The sun., 1879-05-04
THE GREAT PLAGUE OF 1878.
WAS IT THE YELLOW FEVER or ron
MER YEARS, OK 4 NEW DJSkASE3

OF this and Preceding Epidemics-The Story
OF the Terrors Of the Pestiieace Relieved
I'm Part by some Of Its Grtm Hsmor-.
or the numerous epidemics that have pre-
vailed I'm Now Orleans that of last summer pro |
sented tho most marked peculiarities. Hereto |
fore II has first appeared near the river where |
the fruit and oyster craft are moored, or on and |
about the narrow streets between old Levee and |
Tchopitoulas. near tho shipping and upper |
cotton presses. The central and cleaner quar- |
ters Of the city the last that 1t approached.
and they enjoyed a comparative exemption. |
Last year 1t first attacked the heart Of the city |
tho best paved best drained. best built. and |
best ventilated uuarter-and then 1t spread |
over what Is known rs the Garden district. n
well drained and beautiful section. chiefly oc-
cupied by wealthy families. The damp. dirty, |
badly built and closely packed tenements occu-
pied by laboring people tho crowded houses
IN the narrow streets around the French mar
ket: and the badly drained unpaved and hlthy
streets of the Third District. even those por-
lions bordering on the swamp, where maarious
fevers prevail from July to October. were not
assaulted until six weeks after the highest and
cleanest portions OF the city had been ravaged
In tho Third District tho poorest and the
dirtiest in the city. the epidemic was by no
means so general and 80 malignant
The same disposition to attack the highest
and healthiest positions first was strikingly
woods village across the lake. on the New Or
leans Jackson and Northern Railroad. On a
high, breezy hill in the midtt Of pine forest.
resided DR.. Swaeey. Major Russell and Mr..
Noel Hodges. and their families. Here the
fever first broke cut. Of tho most malignant
type. The best OF physicians. skilful nurses.
every necessary appliance and comfort availed
but little. They and their households were all
stricken down; one-third were soon in the
Nl,sxI ha1 IoxVn
the street. from house to house. but his blows
were lighter in the lower and marshy quarters
OF the village.
There are other localities that exhibited the
same feature.
In all previous epldemics. as n general rule.
natives Of New Orleans. persons who had had
the fever. and children. have been exempt Last
year the rule failed. The mortality among
children in New Orleans. and wherever the epi-
demic appeared was frightful. Very many
creoles and natives died many had the fever
for the second third time. and people OF
mixed blood and of pure African descent. who
heretofore had been almost exempt. suffered
Established. and would seem TO indicate either
hat this was, not the vomito. or pure yellow
lever so called. or that some material modlica-
lion Of the type has occurred.
Black vomt. to be sure. was present in most
OF tho fatal cases, but black vomt Is occasion
plly present in the last stages Of some other
levers. Pure yellow fever Ms formerly known;
the close by symptoms so uniform so well de-
fined that even an unproiessi9nal eye could
recognize II. The treatment. after ive or SIX
epdemics had instructed us and exploded the
favorite theories OF rival practitioners, had De-,
come mild and uniform, And patients relied
more on skilful nurses than on mrdcaments.
No fever required so little doctorinR and drug
ton. But the late visitation demanded the i'm
mediate presence OF the physician. The symp-
toms were mutiiorm. so different from ord-
nary yellow fever. so variable. and the, on.
slaught so fierce or 80 insidious that without
the aid of skilled physician the patient was
How shall we account for the fact that two
the night? And for the further fact that the
more violent the onslanght the more apt the
t tSey were called. usually were the most fatal,
The GLOW spread OF the epidemic in the city
and If Tapd S sRTsa n and he
such Bay ~. Louis. Pass Christian. and
Ocean Springs. tanned oy me sen and iraHrant i m
tract attention. and can be best explained on
The recent II fever was it cannot be reasonably
doubted. contagious. II was eommunicated by
oSntaSt with persons Titn clothing ana mer
have been non-contagionist but in this re-
spect the late prevailing fever has been phe-
nomenal. Pure yellow fever. as We have hero
tofore known H. not contagious. l have
seen epidemic yellow lever in Natchez, in Wash
ington. six miles from ths river, in Opelousas
at bay st. Louis and three times IN New Or
leans; have sat on the bed and nursed my com
rades in all stages Of the disease. and never con-
trRcted IT, City people. in former epidenli's,
sought refuge in the country, aud were received
by every family without apprehension. No one
scrupcd to enter sick room and nurse the
sick. In the late epidemic there, was unusual
dread OF contagion there were abundant facts,
in every town invaded by II. to authorize
this dread: yet, with antique herolsm and a
sublime fGith, our people, OF both Xes. $1,000 Dy
the sick and dying, and many OF them shared
the same fate.
yellow fever. as It has been formerly known in
the South. and the recent epidemic. are not
Identical; that they are either dist net fevers.
or SO modified as To present very different types
that IN the present form natives, ANA persons
who have had yellow fever are not exempt,
though not as liable. and that II is more or less
ASPECT OF THE CITY.
To one familiar with New Orleans. and es-
pecially with what Is called the French qunrter
OF the city. between Canal and Elysan Field
streets. the contrast between the last and former
opidemics was very striking. Formerly our
creole population claimed entire cx.mption,
and the prevalence of fever neither disturbed
their business nor h-ir gayety. Picnic parties
at the lake. and solrees in the evening. Were
common. Last year a somhre pail hung over
the whole city Dwellings were abandoned on
tenanted only by the rick. The solitary ani
tread OF deAihbed attendants. the hurried st"u
OF the physician summoned In haste, AMI inc
10 revelry and mirthl The thoroug6iarrs we're
deserted. and the only cortege one saw was tht
70 breathe the fresh air from the lake-a beauti-
fu drive usually crowded with brilliant elul-
pages-and you met only hoarses and dead carts
DEATHBED SCENES.
sick and the dying. l had often meditatrd on
deAth. and thought 1t would be my choice 20
perish in distant land, where there would be-
no associations Of childhood. no recollertions O
early Joys. no tender hands. no weeping eyes
to unman the soul. But think not so now. II
wAs my lot TO see two very dear friends die
companions OF my hOyhood had known them
In Virginia. In the sunny circle OF home and
kindred. and now. rs | watched the fatal march
OF the Destroyer 1t WAS agoniz ing 10 hear them
in their delirium murmur mother" and
yainly call their home friends. They were rest
less. md almost constantly in tears. and II was
only at the last moment that they became calm
" Hold Inc. denr mother" cried one hs the las
terrible spism passed over him.. Sister, don
leave me-" said the other as he died
One OF these young men. about +. NJ, wheT
wa had abandoned all hope. oberrved that ht
would die at o'clock the following morning
that he was born at that hour. and that in hi,
family. for generations. there had been a sin
gulHr coincidence between the birth and de
parture Of the spirit. II happened so in thi,
ease. / closed his eyes as tho clock struck 3,
believe this often occurs. Did II ever STRIKE
you that the majority OF your friends die in th'
niRht2 Think over your lost and you will b'
Exritht tha faaf 10 cart nj Mt MOI a