Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-11-29
Our Losses by Yellow Fever.

This years epidemic of yellow fever
is at last substantially at an end. Since
the first of November few new cases of
the disease have appeared in the cities
which it has so sorely afflicted, and the
Board of Health at New Orleans de-
clared on the 7th inst. that it was safe
for absentees to return to the city. "In
my opinion" writes the President of
the Board to Gov. Nichols, "other
ports, cities or inland towns will run no
risk or danger of infection in having
free and full intercourse with the city
of New Orleans"
This declaration and this opinion,
however, will not be enough to allay
the fears of very cautious people. Not
until the places where the epidemic
has prevailed are able to show an entire
absence of yellow fever from the list of
their active diseases will there be
general return of refugees, and a COM
plete resumption of business intercourse
with them. Before the end of the
month, however, there will be no more
traces of the epidemic, and even now
the New Orleans Board of Health is
undoubtedly justified in counting it as
over, and inviting trade back again.
But how much has been lost by this
fearful scourge! In New Orleans it has
destroyed about 1000 lives, in Vicks-
burg about 1000, in Memphis over 5000
and in the other towns along the Mis-
sissippi, to which it spread from New
Orleans, the mortality has been about
$500. If we add the deaths at the
places from which we have no specific
reports, and at the outlying settlements
and detached plantations, we shall
probably get at least 500 more. This
makes the total mortality of the epi-
demic II, 900, though possibly more ac-
curate statistics than are now attain
able would reduce it considerably.
A total of ten or eleven thousand
deaths by the yellow fever pestilence
may seem comparatively small to per-
sons who have based their estimates OF
the probable mortality upon exagger-
ated reports of the deadliness of the
disease during the months when it was
raging most fiercely. 1t is vast num-
Der of deaths, however, to have occur
red within ninety days in region OF
the country where there is only one
great city, and where the population is
so scattered, and from disease which
is preventable. The epidemic of 1858
it is true, was worse, for it carried of
8,647 victims in New Orleans alone, anC
devastated some of the cities on the
Atlantic coast; but that of 1873 is baC
enough, and it is far less excusable
for within quarter of a century The
advances in sanitary learning, IN the
knowledge of the means of warding of
pestilential diseases, have been so grea
that the science may be said not to have
existed before. During that tim'
cholera has ceased to be a dreaded
enemy of our great cities, and small
pox has been driven away from New
York. Epidemic diseases dependent ol
bad sanitary conditions have beer
steadily diminished here and abroa'
wherever they have been fought prop
erly, and the death rate ut the principa
capitals of the world has been brough
down.
But the mere mortality total does no
: by any means represent the whole in
jury inflicted by this terrible pestilence
I 1t is a very small part of it, though tn
/ most appalling. Many times the nun
I ber who died have been prostrated b
the disease, and the poverty and suffel
A ing which have followed in its trai
E have been incalculable. Though th
y contributions of the North have been s
great, reaching nearly a million and
half of dollars in the aggregate, the ci
" for more comes from the scourged ci
q les. The Secretary of the Howard A
a sociation at New Orleans, for instanc
q telegraphs that they need $50, 900 NOR
a and throughout the winter the numb
y of applicants for charitable assistan
y will be greatly increased by reason
y the epidemic in all the cities where
has ragged. New Orleans, with its 2l(
600 Inhabitants, Memphis, with its Al
K 600, and score of cities and tow
! along the Mississippi River Of le