St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-09-26
THE YELLOW FEVER.
Strange Stories of the Disease Told by
Vera Cruzans.

Orange Stories of the Disease Told by
Vera Cruzans.
Among the numerous yellow fever
stories with which Vera CruzaRs are
wont to cheer visiting strangers, they
tell US that once vessel drifted into
port, apparently at random, and with
out hosting any of the usual signals.
Rumors ran through the town that
pirate ship had arrived, or some foreign
embassy on secret mission; but finally
the strange craft was boarded by the
authorities, who found it to be char
nel-house of decomposing corpses, for
every soul had persisted of vomito. One
day a Norwegian vessel touched at Vera
Cruz on some trivial errand, the captain
having hesitated, it is said, about doing
so, as there was no special necessity for
stopping. The result was the taking
on of passenger, who, a few days later,
came down with yellow fever, and every
man on the ship, both officers and crew,
died at sea before their destination was
reached.
During seasons of epidemic. when
Vera Cruz is crowded with the dead and
dying, stranger patients need not ex-
pect much care, though the hospitals
are many and well managed. Money
can not buy nor Christian charity be-
stow that for which the demand is SO
much greater than the supply. Fright
full tales are told of numbers who barely
escaped being buried alive, and only on
the resurrection day can it be known
how many miserable Wretches have
actually met that awful fate. Last year
as the driver of the cart which conveys
corpses from the hospital to the ceme-
terry was making his nocturnal journey
he was frightened nearly out of his
senses by one of his load suddenly kick
ing the cover off his coffin and demand
ing to know his destination. Others
but carelessly buried by sleepy work
men have been known to unearth them
selves and have been found in the morn
ing sitting at the cemetery gate airily
attired in winding-sheets.
1t is stated that, few years ago, an
American lady, who was supposed to
have died during an epidemic, was
about to be cast, uncoffned, into the
common pit with a score Of corpses.
The sexton, espying valuable ring upon
her finger, tossed her upon the ground
at one side intending to rob before bury
ing her. The shock of the fall partially
restored her from the comatose condi-
ton that frequently follows this disease.
When the ghou1 had completed the re-
mainder of his task and turned to secure
the jewel, he was Mortified to see two
big blue eyes fixed upon him. Fortu-
nately, but by rare chance, he did not
dash her into the waiting grave. nor run
away in alright, but carried the half
conscious creature back to the hospital,
where she was restored to health.
Yellow fever, when not contracted
during time of violent epidemic, is by
no means the worst sickness under the
sun. Everything depends upon careful
nursing. and possibly somewhat upoD
temperate habits and the previous con-
dition of the system. The majority do
not die, and it must be remembered
that only the number of deaths are re-
corded, not the thousands who have it
and recover. Itcertainly has advantages
over the Roman fever, typhoid. and
kindred ailments, in that the victim is
quickly killed or cured, and there are
no secondary stages nor bad effects left
lingering in the blood. When | feIlinto
Inconsistencies, one hot March morn.
ing. after vainly fighting against the
disease for some days, the Vera Cruz
friends seemed to regard it in the light
of joke which could have but one
happy terminatlon-im from fu-
ture danger. The brave little lady in
whose house we were guests has nursed
many of her country people through the
fever, and not one has died. She and
her husband are both from the United
States, and have lived for several years
in Vera Cruz, through all the successive
epidemics, and have no fear Of Yellow
.Jack.-Cor. Cincinnati Commercial Ga
sette.
-rAxthr1 DIHTFIDE