The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-21
fihfeetion from which The disease afterwards
spread throughout the city. We were conn.
PEELED to leave New Orleans before this point
in our Investigation had been satisfactorily

spread throughout the city. q We were conn
| PEELED to leave New Orleans before this point
in our investigation had been satisfactorily
accomplished. iaKfs
/ Enough was developed, however, to rem.
/ der it probable that a connection. as yet
| llntraceable, does exist between the eases
Of Clarke and Elliott. and the first cases
among the citizens Of New Orleans.
It IS properto to add at this point that the
Commission received a number. OF letters
and some verbal statements purportiDg to
| give Information respecting violations OF
quarantine by fruit vessels and other ships
4 entering New Orleans from infected ports.
i Il, PERRETING OUT THE FACTS.
Every effort which could be made in the
limited time we had for work in New Or
leans was put on foot to ferret out the facts
| connected with such alleged infringements
Of quarantine laws. We obtained stfl-
cient amount OF testimony to justify be-
lief that one or more ca ,es Of yellow-feyer
had occurred in the city, probably in the
}mouth Of June, under circumstances which
rendered IL altogether possible that they
had been brought to the city by convey
ances as yet unknown (see testimony OF
Drs. Cochran and BeDiss). From the time
that the disease made its appearances in the
form OF series or groups OF eases, each hav-
ing connection with some other, either by
personal association or fiom exposure In
the same locality, we have located the cases
upon map which occurred in the month
of July. To this m-p have been added a
group OF cases occurring during the first
ten days in August, because or their Inn
portance when studied in connection with
the epidemic which subsequently occurred
in Canton, Miss.
FIELD-wORK.
The appointment OF Colonel Hardee as
sanitary engineer enabled the Commission
to begin field-work, and they left New Or
leans on the 22d and 2Sd OF October: The
plan arranged to be followed was that DR..
Howard should leave one day in advance
and inspect the towns Of Donaldsville,
Plaquetnine, Baton Rouge, and Port Glib
son, arriving in Yicksburg by November
Sd or 5th. DR.. Cochran, with Colonel Har-
dee, was to leave; ION the 23d, and to visit all
important points on the st. Louis, Chicago
and New Orleans railroad rs far as Jackson,
and then. taking the Vicksburg and Me
ridian railroad, to go rs far as Meridian,
and, returning, reach Vicksburg by the
date fixed for DR.. Howard's arrival.
The chairman Of the Commission was to
visit Canton, Yazoo City, and reach Vicks-
burg by the 1st Of November. Both Drs.
Howard and Bemiss were accompanied by
draughtsmen. Upon arriving at Jackson
DR.. Cochran found that no trains were rum
ming on the Vicksburg and Meridian road,
and very properly determined to continue
up the same road to Grenada and Holly
Springs, and from thence to Chattanooga
and Decatur, and return to Memphis.
AT vICKsBuRG. -.,
/ reached Vicksburg November 1st, and
on the Sd DR.. Howard Joined me. The in
disposition OF DR.. Howard had prevented
the accomplishment OF that part OF the work
assigned to him, and il was considered bet
ter that he should return to Louisiana and
complete the study OF the epidemic in Dom
aldsonville. Plaquemine, Baton Rouge. and
the Lafourche regions, while [ should
visit Port Gibson, Miss, Brownsville and
Milan, Tenn. There were no means OF
reaching Greenspille except by steamboats,,
and they ran so irregularly that it was fear
ed that any member Of the Commission
starting there as late as November 5th would
find delays which would prevent an attend
ance upon this occasion.
With this outline OF the routes we took
and places we visited, now proceed to lay
before you the methods OF study adopted. q.
At the various places visited the first OBJ
iect was to secure the cooperation OF the
practitioners of medicine in the place and
the public officials. From these sources
and from the various officers Of the Howard
Associations we obtained the facts which
we expect to lay before you. We then
commenced our work by getting the name,
location, and date OF attack Of the first case
Of yelow.fever in the town. s"f-.
THE EVIDENCE TAKEN ~
Every point of testimony which could
throw any light upon the origination OF the
sickness of the first cases was carefully
sought for and faithfully put On record.
The same line of inquiry was pursued until
the disease became so prevalent in the town
that it wasno longer instructive to, continue
the study OF individual cases. After this,
general. facts in regard to the visitation OF
| the disease and circumstances influencing
| its spread, or in any manner connected with
| it, were collected and recorded in every
town visited and mentioned in our report
except two We made map Of the place,
| located the houses in which cases had been,
placed upon each map as many as was pos
| sible to obtain in the short time allotted US
for work. The two places excepted are the
towns OF Lake, Ala, and Paris Tenn.
Maps of both OF those stations are being
prepared, but will not reach us in time to
show you. -. r''' '.'.'' ..'.
THE METHOD OF STUDY.
We regard this method OF studying .yel-
low-fever as an extremely valuable acquisi-
tion in any scientific investigation into the
habitudes OF its poison; especially is this
the case where great diffusion and intenSi-
fed energy give it epidemic force. The
sanitarian can lock upon these maps and see
for himself the, precise location OF the earl
lest cases Of any epidemic. He can deter
, mine what: influence, occupation OF : the
same locality eXerts upon the spread Of the
disease. He can see for himself how in
variably yelloW-fever tends to arrange itself
| in groups OF cases, and thus observe its
marked contrast with the tendency OF mala-
rial fever to ooccur in separate, disconnected,
and totally independent cases. He can also
study fer himself the influence Of filth, bad
drainage, or unSanitary situations, and Of
elevations and depressions OF surface.
LOCATING CASES.
1t is matter greatly to be regretted by
the members OF the commission that they
could not have been afforded time to locate
in this manner euery case OF yellow-feYer
| which has occurred in each: Of the towns
visited. In most of the places arrangements
were made with the physicians to continue
the work of locating cases until it was rem
dered as full and accurate as could be done.
In respect TO the sanitary condition OF the
towns visited, we have to report the same
character of neglect and violation OF laws OF
health common to all, or nearly all, inland
towns in the United States. These are ne
glect Of drainage, inattention to deposits Of
focal matter, and refuse animal and Yege.
fable natter, and inattention to the purity OF
| drinking Water. THE violations OF sanitary