemic. 7,o72,5oC
Commercial losses by interruption Of
intercourse with the surrounding
country and diversion Of trade to m,
Total losses. .,.....".s12 .o72.5oo
Estimated profits Of the summer trade
with ports where yclow-fever usually
prevails. ..............',.. Sl,oUO;uuC
The difference between these two sums
say SO, ,572, ,500-represents the actual cost
OF the epidemic to the material resources OF
New Orleans.
These figures. made upon basis deemed
moderate in all particulars, show that a
trade. during half the year with certain
tropical ports, and worth to our city mil
lion and hall dollars, is held at a risk OF
more than twelve milIions-the actual losses
from yeIIow-feYer. An estimate Of the
total losses to our country from this cpl
demic has been made by Mr.. A. L. Far
quhar in letter to Surgeon General Wood
worth, in which he places them at the enor-
nous sum OF S175, 100000. ..r'..
EPIDEMIC IN NEW ORLEANS IN 1889.
DR.. W. G.. Austin, member OF the Board
OF Health OF New Orleans, followed DR..
Chopin, and read a valuable paper. II
was devoted in considerable part to the
epidemic of 1889, comparing it with that OF
1878, which it was much like, and which he
thought clearly proved was imported, and
not of local origin. In thirty-fye years
experience in Louisiana and Mississippi, he
was satisfied there has never been single
case originated there. The fever is indi.
genous to the climate OF the West India
Islands, the coast of Mexico and South
America, within the tropics. 1t is brought
to us in ships in fomites. Then it spreads
| until it reaches the air Of cold climate,
when the germs fail and become harmless,
for one OF two reasons that the germ has
lost its force, or there is not an adaptation
Of the atmosphere calculated to absorb the
poison. It is not endemic in any OF the
southern States. ..-...
DR.. Austin proposes that 1878 shall be the
| last year Of yeIlow-fcYer in New Orleans,
eff we shall declare no,,-intercOurSe be.
tween all the ports where yellow-fever is
endemic and New Orleans from the 1st day
Of May until the 1st OF November"
Both DR.. Chopin and DR.. Austin spoke
in handsome terms Of the lberality OF the
people OF the country to the afflicted OF New
| Orleans: .--..r. ...-.
..-.~ Scientific Papers.
DR.. Richardson, Of the University OF
| Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, read the re-
suit OF numerous microscopic observa.
tions on the pathology OF yellow-fever.
On account OF the sensational reports that
appeared in the daily press from time to
time OF southern physicians having found
organisms of various kinds in large NUN.
bers in the blood of Yellow-fever patients,
DR.. White was deputeG by the Surgeon.
General to report on the correctness OF
these observations, and visited the infected
districts for that purpose, making his OBJ.
servations at the bedside OF the patient, and
transmitting duplicate specimens for exam.
ination to Professor Richardson, OF Phila-
delphia.
No organisms bearing any direct relation
to the cause of the disease were found in any
of the secretions, but q considerable In.
crease OF those which normally lnhabit the
body, as would naturally be expected in the
low state OF vitality attending the acute in.
| ,2;,ooeo, p,It In fba nj pastc aV.