Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-10-20
Yellow Fever seOurge in HermOsilIO.

anyone WHO ldS never WAtueestu tue
 terrible effects of a mortiferous epldem- ic of yellow fever, to represent in his
 mud the panic, fear, anxiety, torture, l misery and desOlatIon with which the inhabitants of Hermosillo have been ! stricken.
 At the first moment of the alarm there
 was a chaos, big excitement and gen eral and desertlon of the wealthy class of people ID every direction of the State, remaining only those who had no means
 to or whose interest could not be left
 alone. h thls way the city, composed
 only Of the poorest class of people, was
 left Go struggle with the scourge- Soon
 alter, all the business houses, stores and
 hotels were closed up, the streets de- serted and the enemy had hls black flag
 displayed In every quarter of the city,
 striking without mercy the poor victims
 who had remained in 1t. The sight of
 the town ID the day time was very sad
 and melancholy, no body could hardly
 ce seen on the streets, except those who
 ran after the doctor, or after some med
 clnes or some other necessary errand.
 At home every body was busy attending
 the sick. There was no other topic ID
 the streets but fever, how many have
 died, how many have taken sick and
 once n awhile the startling news of the
 death of some friend with whom We had
 held a conversation few hours or few
 days before.
 At night the darkness seemed 10 in- crease the horrors of the death and the
 city has more the appearance of grave
 yard than ot living city. The sounds
 of music and the joyful move of the
 people IL the public walks and plaza,
 and the gayety of private entertain
 ments have all dIed away and every
 thing ls now silent end stIil. You near
 instead nothing but Inc ringing of the
 bells at the drug store or at
 inc doctors door the sad complaint of
 those in agony, the crying and the
 screams Of those who mourn the de-
 parture Co the other world of their dear
 ones, the sounds of the hammer tacking
 the collins and of the funeral cart which
 goes all night carrying the dead to their
 last resting place.
 The moving of the corpses in the
 silent hour of the night Is solemn and
 imposing even t. those who enjoy good
 health. Every thing looks sad and gloomy at this hour, and Tn every way
 Or direction you may turn your eyes or
 thoughts you can see nothing but tears,
 IosOlatIOn and mIsery.
 Everybody seems dIspirited, discour-
 aged. tired and heart broken except the
 heroic physician who, facing the enemy
 wherever be meets him, fights hIm
 without fear nor rest and pulls hls
 victims out of his grasp. He Is the one
 who saves and consols the afflicted ones ] O rI... H. l,.ss .
 mInd judges of the strength of the
 enemy and watches closely all his move
 msnts and he opposes to his advances
 with hls whole means, courage and will
 until he has destroyed or defeated him.
 Every physician must be considered ID
 an epidemic us a general in a battle
 field, true warrior, while morally
 speaking he IS the angel of hope and consolation, and benefactUr of man
 kInd deserving the praise and cOnsldera- Uun of the government and the people, not less han lhe military officer who l volunteers his services and risks his life to save the country.
 But, helas! how differently the physic- ial who serves in au epidemic IS treated from an army officer:
 The physician, generally Q married man, who has nobody tG provide fer hlm and his family, in time Of peace or war, ! except hIs o"n profession, stands the perils and dangers of the scourge and risks his own life and the welfare and . happiness Of himself and family for the love Oi his profession, for his pride and noble, philauthropic sentiments towards hIs fellows of the human kind, and if he dies, instead of receiving any help from | the people or from the government, his ! poor wife and children are left abandon 1 ed to tLeIr own sort, poor and destitute, and instead of being honored by the society. they are thrown out of 1t and left to the most merciless oblivion on account of their undeserved position, while the widow and children of a mill taTy officer enjoys q pension for her lifetime and they are always honored and protected by the people and by the government.
 Now, where Is the justice in that? 1 Why the widows and orphans of the physicians Wh have died at their pest of honor In an epidemic, should not be entitled, as well as the military, to the help and respect of the government and the society? Is there less merit, honor or bravery in fighting an invisible dead y enemy than visible one? Is 1t not preferable to receive a shower of bullets and shells than to receive the poisonous eiliuyia Of the yellow fever, cholera or some other infectious, smalignant, epl. demic disease? Dees a military officer, in war, benefit more than the physician the nation and the government in an epidemic: When, therefore, our Con gressme1 and philanthrOpists shall pass a law providing for those poor wid- ows and orphans!
 In present epidemic, the disease hay. ing spread ID a Mexican territory and l towns, our remarks are intended to re- | fleet more upon the Mexican government l than upon our own. but as the victims | are Americans, and the United States is | ID better circumstances than Me1lco to | carry the laws into effect, we hope that | our government and the present con- gress will set the example.
 When the American people will know that in less than a month three Ameri- ! can physicians have died in Hermosillo from the epidemic, tand oLe has lost his wife and child, while he himself had very narrow escapeb leaving their wives and children in the very worst of desti- tuition, they will appreciate the convent ence of that law and the justice of our present remarks in calling the attention of our countrymen.
 Dr. Gelcich, Dr. Possey, Dr. Hen der son and Dr. Lathrop are the victims to which we refer. The three first ones Dattled bravely and gallanily, until they fell victims themselves, rescuing and saving hundred of people.
 The last one had the misfortune of osing hig dear wife and child, while -Cmsining at lis post of honor.
 Dr. Gelcich leaves young widow and igLt orphans. Dr. Possey also leaves a wife and several children, and Dr. Hen ier0n leaves a mother and sister with ,ut support. Poor wldowsl Poor orphsnsl You can l ,e proud to know that your dear hus- lauds and dear fathers have sacrificed heir lives for the sake of humanity Cr saving other mems lives; but when -o8r bodies ehall be shivering with hun ger and cold, and you shall find yourself ,o1r and destitute, forgotten by society nd. perhaps, sick ID bed, nobody will one Go console your sorrows; nobody 7ill come to dry the frozen tears on our cheeks. Then the shadows of your husbands and fathers shall rise from heir graves and with Q sense of regret E nd indignation shall denounce the [ gotism and ingratitude of this world, | nd condemn the indolence of the peo- nd the governments, which have so un- lstly neglected the help and care of leIr dear ones.
 The philanthropy of the American eOple IS well known all over the world
 H .l- ss Ia ! N , help the widows and orphans of the allaut American physicians who have Iccumbed in their post of honor here c l lIermosillo. t Nothing eau be expected from the n L. .If