Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-10-01
TEE YELLOW FEVER Is CALIFORNIA

TEE YELLOW FEVER Is CALIFoRHIA,
The unwelcome news is at hand that
ship has arrived at San Francisco with
several cases of yellow fever in her berths.
This steamer has been plying between San
Francisco and Mexican ports declared IL
feeted since the yellow fever appeared in
Mexico. That she should ultimately bring
Che plague TO us was certain. To satisfy
the greed of ship-owners, steamer must
be permitted to continue trips between
San Francisco and infected ports. In this
matter there would appear TO have been
gross negligence somewhere. The owners
should have been given to understand that
the vessel which sailed September 9th for
MsEstlan would not be permitted to return
to San Francisco. Certainly there is some
authority residing somewhere to bar the
gate to snenemy moro deadly than one that
comes with arms in hand. Had we asked
for its exercise it would have been put forth.
Two physicians go out to the ship and re.
turn daily. There is thus afforded means
for transmitting the disease to the shore. We
believe, now that the ship is in the harbor
where she should never have been per.
mitted, that the local officers will set up
all guards against the spread of the
plague that are possible, but the very act
of doing 60 exposes our people to danger.
That much of risk we must take. The
season is late for the yellow fever We
must have frosts soon. No long.heated
periods are now to be anticipated. TIE
local climatic conditions are not favorable
to the spread of the fever, Some of
tie San Francisco papers express grave
fears should the fever reach the shore and
enter the warm Sacramento and San Joa.
gum valleys. The President of the State
Board of Health replied to one reporter
that humid atmosphere is even more ia.
vorable to the spread of the fever than
dry one. And this Is true. San Fran
cisco, with her moist atmosphere, is in
greater danger than ore where the sun
daily exercises its purifying influence upon
the sir and the earth. "Muggy weather.
fog and great humidity we have more to
fear than dry. warm days. One physician
at San Francisco remarks that in malarial
districts where zymotic diseases prevail
most, the fever would be most at home.
Comparatively, therefore, Sacramento is
better off than San Francisco The PEG.
pie of this city, as matter of fact, enjoy
a higher degree of health than the figures
of the eanitArians show the people of the
metropolis to be blessed with. The report
Of the Health Officer of San Francisco for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1888, shows
that the deaths there from zymotic
diseases were 3Sl, of which l37 were from
typhoid fever, or, according to Dr. Meares'
report, on the basis of q population esti-
mated at 100000, no less than l.. so
per 1000 of the people of San Fran.
cisco. Now such rate was never known
here. Take the same period for Sacra.
mento, and we find that our mortality
from zymotic causes was less than l per
1000. The San Francisco mortality rate
for the fiscal year was 49, 5 per 1000 in
Sacramento it was Ass psr 1000. But
anywhere, the yellow fever will be bad
enough if it spreads. We entertain the
hope and the belief thatit will Eot spread.
1
There is reason for caution, for cleanliness,
for preserving high state of health but
none for panicky fear, which only invites
disaster.