Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-06
JACKSONVILLE GAINED,
THE SMALLPOX PLAGUE SOME
WHAT ABATED.

|
JACKSONVILLE, June 4.-The calm afte
the storm is at hand, and II is with niue
pleasure that your correspondent can sa
the present condition of affairs i'm thi
city is much better than it was fortnigh
ago. There has been some effective wOr
done the past week to eradicate from ou
midst the loathsome pestilence which ha
stalked abroad since March, wrapping if
| deathly mantle first around one and the,
another. Arrested here to-day and hel,
in check until all felt satisfied that il
grasp was broken and the monster con
fined, and safety from its clutches existed
any where outside of the ill-fated chamber
but about the time all began to feel seeur,
from its stealthy invasion, again would i
appear at some other place, and two Of
three persons be prOstrated before il cOulC
De arrested. This, as matter of course
created much talk, and the facts were 81
exaggerated that people became more eX
cited and alarmed day by day, and all tn,
o1nclals were accused of apathy and ne
glect, and this with several deaths anC
one exposed case on the streets during the
cool mornings of two weeks ago. created
such storm of excitement and indigna
ton that the most lethargic were aroused
to action, and, instead of sitting idle and
murmuring longer at what the health
o1ncer was doing, went to work themselves
TO assist him in his arduous labOrs, and
the result has been quieting of the ex.
cited, removal of all cases from the city
a thorough cleansing of the infected prem.
lses, and strict enforcement of all rules
tending to an determination of small-poN
in jacksonville, and to-day the outlook is
more cheerful than it has been for a month
Probably the most judicious measure
adopted by our authorities to stop the
spread OF the pest was the result of a
suggestion of DR.. Henry Robinson. a
County Commissioner and Superintendent
of the County Hospital, which was the
abandonment of the rude structure used
Tor pest house, and the occupying of the
County Hospital by the sick-a comfort
able and well arranged building. The
unlortunateS were accordingly trans
terred by Superintendent BabcOck Friday
10 their new quarters, and the rudelv and
hastlIy constructed building ordered burnt
to-day.
None refuse to go and occupy room in
the present pest house, but every one
st0utly resisted going to the other. and if
all was known probably no humane per-
son would blame them. The idea of being
sent TO the pest house three weeks ago
was perhaps the whole cause of secreting
cases in the city from the proper
authorities. Now this is no longer
TO be contended against, as the
present premises are acceptable to
our Whlte citizens, and, of course, will be
10 the cOlored. Here they are cared for
AT pubic expense and treated by skillful
physicians, and looked after by DIR. Bah
cock, and there is not a man living who
has more tender heart than he has. A
brute would not be permitted to suffer one
minute could he prevent it.
IhlS scOurge has laid heavy hand on
DR.. A. w knight, the efficient Citv Health
officer, whose sister-in-Iaw, and a member
OF his household, fell victim to it two
weeks ago, and now his four-year-old
daughter is stricken down. He, seeing the
condition of his own household. asked
permission to be relieved from duty. that
he might accompany his family to the
nOspltaI. His request was granted. and he.
sacrIhclng all home comforts, and without
word oil complaint, gathers his little fami-
~ around him and goes to occupy room in
the new pest-house. Noble hearted Christ
ian gentleman, he has the sympathy of all.
and many are the prayers that he and
Iamlly may soon be with us again in the
full enjoyment of health. In this hospital
the patients are provided with good beds
~AA NUANI hOSCoodIy dItlCIeS LnG
SICK room. The races and sexes are sepa-
rated, the wards being large and well ven
tllated. DIR. BabcOck has also more COM
Portable quarters, and now eniOVs the
luxury OF reading to John Murphy. his
cook. by the light of a kerosene lamp in
stead of lightwood rural fire. This is to
be the home of all smallpox patients in
the future, and for which the public are
indebted to DIR. ii. Robinson and F.F.
l w hn hax
from flrst to last to rid the city of the
disease, and all this without the hone or
expectation of pecuniary reward. A few
such i've men accomplish more in a week
than an army of blOwhards would in n
century. Standing on the streets telling
how it should be done, criticising the ac-
tion OF the Health Board, snarling at
newspapers and their correspondents be-
cause they dare to express what they be-
lleVe an honest opinion and what is for
the best interest of all, is not the best
way to stop the spread of smallpox.
Effective work is what is wanted, and
that is just what is now benefiting our
city so much.
A number of meetings have been held
the past week and arrangements made to
carry out the work commenced
Resolutions and suggestions have been
abundant, and if there were a preventive
against slldIl-pOA Inefe would not now
be found here neither trace nor track of
the disease. No, its whereabouts could
not be traced by pack of sleuth hounds.
The quarantine established by some of
the Florida towns has been about as rigid
as 1t could we'll be made; but it is pre-
sumed that this was not the work of ma
ture judgment, based upon authentic
facts, but caused by wild rumOrs and ex-
agerated statements of excited individu-
ais. Had the authorities of other towns
obtained true state of the disease here
they would have been at once convinced
that there was no necessity of quaran-
timing against everything from jackson
vile.
The disease first~made its appearance
here in negro lodging house, and was
traced to man just from New Orleans.
who died in March. and as soon as it be-
came generally known that it was among
the negroes, they began to leave the city
in crowds for other portions of the State.
and it was at that time considered a pro-
per measure to quarantine against all
negroes coming from this city, because
it was impossible for the best scientist in
the land to say which of them had not
been exposed. But to stop all freight
and mail is little more than the circum-
stances warranted. And as strange as it
may seem, it is nevertheless a fact that
the statements in regard to the disease
OF our most truthful citizens are received
with a degree of doubt and suspicion.
This quarantine has been modified by a
number of towns so as to admit freight
and passengers who exhibit clean bill of
health. But few of those who have had
smallpox are white peOple-mostly ne
groes of the lower classes-the same pen
an expense to the South since the day of
their emancipation from slavery.
Now our citizens go about their bust
ness as usual, and many without the least
fear. Vaccination has been generally ap-
piled, the whites availing themselves of
its benefit long since, and the negro that
is not vaccInated is unknown to the au-
thorities, but when one is found the lancet
is Immediately applied, whether willing
or not.
There are now a total of thirteen cases at
the pest house, four of whom are white,
and DIR. BabcOck telephones your CORE
spondent that all are doing well. have
improved every hour since in present
building, none having died since removed.
and he is confident that the worst is over.
and if warm weather will continue and
the citizens will not relax their vigilance
the pest will soon be eradicated and our
now blighted city once more free from all
pestilence. God grant that it may pc SO.
and that there will never be cause again
for raising yellow flag or for pest house
in Duval county. The disease has never
been as bad as pictured by some parties
in and out of the city. But one case de-
veloped in the city since Friday.
q a few cases OF the popular disease are
at Greenville, Madison county.
and at Palatka, among the negroes.
The refusal to allow the large body of
railroad laborers to come to the city Sat.
urday night on the steamers from UP the
river, caused much excitement among