Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-01

1900
n is co Complimentary 10 the physicians of New
Orleans, that so many Of them, worn out with
fatigue, eating hastily swallowed food, from
exhaustion of brain and loss of rest, dropping
instantly asleep in carriage and horse car, any
where indeed, if sitting down and not mentally
or phy sically at work, should ne 80 mindful o.
the law and of science, as to fully record al
In many of the cases not fully given, the
facts were perhaps not ascertainahle. and In 6
large number of cases were omitted from mad
vertence, the result of exhaustion. Much the
larger part of the defect of the statistics is due
to carelessness, indifference and even con
tumacy on the part of some practitioners
The Board of Health (whose personnel is at
present entirely changed) deserves blame. as il
did not enforce its ordinance requiring full re-
port, the ordinance having been in existence
for number of years, and being well known
to physicians.
Later in the epidemic the board acted, and
threatened suit against those not reporting
One of the results of the lack of such energy
earlier in the season is the large number OF
$3.50 cases, in hich neither sex, age, color or
name is given,
am sorry to say that the cases of some of
the best practitioners of the city are included
in this $3.50.
By examination Of tables or chart it is
shown:
First That the mortality Of boys at four
years is not because very much larger mum
Der of boys were taken sick, but that there is
an actual greater m rtality
Second. 1t is seen that though the deaths
decline with great rapidity-being at years
cases do not decrease in the same ratio,
but decline as follows: Cases at four years,
622; cases at five years. 740; cases at six years,
ga, the recoveries being proportionately much
lager ger ~, .o,.o,, = Ill.,,
death rate remains nearly uniform, the dis
ease being comparatively much less fatal.
Fourth. The smallest number of cases and
y -
protective influence of the epidemic of 1867
would be felt, provided the proportionate fire.
quency of cases and of deaths Of children was
the same in 1867 as in 1873.
If the greatest effect of age son yellow fever
cases and mortality in 1867 was at four years.
then less number should suffer in 1878 at the
age of fifteen than at any other. The chart
and tables show this to be true, and generally
four and five years old. 1t is a fair inference
that the law of 1878 was that of 1867.
Fifth. In the census Of New Orleans of 1880,
by age, sex, and color for which the writer is
indebted to the never failing courtesy Of Gen.
Frac els A. Walker, Superintendent of the
Census, it is found that there are
fewer male children Of six years old
in New Orleans than OF any other
age. An additional evidence OF the facts
deduced from examination of our local records
OF vital statistics.
Sixth. When ages approach to twenty the
influence of voluntary change of habitstion
render reliable conclusions nnattainable.
Seventh In considering the cases and NOR
tally at ages from 9 to II it perhaps should be
occurred in 1870, and assure the existence that
year OF :, OO0 or more cases. The fever of that
year was confined principally to section of
the city twelve squares deep from the river by
five broad. but seemingly its influence appears
in the vital statistics recorded In these tables
Eighth. AS to the causes of greater NOR
tality, about one half OF all those born in
large cities die before attaining the age of five
In Ole hon A,HZf-
report mortality of but thirty. three per cent.
under five years The diminution of the num-
bers of those between five and fifteen years of
age and liable to yellow fever is an element
commanding consideration. AT four years,
especially Of males, some physicians who have
been made familiar with the foregoing facts
express the opinion that, as is well known,
quiet manageability is an important element
of recovery, and that males of four years are
enough more intractable than at other ages,
or than females at the same age. to cause the
difference in the result.
AS the number Of girls and boys attacked is
so nearly the same it can scarcely be any
thing belonging to ''developmental" condi-
ton.
Only one other reason has been suggested.
1t has been alleged that the poisonous cause of
yellow fever is participate, of the lowest ami
NAL or vegetable nature, that its habitat is soil
surfaces in general, and that itmultiplies and
spreads much as the cellular ms celium of
certain microscopic fungi are known to live
and flourish.
