Connecticut western news., 1879-07-23
THE FEVER PANIC.
HOW THE PEOPLE OF MEMPHIS ABANDONED HOMES AND HELPLESS ONES AT THE FIRST ALARM.

ALARM.
 The Memphis Appeal says :-The result of the autopsy on the body of Mulbrandon on Wednesday afternoon spread like wildfre. At the hotels, which are nightly thronged with business men, the dread news was discussed in the most excited manner, each one borrow ing from the other until reason and common sense were lost in an almost frenzy. Many, seized with panic at the first announcement, fled precipitately, taking the first trains on the Louisville or Charleston railroads. As late as 12 o'clock at night groups of persons were to be met with on the streets vainly en- deavoring to discuss what admitted of no discussion, some eager to squeeze from simple fact crumb of comfort, most of them to find in it stronger req son for the flight they thought it in- spired. But put it as they would they could only make out of it case of vel low fever declared to be such by doctors who have the public confidence. Some drew upon their imagination for cases that had no existence, and there were not wanting physicians who pitilessly warred upon the peace and security of which at such times they should be among the special guardians. One of these suddenly found himself in charge of five cases, every one of which, after careful examination by Dr. Thornton, the health officer, were pronounced not to be yellow fever. The exagg erations ot men whose title stamps with authority whatever they say touching disease, was eagerly caught up, and the panic gained an assured strength and engulfed the courage and discretion of almost whole population. Since the awful days of 1878 nothing like the terror of Wednes- day night greeted our eyes until yester- day. Appeals were in vain. Each man acted as if he thought himself the special object of the vengeance of fearful mon- ster, to elude which flight, instant and rapid, was the only means. The lessons of the past were forgotten. The good name of the city, it's trade, it's future, the fate of it's poor, all these were sunk under the one consideration of personal safety. And all this excitement, by which sense of insecurity for the fu- ture as well as the present has been en- gendered, rests upon four cases of vel low fever, three of which were reported to the Board of Health only after the autopsy which decided so dreadful, so awful fate for Memphis again. All this upon four cases which, though six days have passed since the first was taken, have not spread beyond the resi- dences of the persons, and though find ing three victims in one family has, so far, failed of any effect among the nine children of Mulbrandon. Not one of all the throng that yesterday surged upon our highways, like an eager wave, ut tered one word for the poor or asked to take counsel for the safety of property and life. They seemed to take it for granted that the great world whose charity came to US in abundance last year will this year pour upon us again in measure proportioned to our needs. But the great world is too busy with its own concerns to permit itself to be annoyed every year by community that has proven it's capacity for f-help in every other respect-a community that has faced civil war and cheerfuIly surren. dered it's private property to secure g victory. While we are waiting for the fever to breed beyond the four cases ol perish in them we suggest that panic give way to reason, that like sensible men we take counsel as becomes US and provide for the future.