The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-08-07
VOL. VIII.
PLAGUE GOVERNED BY NO
KNOWN LAWS.

People begin TO confess that they
know nothing of "the pestilence that
walketh in darkness. Doctors differ
and nurses are at their wits end and
even the Congress OF the United States
''put its foot in it," The fever is gov
erned by no known laws and its migra-
tory freaks are as extraordinary as its
fury and destructiveness. In the early
years of this century its habitat was
in New York and Philadelphia. as to-
day in Memphis and New Orleans. Il
may abandon the South tomorrow, to
ravage the wharves OF great Eastern
cities. It may go east OF west, and
none can tell how or why. Some
years ago it traVersed Southern Texas
and went along the coast to Savannah
and disappeared. Last year it ascend
ed the Mississippi to Memphis, and
now, rising up from its winters nap
on the Chickassw Bluffs, it seems dis-
posed TO turn backward to the sea.
Until 1850 il was never known at Rio
Janeiro, and now its chosen home, at all
seasons OF the year, is In the Brazilian
capital. Norfolk and Portsmouth, in
by-gone years, were decimsted again
and again by the terrible disease. or
recent years these cities have only sup
piled the best nurses and physicians to
those abroad smitten by the plague.
Caracas, a northern coast city of South
America, having every vice of climate
and atmosphere and filth and unclean
population, and more fless than flop
and fly in Brownsville or in sandy
spots in Houston, never had a case of
yellow fever. For series
of years one and thtn another
island of the West Indies will be
aesolated by that lawless, sentient fact
called yellow fever. Quarantine there
never yet has controlled it's course.
At least none can prove the fact.
When quarantine has been deemed ef-
fectIye and cities have been induced
to ascribe 10 it their safety, it may be
true, as often happens. that the disease
simply refuses to go when invited.
There is no known law governing its
moy ements. II has leaped over New
Orleans to destroy Shreveport and at
one bound was in Memphis. OF all
the cities on the Atlantic coast it has
now and then pounced down upon
Savannah alone. 1t deems the conti-
nent its own domain and in one age
resides in Philadelphia and New York
and In another its chosen summer re-
sorts are cities of the tropics. There
fore the Sedalia Democrat says:
1t is the sheerest folly to talk about
Memphis being depopulated, or any
Southern city where yellow fever has
been in the past or may be in future.
The truth is, yellow fever does not
seem to know its own purposes. 1t is
unknown in the tropics of the eastern
hemisphere. 1t may leave this country
for twenty years and go there. 1t is
always at Vera Cruz and Acapulco. 1t
is only dangerous because of its extreme
heachery. 1t pretends to sleep and
even to die when it is simply preparing
for its most appalling work. But it
has no compass and recognizes NO
metes and bounds. 1t is here to day
and elsewhere tomorrow. But while
Memphis sits in the midst of the infec-
ton, and realizes the terror of the
plague, theories are of no avail.
II Wolf river be turned as living
sewer through the city, occupying and
securing forever the channel of the
Bayou of Death and furnishing an out
let for perfect system of sewage,
Memphis will be richer and more pros
porous, since the worlds commerce
now has imperfect access through the
jetties to States and cities along the
river, than eyer before.