That whether brought by ''resting spore' or
cellular, actively growing mycelium, (the
equivalent of bud) it thence as from centre
spreads, and that whoever takes enough Of
these as yet undiscovered, but imagined invisi-
BILE but poisonous hyper-microscopical toad
stools is attacked by yellow fever.
Taking this as possible, perhaps probable.
they say the infant of the year lives in its
mothers arms and is but occasionally and
temporarily on the fioer. That the child Of
two years though living much more on the
a., !. chi ,F looo Ehar,
still spends much time in arms, upon the bed,
couch, sofa, etc. That the three, four and five
years old sit and live all the time on the
floor and upon the surface Of the yard.
That the plays of boys especially are upon the
ground, and therefore children of that age take
up more of the poisonous cause than those of
ages Immediately preceding or following, and
in the boy of four the exposure by reason of
contiguitV to poisonous surfaces is greater
than that Of boys of other ages, or girls of the
same age. In a word, as the tables indicate.
in the boy of four the liability to yellow fever
and to a fatal result reaches maximum.
1t is respectfully submitted to the American
Public Health Association to suggest the cause
of the mortality shown in the tables and charts
which form part of this paper
A paper was next read by DIR. A. K.
Wright, of Buffalo, New York, being a
memorandum of "Probable Cause of an Epi
demic of DrarTheal Diseases. in Buffalo,
N. Y, In August and September. 1884,"
DR.. Moses T. Runnels, of Indiana, fol-
lowed with an interesting paper on the i'm
portant subject of "Impure Water and its
Dangers
The President introduced DR.. f. Peyre
Porcher, of South Carolina, as representa-
tive of the Governor of South Carolina, who
made few remarks expressing the Cover
nor's regrets at his inability to be present
on account Of official duties, that he felt
deep interest in the prosperity of the asso-
citation, and hoped at some day they might
meet in some city of the Palmetto State.
DR.. j. D. Catch, of Lawrenceburg, In
diana, was introduced and stated that he
had been honored with the request to repre-
sent Governor A. G. Porter, who had been
prevented by his duties from accepting the
kind invitation of the association. In his
behalf he extended the body q cordial In
diana greeting, and wished them God speed
in their noble and grand work. He tender
ed the association q hearty invitation to
hold their next meeting at Indianapolis.
The paper prepared by DR.. L. G. Duncan,
Of Illinois, on the subject of "The Atmos-
pheric Element In Local Epidemics," was
read by title.
The Secretary read an invitation to par
ticipate in the pleasures OF an excursion
down the river, at IL O'Clock, this (Thurs-
day morning.
The business of the afternoon session
being concluded, the association took a
recess until 7:30 O'Clock.
EVENING SESSION.
The association met at half past seven
O'Clock, and the attendance was very large,
the hall being comfortably filed.
Col. E. c. Anderson presided and opened
the meeting.
The first paper read was that on Grail
road Sanitation" by DIR. s. s. Herrick, of
Louisiana, the main features of which were
given in the MORNING News several days
since. In this paper DR.. Herrick very
forcibly and intelligently Sc forth the i'm
portance of railroad corporations giving
more attention to the examination of their
employees for physical defects, and advo-
Gated the employment of an experienced
physician and expert for such pur-
pose. The plans of his scheme
have already been published, as we
have stated, and we have reason to believe
have been very generally read, therefore
we omit giving the paper in full.
DR.. B. Joy Jeffries, of Massachusetts,,
was next announced, and proceeded to give
very interesting and instructive extern
pore lecture upon 1.-THE control of defective
vision on land or sea-" accompanying the
same with practical illustrations sustaining
the theories he Misunderstanding the diff
ference between the sense OF form and
sense Of color. On a chart which
was posted on the stage, DR..
Jefferies had placed small black
square. Over this was laid circular piece
of pasteboard about six inches In dame
ter, one side of which was green
and the other red, and In
the centre OF which was black square,
the same size as the one on the chart.
When the red side was turned on, and the
audience looked at the black spot on the
green side until the lecturer counted twenty