The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-08
To the Editors of The Disnatch

To the Editors of the Dispatch:
Having Just received q copy Of the Spe-
cial Report Of the Homeopathic YelloW-Fe-
yer Commission, I herewith enclose you
| readers.
This commission met in New Orleans on
December 2, 1878, and was composed Of
homeopathic physicians living in the South
| with one eXceptiop), and those having the
| Ia: :gest..eXperience. Many OF these gentle
men had been educated in both schools, and
were we'll fitted for their position. Their OBJ
| iect was to make most searching investiga-
tion to get at the lchole truth and publish it to
the world, whether in favor of homeopathy
or not. Their report is divided into three
sections. /. Statistics showing the result
Of homeopathic treatment and compari-
son with that OF the old school. 2. Nature
OF the treatment and comparison with the
methods and remedies OF the old system.
3. The opinions of the commission on the
couses and prevention of the disease. Ur-
der section the following facts were ascer-
tanned:
Number Of cases of ycllow-fever treated
homeopathically in New Orleans, l,945,
with loss Of 1l0 patients, being 56-1o per
cent. Number OF cases treated in towns
and cities outside OF New Orleans, 1860,
with loss OF 151 patieuts-a mortality OF
7 ITO per cent. Total number treated
homnopathicalIy, 3,9l4, with loss OF 26l-
q mortality OF 6.10 per cent. This covers
the number for the epidemic Of 1878. For
1853 they report 500 cases treated homGo-
pathicaliy, with loss OF 80 patients-a
mortality of per cent. They also report
I2,100 cases treated homGopathically during
slay inc
occurred between 1853 and 1878, with loss
OF 66 patients-a mortality OF 8 ITO per
cent Making a grand total OF 6,569 eases
treated homGopathcally, with loss of $50
patients-a mortality Of 4-10 per cent.
Among negroes, in 1878, 900 cases are re-
ported, with loss OF pa death-rate OF 3
per cent.
Some physicians did not distinguish be-
| tween their patients as to race or color.
Number reported as white, 2,299; deaths,
194-a mortality OF s 40 per cent. Num-
Der Of cases OF colored reported in the city
Of New Orleans, 107; deaths, ga little less
than per cent. Number OF cases reported
under fifteen years OF age, 1,0S9; deaths,
4S-or 4 4-10 per cent. Total number OF
recoveries after black yomit, 125. The re-
turns from seven physicians give not only
the cases and deaths, but the name. age, and
|
they may be verified if necessary. These
returns show an attendance upon 1851
cases Of yellow-iever, with loss OF l20 pa
tients-or 2-10 per cent. There were Ga
recoveries after black vomit. Number OF
children treated under fifteen years OF age,
SIT: deaths, 30-a percentage OF 3 G-lO.
In comparison with the old-school prac-
tice, one difficulty is that the allopaths kept
no accurate record Of their cases. In Menu
phs the Board OF Health report 5000 cases
and 2.707 deaths. DR.. Brown, secretary Of
the Board, gives the number of cases to be
5000. DR.. Mitchell, Of that city, places it
at $4,000. On DR.. Browns estimate the
death-rate in Memphis was 30 per cent. on
DR.. Mitchelps, 10 $40 per cent. while the
:. homeopathic mortality in that city was
maths treated 15S whites, with a loss OF ST.
q mortality of 81 2-10 per cent. The ho-
mnopaths treated 96 whites, with loss oil
35-a mortality OF 36 4-10 per cent. In
Vicksburg-a city of between $4,000 and
: Is, 600 inhabitants, many Of whom fled from
the city on the outbreak of the epidemic
the Board OF Health publish 920 deaths from
yclloW-feyer but not the number OF cases.
TO bring the mortality down as low as II
Der cent. there must have been 5000 cases
[ about as many people as were LETT IN tht
city. The homeopathic mortality IN tha
cltv was G-10 per cent. In New Oflean:
the Board of Health report %, $40 cases, VIII
: mortality of 4,056, or percentage o.
II 30. In that city there were Lao case
treated homnopathicaly, with ITO deaths
q mortality of 6-1O per cent. Out Of th'
4,O56 deaths reported by the Board o
Health 2,344 were children Of fifteen year
and under-a mortality Of more than so pc
, cent. The homeopaths treated 1,0S9 chill
dren in that city of fifteen years and under
with IS deaths, or 4-10 per cent.
These facts can be verified and need NJ
comment.
with reference to section I will only re
mark that the old school entirely ignored
any discussion or reports as to treatment II
their meeting in this city, knowing full wei
; they could come to no agreement on ina
point, as it was nothing but eXperlmen
with them. Their threatment covered {
long list OF drugs, besides blood-lctting
leeching, and bliste,ing, ice-packs and colo
E effusions. The homoeopathS having law te
; guide them showed q remarkable similarity
in their practice. Three medicines for The
first stage Of the disease and three for The
: second covers their list of drugs. These
medicines, administered in very small doses
often repeated, acted like water dropping
drop by drop upon stone, which makes
more i'm preston tn&n LhOuSaHu times Cnal
quantity dashed against 1t at once. The he
roie treatment-bleeding emetics, purga
tives. caIomel, and quinine-was uniformly
the least successful,
In regard to section 3 they consider vel
low-feyer specific disease, and although
frequently imported, is ih'digineous to some
| localities, where the germs mag lie dormant
for wears awaiting some comoination o.
causes to arouse them into state OF disease,
producing activity; consequently a national
quarantine would not accomplish the op!ec'
desired, but would be great lAlrfy 10 oul
commerce. sc. Strict sanitary measures, ID
every way, they advocate as the nost Ger,
tain method OF preventing the spread OF
yellow-feyer. They advise the app cistmen'
by Congress of a permanent santa ry COM
mission, whose business 1t will be to aeVote
itself exclusively to matters Of pub. ne ny.
giene, and by means OF agents at diA efent
points and powers TO; act, they may be en:l-
bled to protect the citizens OF this counITV
from the spread Of not only this but oth ef
infectious diseases.
A. r. BARRETT, M. D..
f