The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-13
Our Loss 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 II has so
sorely afflicted, and the Board OF Health at
New Orleans declared on the 7th inst. that
il was safe for absentccs 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. how
ever, will not be enough 10 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 complete resumption OF business in
tercoursc 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 undoubt-
edly justified in counting IL as over, aud in
inviting trade back again.
But how much has been lost by this fear
full scourge In New Orleans it has de-
stroyed about 1000 lives, in Vicksburg about
/ 900, in Memphis over 5000. and IN the other
towns along the Mississippi, to which it
spread from New Orleans, the mortality has
been about 1900. II we add the deaths at the
places from which we have no specific re-
ports, and at the outlying settlements and
detached plantations, we shall probably get
at least 800 more This makes the total
mortality of the epidemic II 900, though pos
sbly more accurate statistics than are now
attainable would reduce it considerably.
total OF ten or eleven thousand deaths
by the yellow fever pestilence may seem com
paratively small to persons who have based
their estimates of the probable mortality
upon exaggerated reports OF the deadlness
of the disease during the months when II
was raging most ferccly 1t Is a vast num-
Der Of deaths, however, to have occurred
within ninety days in n region Of the
country where there is only one great city,
and where the population IS SO scattered,
and from disease which is prevcntable
The epidemic OF 1853 it is true, was worse,
for it carried OFF s647 victims in New Or
leans alone, and devastated some of the
cities ON the Atlantic coast but that OF 1878
il bad enough, and 1t is far loss excusable,
for within a quarter Of a century the adj
vanccs in sanitary learning in the knowledge
Of the means of warding of pestilcntial
diseases, have been SO great that the science
may be said not 20 have existed before
During that time cholera has ceased to be n
dreaded enemy OF our great cities, and small
poX has been driven away from New York
Epidemic diseases dependent ON bad sanl-
, tary conditions have been steadily dlmin-
ished here and abroad wherever they have
| been fought properly, and the death rate at
| the principal capitals of the world has been
| brought down.
But the mere mortality total does not by
any means represent the whole injury in
ilicted by this terrible pestlence 1t is a very
small part of it, though the most appalling
Many times the number who died have been
Frustrated by the disease, and the poverty
and suffering which have followed in its
train have been ncalculabe Though the
contributions Of the North have been so
| great, reaching nearly a million and half
of dollars in the aggregate, the cry for more
| comes from tho scourgcd cities. The Sccro-
| tary OF the Howard Association at New
| Orleans, for instance, tolegraphs that they
need 5000 more, and throughout the win
ter the number of applicants for charitable
assistance will be greatly increased by rca-
son Of the epidemic in all the cities whore it
| has ragged. New Orleans, with its 10000 in
| habitants, Memphis, with its $4,000, and a
score Of cities and towns along the Mssis-
sippi River Of lesser population, have for
nigh upon three months been shut out from
the rest of the world, go far as active bust
ness Intercourse was concerned, ami the
pccuniary loss has been enormous The
railroad transportation has been intericred
with, the movement of cotton has been de-
layed, and enterprise has been seriously
checked or utterly killed.
What vast total OF loss this is And il
has been due to the negligence Of the New