Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-07-29
YELLow FEVER.

Tsleersphic reports from Memphis In
dica.s strange ideas among the medical
fraternity. as well as some Of the people.
o. to the real nature OF the terrible dis
q which Is carrying prostration and
death throughout the city. add driving
thousands away to seek homes and
safety elsewhere. Although 1t has Out
lust made Q commencement. It has
already paralyzsd all business and desc
lstsd the city. Death turks Ike .
prowlips wolf about every dwelling.
the hot breath Of the pestilsnce
sweeps through the streets and alleys.
and the cry of distress from all
quarters. And yet, although it was sp-
parent to outsiders that the annual visit
alton OF the yellow fever scourgs had
again come upon Memphis. the author
tiles and leading people Of the doomed
city have had Q singular objection to
acknowledging the disease to DO the vel.
low fever. They hated to believe that
the dseply.dreadsd epidemic was with
them again with all its fearful and ruin
Gus results. Many physicians are rep
resented as even now st%renuously deny
ing that q single case Of yellow fever
has yet appeared in the city this season;
that IL Is not yellow fever at all. but
something else. A recent telegram
stated that the Board Of Health was 60
ing to hold q meeting and make a formal
declaration that the fever or disease was
epidemic in form.
Such q proceeding savors consider
ably Of the burlesquo and ridiculous. IL
heavy rainstorm should visit the city,
perhaps that Board would hold a
meeting in the midst Of 1t. gravsly
declare Ii to be u thunder storm
and tell the people to 60 into their
houses lest they should get wet. And
now, while the Board OF Health and the
physicians are disputing and scientific
ally arguing ~ to the nature OF the dis
ease, Death comes in and quietly de-
oidsa IL to be the yellow fever. There's
NO occasion for being anyways particular
a. to Q name for 1t. Tho scourge by any
other name would be just as fatal and
q much to be dreaded. Whether 1t In
yellow fever or not. 30 long as the re-
suit il the same. that name might
do for IL a. well as any other. 1t is
also made particular mention OF in n
telegram that the yellow fever has never
appeared in the towns or cities on the
western side OF the river. and many per-
sons think hat the river is in some way
the cause Of this circumstance but in
what way they cannot tell. II such DO
really the fact, and no authority disputes
IL. the remedy is obvious move over to
the other side and never build towns
hereafter on the eastern side Of the river.
Either do that. or create some other
channel for the river. In connection
with this subject the following histori-
cal items OF information regarding the
yellow fever epidemic are Of interest:
In lsl7 there were a.259 deaths in New
Orleans. and $50 in 1913 and 737 In 1919.
Noro 49, A.. = ON 1aaths La Aha
same city. and there were 2.t23 deaths in
1854 and 2.670 in 1855. In 1883 there
were 3.ss9 deaths, but none the next year.
In 1867 there were 3.c93 deaths and none
the following year. In the same proper
lions the fever appeared in the smaller
places In Louisiana and Mississippi In
those years. In 1913. when IL r~eappeared
in New Orleans, 10 came In June, while
the epidemic OF lsi7 began In August.
The great epiiemic Of 1883 began in May.
and the epidemic Of the year following
came In July. and the next year In June.
The epidemic in North Carolina in 1862 was
followed In 1864. two years afterward,
by one Of increased mortality, but not In
the same cities and towns as . general
thing. In 1877 PhiladelphiA's death list
was $500, in 1898. $500, and in 1893
there we're 1000 deaths. 30 IL was In 1902
three-afths when philadelphia next had
the fever - an epidemic. In Sout Caro-
lima 10 has been almost invariably the cise
that the second year brought an epidemic.
Memphis and all other points which were
infected In ~ escaped the second year. In
that year the fever began In Shreveport
drst, and did not come until the latter
part Of August, reaching Memphis Sep
tembsr lith. August has been the favorite
month for'its inception. Last year IL be-
gan near the first Of that month in the
South.