Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-26
tuesday Evening, Nov. aeals7s.
FACTS AND COMMENTS IN REGARD TC
THE LATE EPIDEMIC.

FACTS AND COMMENTS IN REGARD 10
THE LATE EPIDEMIC.
On the 18th of October the board Of.
health announced that yellow fever
was no longer epidemic in Memphis
and that refugees might return with
safety. The announcement was hailed
with delight by all save those who
feared that it was premature. Unfor-
tunately the result proved that their
fears had been but too well founded,
and a good many lives were lost by the
fever that might have been saved.
The LEDGER having told the whole
truth, as far as it could be ascertained,
about the fever from the verystart con-
tinued to keep up reports of deaths
from the disease for some weeks. We
had a right to do this in the in
terests Of humanity. regardless Of the
dictum Of any board of health, or 9TH
er organization, however good its in
tentions, learned or h~igh-toned. There
was nothing sensational in these re-
ports. buta statement Of facts. Be
cause We refused tOsuppress thetruth,
IS 1t might be inferred others we're
doing and seeking to have done, some
oyer-excitable. though naturally good
and wel-mezning, people took oHense,
and some Of them went 50 far as to
show their temper and order their pa
per stopped Having passed thr0ugh
several epidemies and ether trying vis-
oissitudes We are able, by close
economy and energy to get along still
especially since We know that these
impulsiTe people vii come back and
Be the besi friends Of the paper yet
It vas argued that the LEDGE vas
injuring business and keeping people
away. We certainly did advise ab-
seutees to Be careful about returning
and that after the board Of health had
unwiIlingly, as We believe, issued it.
notice that everybody might safely re.
turn. Knowing what the fever wa IL
malignancy and tenaeity, We dreaded
to see all the women and ehildreI
precipitsted back into their Oh
homes at once. We could no
hurt any ones business with
out seriously affecting our own
and that certainly suffered enough thi
fall to make US sensitive and cautious
But when it comes to a conflict be
tween commercial interests and tn
safety, the health and the lives Of men
women and children, We would say le
commercial interests and ~money-mak
ing 90 to the dogs. We would say
life and prevent suffering FIRST, an.
take the chances Of business after
ward. Yellow fever was here long be
fore it was declared an epidemic q
admitted to be here by the board
health. There were well define
cases in July, though it wa
conveniently called malarial feve
or some other name. VIZ ca
prove this if necessary by physician
and Others who know yellow feyc
when they see it. Knowing this to |
so, it was not hard 10 conclude tn
the disease might finger to a DANCE
Gus extent after the official announc
ment Of October 28th.. The dang
being past We are in a position to T
view its history and to warn the pu
lie to prepare and avert future calaH
ties. No steps were taken toward pu
ting the city in agood sanitary como
ton until late in the summer. Tn.
there was a hasty scraping Of filth in
heaps that smoked and seethed and
a boiling hot sun, and an omptying
foul old privies which spread poison
the air and only intensified the plag
when it came. The fever broke 0
early and was most malignant in su
localities before it filed the air a
spread all over the city. If there v
a suppression Of facts in July it
quite as reasonable to suppose tn,
was even a greater effort at conce
ment in the early days Of Noyemb
People who returned and died Of
fever we're not only those who h
been in some infected district, or {
tered houses not ventilated and fur
gated, but some Of them came from
great distance, had not been expos
and went into well-ventilated hous
That more did not so die was owing,
doubt, to the LRDaER's repea
warnings, which kept many busin
men from bringing then fam
home at once, and made the VIII
community more cautious about