The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-07-17
YELLOW FEVER IN MEMPHIS.

The country war greatly alarmed by
the report Of fiSe cases of Yellow fever
wbich appeared in Memphis on last Fri
day. The early appearance Of the aiseaee,
especially after the extraordinary pre-.
cautions taken 10 avoid it's reappearauce,
anc the Unprecedented cleanly condition
Of the streets of the city, were certainly
enoaEh to carry terror and dismay
throughout the towns and cities If the
entire Southwest. The terrible scouree
of last year did not commence near 50
soon, and yet it mad exhausted The imam
cial strength Of the stficken cities and
filled their cemeteries with fresh graves.
Another epidemic following so closely
upon the scenes of last year, from which
the pail of death and ruin had scarcely
been lifted, meano wholesale ruin and
terrible mortality TO the whole Valley of
the Mississippi. Life would not be safe
upon its course, and property, though
consisting of the most fertile lands and
spacious residences, would be worthless.
The skeleton OF death would tie fclt to be
lurking continually upon every spot
within The fair and prosperous Valley.
Since this report, however only one
new case has beer reported, though three
deaths have occurred, and two of the
survivors are very iii. Rigid quarantine
was Immediately established as soon a.
the appearance of the fever was reported,
but this has now been relaxed, and it is
now believed The plague will not become
epidemic. Tho cases reported probably
retained the germ of the disease in the
system from last year, and were develop
ed by the recent hot and unreasonable
weather. Throughout this summer there
will be doubtless many isolated cases of
this fell disease in the wake Of last years
pestilence, but We trust no such dread
calamity rs that of last summer is in
store for the already smitten cities of
the Mississippi. Upon this subject the
following synopsis of the fever history of
Memphis may be Of interest to our read
erBl
Yellow fever has visited Memphis sew
eral times. In 1866 there we're some
| sporadic cases. The next year there were
23l deaths by fever. In 1873 the fever
broke out on September II, and ended
on November 8. There were 1000 deaths.
Last year the mortality was appalling.
There were 1900 cases and $50 deaths.
! the population Of the city being reduced.
by flight and disease, to about 800.
There is no question that the rapid
spread of the fever in 1878 was due to
the foul condition of tho city. It is ad-
mitted to have been "disgraceful in the
extreme" There was no organized scav-
enger system, no means by which the
ashes and garbage could he Glily carted
away. The accumulation of forty years
"eTe decuyiIg upun the surface; bay
ou dividing the city, and which was the
main drain, was sluggish and without
current, owing to the want of water and
the fact that there had been scarcely any
rain for several weeks. The pools which
had formed ut the abutment Of the several
bridges were covered with q scum of putri-
dity, emitting deadly effluvia. "The streets
were, filthy, and every a1liction that
could aggravate disease SO cruel SEEM
it by the criminal neglect of the city
government, who turned deaf ear to the
persistent appeals of the press. n
~ Every interest was
carefully guarded and provided for, save
that of the health and lives of the peo-
ple." The first death by fever occurred
in the end Of July. On August Ii a
death by fever was announced. There
were thirty-three new cases on the 18th,
and the flight of the citizens began. In
less that ten days, by August "a, $4,000
persons had left the city, and in camp,
leaving less than than 10000 TO face tiie,
consequence they could not escape. The
horror and suffering, the brightness and
darkness, cf The months that followed
will never be half told. There were
heroes and heroines, and a glorious ar
my Of martyrs. The last recorded death
by fever i'll the city was on November
Disagreeing upon nearly every other
point the doctors are almost unit as to
necessity for thorough sanitation in order
to ward off or mitigate the attacks of
yellow fever. They all declare that filth,
especially decaying animal matter and
excremcnt, is prime if not the potent
cause of the severity of the attacks of
this curse in the Mississippi Valley.
The specific poison may be in the air, but
it's propagation depends upon condi-
tions the destruction of which is within
the reach Of all classes in the South
Memphis was dirty aud foul beyond
measure in 1873, the seeds of the disease
have never been eradicated, nor was the
city able to make ready for new attack
this year.