The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-06
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TEE TERRIBLE TYpRaHfS.
sfckenfng Ravages of the Fever Among
the Russians Around gOnseansHr1Oplg. i

A correspondent Of the London DniLy Neps
writes from Constantinople Turning from
the Turks to the Russians, the most fflport-
ant fact to be noted Is the fearful havoc which
disease LIS making among them. Throughout
the empire the death list is and has been ter
ribe during the last month. Out of thirty.
three doctors In Asia Minor, DR.. Ryan H.
formed me that no less than twenty-five had
died. Probably half OF those who have been
IN the country have been down with fever.
Everywhere in and around Constantinople
death has been busy. short time ago Or.
Master OF the Compassionate fund was car
est value are kept OF the number Of deaths
among the population Of the capital, or posi-
bly, Europe might be appalled, at our death
rate. In the Turkish army too, there are
many fatal cases Of typhus and typhoid II
Is unnecessary to remind your readers Of the
loss which they have sustained from typhlls,
Or rather from combination OF typhus and
typhoid. In the opinion Of DR.. Patterson. the
superintendent OF the British hospital in Con-
stantinople, and whose watchful care helped
to soOthe his last hours, Mr.. MacGahan died
from combination of these diseases. His
system, like that Of many thousands Of Rus
in the nalarious plains of the Danube and OF
Bul garia, and become saturated with the ma
laria and fell b too easy prey to the terrible
disease which attacked him. All the many
none. who knew him could help being
his friend-recall after his death that
he was never himself since he ar
rived in Constantnople after bis
journey over the Balkans. In like manner
thousands among the Russians have died in
| and around San StefanO and the lines. Gen.
SlSobeleff q few days ago described his station
to me as rapidly becoming graveyard, and
all that can learn from those who have vls-
tied the Russian lines during the past few
days confirms what have myself seen. Bod
as things are in ConstantinUpe and ia the
Turkish lines they are still worse among the
Russians. The tStnmbonl asserts, on the
strength Of official documents, that there are
not less than 5000 sick Russians In Roumelia.
No doubt the heat that we are now exDerien-
cling has much to do with the great sickness
and mortality which prevail. But other
causes are not far to seek. The Turkish soldier
is by religion al abstalner from alcohol, and
total abstentiOn is infinitely better than the
drinking Of the wretched New England rum,
which Is the liquor the Russians have to fall
back upon. The great cause of dsease among
them is undoubtedly their bad sanitary ar
rangements. The Russian armyis better off,
cered and better fed than the Turkish, but the
sanitary arrangements are far inferior. The
Mo5lem, who has the habits Of an Asiatic in
whom certain habits of uncleaniness invari-
| ably produce disease, takes precautions which
northern nations, and especially Russians are
too apt to neglect. But the Russians omit
the simplest sanitary arrangements. The
lndescribable, and along the Russian
ter. The dsinfectng power Of dry
| earth seems absolutely unknown. Not to
speak on more disagreeable topics, which OBJ
trude themselves all along the Russian lines,
| there are at Hademkeui great heaps of rot
ting bread. At Cataija there Is large
quantity Of rejected flour In bags; rejected
because the flour was of bad quality when
delivered, and has been mixed with various
! foreign substances, including lime. Large
quantities of these rejected provisions, as
well as Of damaged provisions, are to be
found at every station in q state Of fernent,
great distance. Given rotten provisions, no
sanitary arrangements OF the most needfuI
sort, q flat undrained country, great heat,
| an army exhausted by hard marching, coarse
| food, exposure in maIarious districts, and not
given to habits of personal cleanliness, and
the wonder would by that disease should not
be widely prevalent.