New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-08
INDIFFERENCE TO CONTAGION.
NEWCOMERS ARE INCONSISTENT

DREApING SMALLPOX. CHOLERA AND YELLOW
FEvER. BUT NOT ALARMED BY D'rlITnR"IA.
at is astonishing how much excitement can be
stirred up in this city contagious disease that
New Workers have little reason to be afraid OF, while
there is so much public indifference to diseases that
are destroying thousands of lives every year. SAID
physician of tie Health Department recently. Just
consider how much public alarm would be caused iy
a few hundred deaths from Asiatc cholera in New
York next summer Yet that disease, frightul as II
may be In some parts OF tho world, conld not compete
with diphthcria a destroyer of human life In our
climate and in a city with good sanitary regulations.
Since 1850, when 1,137 persons died from chocra ID
this CITY, there has not been death from the disease
in New-York and the next epidemic will not be as
fatal the last one.
aNext TO cholera. perhaps yellow fever IS regarded
by many New-Yorkcrs as plague that must DC Kept
away at all hazards. Every time man who has been
EXPOSED to the disease in another port falls VICTIM
to II in New-York there Is cry Of yellow jack as
II an epidemic were threatened We had socaiied
epidemic OF yellow fever IN 1855 and only thirteen per
sons died from II. During the last thirty years not az
many as two persons year have lied from the disease
IN Ncw-York and all the patients caught the icVer
elsewhere
RECALLING SMALLPOX sCARFs.
aTyphus fever and smallpox have caused much
alarm in the city at times, but they have been sup
rassed IN creat measure Last year the deaths from
trnbus fever numbered only fourteen and the deaths
from smallpox thirty one
ct remember that in 1881 there was much exci'e-
mcnt among medical men and many other New" orA-
ers because smallpox caused A5l deaths ana ioo per
.ons died from typhus fever yet the same year over
600 children died from dlphherla and scarlet FEVER
Tn an averare voar over 1000 persons mostly chi-
drAn die from dlphleIia scarlet fever measles anu
vboon,nc-cough in the city, yet we are not n'ii ~
much excited about such n slaughter OF the ihio'o9
as ce ourht TO be- These four diseases arc o"iiou
preventabIo, because It is claimed that emu wiz
not tabe any one OF them without exposure 10 oon-
tac,on They cannot be considered as preVch'"oio
Diseases in NewYork long as pubic op'h'o" WIN
NOT spsta,n the Health Board in stopping con'as'on'
There is only one way to stop the sprean VI any o'
30 those diseases say dphthcria That Is by rcmo'hH
Tho natents IN hospitals and securing prompt So''oh
nd disintcction as In smallpox and typhus fever cases
NV sunnose the Health Board should undertake 10
stomp ont dIphtheria in that manners Ihere "ou"
DO public cutlery.
PARENTS WOULD NATURALLY OBJECT.
oparcnts in all conditions Of life womb object 10
having their children taken from their homes 10 inc
hospitas Private physicians would regard inc aetloh
of tho Board as an Infringement on Their pi"''o'
ATTEMPTS to stop scarlet fever, measles ana "hoot
cough in the Same way would cause much srca'oi
storm Many parents believe that children ought TO
have tbose disease, while they young. 1t is not
unusual for parents to go out of their way TO eXrose
their children measles and whooplng co sh ~ 10
time for such to be stopped Tor me pro 70
tion of the children. Look at record OF ueahs iW
an wars and figure IN the army of little ones lost 10
the city mainly account Of pro!udlce' ,r..,.
From records of the Health i)eparI mem ~
reporer aimed the following which shows inc ucSs
from four preventable' diseases In this city uurhs
ten years