The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-10-02

THE causes that led to the inception and
spread of the yellow fever in the south are
being sought, not only by scientists and ply
slcians, but by all who have any desire to
shield and save that section from any other
return of the plague in the future. And in
every instance, as information follows inves-
tigation, il is discovered that decaying ami
NAL and vegetable matter and stagnant water
have been the breeding places of the scourge.
Grenada had a sewer, a veritable path of
death, running through the town. 1t sent
out a thousand foul odors, and poisoned the
air of the whole place. And never was
more complete work of devastation wrought
than that of the fever in that town. And it
is decreasing in force only because 1t has no
more victims to seize. The dead and dying
outnumber the living in Grenada
New Orleans was filthy, and to this was
accounted the terrible malignity of the
scourge. And the Times of that city, of
recent date, has another reason, not the
less probable because it was unknown until
a few days past 1t tells the cid story of the
desire for money, despite danger to health
and life-the meanness of mind that would
subordinate all to the greed for gain. The
Times says:
1t comes to our knowledge, upon authority
abundan ly reliable, that four thousand loads
of kitchen garbage which had been hauled to
the dumping grounds by the city carts, have
been brought back by the contractors and
used TO fill up streets in the front part OF
the city. This is said to have happened with
in the present year, and ii was in progress at
the time of the breaking out OF the fever. No
doubt 1t would have continued indefinitely,
being cheap and artleSs means OF fulfilling
the letter of the contract but for the awak-
ened vigilance of the authorities and the un-
pleasant attention which was then riveted
upon the street contractors. As have al
ready stated, this knowledge comes to us upon
the very best authority, and merits immediate
and most rigorous investigation The bare
suspicion that a deed so wicked. so brutal and
50 atrocious has been committed is enough To
curdle ones blood. We can conceive of no
grosser or more infamous wrong; there
is no blacker injury possible to be inflicted
practically, to the deliberate importation OF
disease, and this through motive so mean
and sordid as to elude any adequate condemna-
ton in mere words.
done in this city, but garbage has been
dumped not so far from town but that every
breeze from certain quarters waited the
stencil to the nostrils of hundreds.
Memphis had filthy streets; Vicksburg was
in bad condition; Canton, Miss, but little
better Louisville, at the beginning of the
season, was far from clean, but hard work
soon righted matters there, and not only
wsrded off yellow lever, but kept the death
rate low. If this was the last summer that
the plague could exist, we might rest easily
and let filth reign in our streets and alleys.
But what of next yeer, and the next ang
thus on for decade? May not the seeds of
the disease scattered in rs produce yellow
fever in 10 unless everything be kept in
such perfect sanitary condition that germi-
nation aud infection will be impossible?
This year the fever is defyIng all laws that
have hitherto governed its course.