The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-01-15
THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
LETTER OF SENATOR WEST TO The Gov
FRNOR.

| HOLLY SPRINGS y an w. 1917
Governor J. NJ Stone:
DEAR SIR-Pe.Jilenee and plaques follow
as consequence of persistent violations of
the laws of health, physical and moral, and
sanitary and quarantine regulations have
/ had salutaTy effect In arresting their raw
ages and in preventing their spread among
uninfectcd communities The Federal
and State Governments have heretofore
! tailed 10 give TO these subj ecIS the outsider
alton their Importance required. The
awful experience and observation OF the
recent past have awakened the public
mind TO the necessity Of more comprehen-
sive and authoritative sanitary and quar-
| an;iue regulatiou~-and Congress now In
session seems disposed to act in accordance
with the same. As these reformatory
measures 10 not fleet any political party
and must bring credit To any statesmen
/ who accompishes them, may we not con-
/ hdenty hope for early Affirmative actionf
| Believing in the advantages of organized
cooperation both 10 induce and obHge
| action, We favor called session Of the
/ Legislature to supplement any affirmative
act of Congress upon these subjects, espcci-
1 ably as the times are now roHiJious for a
| diligeEt. scientific and a bold practical in
! vest CATION Of the specific causes OF yellow
/ fever and other diseases OF ptstileutial
character with which mankind have at diff
! ferent periods been scourg,d aud which
may again visit Us: a also Co learn the
| place OF their origin, tue means used in
! trans porting the same and the agencies re-
| quired 70 prevent their spread. In this
! great work we should invoke the aid ofrhe
scientific. medical and practical men in
every part OF our State, that we may act
wisely and efficiently. According to As.
troogers we are approaching one Of the
most pestleutial periods of ancient or
modern times Their theory Is, SHAT when
one or more of the large planets is nearest
| to the sun, the temperature and condition
of our atmosphere are So disturbed as TO
eause injurious vIcissitudes, terrible rains
prolonged drouths &c, resulting I'm the
destruction OF crops aud in pes licences
among human beings and domestic anil
mails" They assume that we "are soon to
have, for the first time in two thousand
years, four or these against us" Besides
there are persons, not Astrologers, who see
or think they see in the signs OF the times
evidence that pestileuce and iamiues may
in the near future visit many countries
where the health aud life '.ot every living
thing will be put to "A severe aud trying
ordeal" They cite the tropical heat OF tho
past summer with pestlental result, far
and wide, the prevalence OF flood AID disas-
tiers at seattle multiplied diseases among
human beings, domestic animals and the
fish Of he Seattle famine and pes'ilcuces
OF Persia, China, India aud Algicrs-- the
great want and sun ring OF the poor in
these ana other countries from the failure
of crops.
These are some of the many force
runners OF pestilcnce, as they suprrin-
duce unwholesome diet, improper cloth
ing, irregular habits, degradation and
filth, and when followed by excessive
heat or cold, decaying animal or vegetable
matter, imperfect drainage aud bad ven
tilation produces those plaques which have
so frequently visited many different couu-
tries and now with our increased facilities
OF commercial intercourse, may originate
in one country and be carried with the
rapidity of steam into others, thus showing
that blessings and evils multiply with each
other, and that the intelligence of mankind
increarca in exact proportion TO each, that
it may master the one ana foster the other.
Shall we by non action give to history an
exception to tho latter Of these general
truths.
Let US glance at a few of the many
plaques OF past ages with the hope OF more
fully showing the importance OF the sub
jects under consideration, and in this con-
nection il may be well to state, that amid
all the vicssitudes OF human atT4rs The
principle OF cause aud effect remain un-
changed; hence history frequently repeats
itself, The plague OF A. ID. 250 continued
fifteen years spreading through the whole
Roman empire. In A. d. 5i3, one rose iii
Egypt, and spread over the then known
world in sos, it revived, and continued hnv
years; another in ASH and Europe OF three
years. Pestilences continued to apLear
at successive periods, which spread far and
wide; the one Of Italy in 1859 was 20 fatal
in some places that nor more than ten OF A
survived. In 1862, the sutferingof
Paris and London was most fearfulIy fatal:
again, in 1879 and in 1907, thirty thousand
died in London. In 1864 the plague reap
peared in Holland having been carried there
from other countries. In 1865 it revisited
London and remained twelve months. about
one hundred thousand died during itscoplip-
uance. In the months OF August and Sep
Jember the mortality ranged from three to
eight thousand in week and one writer
it as high as twenty thousand in
1ne particular week. We have read a de-
scription Of this plague (Which it appears
was both contagious and iuiectiou.J written
by Nathan Hodges, NJ. D., and + low OF
he college Of Physicians, who resided ia
he city. We have also read history Of
It's rise and progress by another writer;
continuing observations ana memorials Of
he most remarkable occurrences both pub
c and private, that happened during that
ireadiul period" It's Introduction and
spread IN London and its private and pub
ic history are strikinRly similar TO the in
reduction and history OF the yellow fever
u this and other places. Owing to advanced
knowledge, the improved medical
and the more wide spread
principles Of the religion Of tile old and new
resLiments these scourges have been less
frequent in latter times.
For the most selfish OF all reasons every
class and condition Of the people are
in preventing the history Of the
past year. from repeating itself during the
present, as visitatious continued for a few
successive years, may 50 engraft them
selves upon the country as to become mex
tinguishable. Leprosy IL now in the Uni
ed States and may become a paramount
icourge unless soon driven out by legal
authority. Diligent search should now be
made in every habitation within the recent
y infected localities for every remaining
hing calculated TO reproduce the fever neTt
spring or summer, and when found shOuId
De destroyed. Grave yards, should also be
properly cared for.
fill Ill