Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-01-26
"What's In a Name!"

some of your readers will be interested
in an account of the big scare in Tam
pa, by one who didn't run and was her,
through it all
Early in the summer an epidemic.
called yellow fever, prevailed in Kes
West and considerable apprehension
was felt that it might be conveyed to
| Tampa. as there Is constant communi
cation between the two places by means
of regular tri-weekly steamer line,
and smaller crafts of all descriptions
engaged in the fruit, sponge and fishing
trades. But quarantine was established
and our city rested 10 comparative Sc.
curity interrupted by occasional spas
modic disturbances caused by flying re-
ports by some suspicious case of sick
ness. and some OF the more nervous,
kept their trunks packed ready TO fly
on the shortest notice.
Time passed ADD the fever abated in
Key West, was stamped cut in mid
summer, and we bad almost ceased TO
hink of visitation from yellow Jack.
for this season, ut last, when, suddenly
on the fifth day Of October, the third
day after our school had begun, the
children had ceased docking home at
noon, saying the yellow fever was in
town, the schools were closed and the
teachers were going away. The report
was confirmed by one of our leading
physicians who was also President of
the Board of Health. And then the
EXODUS begun, it was regular SIAM
pede, a perfect panic. The frightened
people fled in all directions and by every
means OF conveyance, by steamer, by
sail-boat and row-boat, by train, carri-
| age, wagon and cart, on horseback and
on foot, hastily throwing together some
of the most unnecessary articles and
emitting those that were needed, in
some instances, leaving their houses un-
locked and in others shutting in their
birds and cats BY nigLlfall the fol-
lowing day it was estimated that half
the population Of Tampa, proper, not
including the Cuban suberh Of some
twenty-five hundred people. had left
the town. But OF all who went, YOU
could not find one who went on his own
account, it was always because some
one else was afraid aud he must go with
them. Some could not find accom- mo-
dations elsewhere, or were unable 10
pay for them, camped in the woods,
suffered from exposure, contracted the
fever and died, when in all probability
ii they had remained where they could
have received proper care they would
have passed through in safety. Some
who renamed would dave gone if they
could many slaid from choice or Il
sense of duty.
Then followed days and nights, weeks
and months of closed houses, deserted
streets, sickness and death. Two
grocery stores remained open through il
all and two or three dry goods stores,
portions of the time. In some Instances
proprietors fed, leaving it optional with
clerks, to close their houses or not.
The pastors of two churches fed, three
others remained and did q noble work
visiting and cheering the sick, until
they in their turu were stricken down.
two recovered, one, the Catholic priest,
died and was replaced by another who
also died and was replaced by = third
who still survives For the first few
days dismay and confusion reigGed and
doubtless several deaths resulted from
neglect, but when it was realized that
an epidemic was upon us and must be
met with an organized force, physicians
and trained horses were summoned,
the city districted and committees
formed for regular duties. The Gov
eminent erected q hospital, which W as
so well arranged by the physician in
| charge, that out of eighty cases treat ed
. there only four deaths occurred.
There existed from the first fffer-
ence of opinion, even among the ply
sicians, as TO the nature of the disease.
some calling it yellow fever, OF hers,
a complication of Dengue and q per-
nicious malarial fever. My husband, a
physician of many years practice. ranks
among the latter. During the first two
months of the epidemic, he was still in
charge of the post Office, although he
had sent in his resignation last July,
and was not doing regular practice.
/ but people would come to him and say,
''now what shall do when | get sick ?'
! and he would tell them and many went
! through without any doctor at all. The
treatment was very simple: the most
| that was required was good nursing,
/ that is, when there were no complica-
I tions. but when the system of the pa
tient was derauged by the habitual use
OF alcoholic stimuants or by the ravages
of certain chronic Diseases, this fever
was almost sure to prove fatal. Since
turning over the poslollice 10 his sue
eessor, on the last OF n vem5er 8, ia
GLIDING few previous Uses, DR.. Ben.
jamin has treated about seventy cases
and lost two. He had the fever him
self, as had also, our little boy and a
Young lady who was stopping with Us
at the time. 1 escaped and visited
houses where there were from one to
seven down at once
After all, now that it Is over, when
we review it in the light Of the past, it