St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-02-16
THE HEALTH OF LOUISIANA.

| lOE6 tuS NOrGuoIA MICH convention, ucll
at New Orleans, August It'll and 9Th, 1888
by
DR.. C. P. WILKINSON,
president of the State Board of Health.
He read as follows, regarding data and
statistics of the health of Louisiana
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the Convention
The task allotted to me in the programme
is one upon which l have entered with a
great deal of pleasure, because it has en-
abled me to bring before you, and through
you before the general public, certain
indisputable truths to establish the fact
that the fertile State of Louisiana is among
the most healthy of the States of the
Union.
Abroad it is the common belief that a
white man cannot dwell an entire summer
in Louisiana without passing through
spells of perilous sickness this erroneous
belief especially applying to recent arrivals
from other sections, those to the manor
born being sometimes allowed an exemp-
ton from the fatal influences of the poi
sonous atmosphere alleged to float continu-
ally over our fields to be Injured to the
arid, scorching heat which BEATS untem-
to influences which would quickly kill any
other Caucasian, through process which,
for want of better or less bad appellation,
is termed "acclimatization."
The influences which this gathering of
stalwart men, strong of arm and clear of
eye, and altogether unacclimated, will have
upon an calculation of the entire truth, can
hardly be estimated. No word from
friends can magnify or exaggerate the
condition of facts when you are here to
act, to speak, to demonstrate for your
selves and the voice of the traducer must,
in the presence of this assembly, be still.
Probably the principal obstacle which
has heretofore existed against the influx
of settlers from Northern and Western
States into this, has been the annual
outcry raised against US of yellow fever.
Forty years ago danger from this
cause seemed TO operate only in the city
of New Orleans. Refugees fled no fr,r,her
than the villages beyond Lake Pontchar-
train, to the pine woods of Eastern Louis
lana and Southern Mississippi, to the plan
tations on the Lafourche and along the
coast, and maintained unrestricted inter-
course with the stricken city without ap-
parently disastrous results to the exiled
In the year 1878 the disease spread over
the entire South, following in the track of
travellers from infected regions, and in
vading retreats of high attitudes hitherto
deemed more than surely safe from a
| visitation. The recollection of that cpl
demic lives now principally in the mem
cries of the individuals who survived some
loss, and of the thoughtful sanitarian.
The dread of yellow fever previous to
the year 1878, in the country, a matter
afar off, became then known and tangible
fear ; and afterward, irresponsible and I'M
traceable rumors of the appearance of this
disease, without foundation of fact, annu-
ally created alarm and did much to deter en-
terprising men from entering and locating
their homes within this States borders.
This dread has now in a great measure
subsidized, from two causes the first, that
no grounds for suspicion have occurred
that no symptom of a case of yellow fever
has developed in the State within the past
few years; and the second, that the
Board of Health stands solemnly pledged
to give the very first case the fullest and
widest publicity.
The slightest study of the history of
yellow fever and of quarantine operations
within this State will convince you that
mortality from the one has decreased pa7S
pGssu with better and more complete ap-
plication of the other During the first
decade of the past forty years, nine years
of which this city was without any quaran-
tine, and the one year it did exist barely
in name, more than half of the total
deaths from yellow fever of the whole
forty years occurred within that short
ten the other lesser portion being dis
tributed, with lessening number every
year, over the remaining thirty.
From close study of the operations of
the various quarantine systems, successive
Boards of Health have evolved plans, until
today one exists which is certified by dis
interested parties as superior to anything
at present in the world.
Coincident with the evolution and ap-
plication of the present quarantine service,
ceased the annual appearance of yellow
city, or among those persons but recently |
in the middle of the third year of total ex- |
emption from yellow fever in my opinion,
an exemption most closely connected with |
the application of our quarantine service.
am too familiar with the fallibility of |
human nature; too well aware of our
ignorance of the laws which control cpl
community to overcome or be Frustrated
by epidemic morbifc influences, to state
authoritatively that we have found the
means of securing ourselves against an
invasion of the dreaded enemy; but do
confidently assert that, if undisturbed in
its quarantine operations, if left to work
out the problem with the aid of the best
men and materials at it's command, if I'M
thwarted by the jealousies of individuals
or by the undetected evasions of rules by
travellers and mariners, the safe solution
of the question by Board of Health in
not far distant.
But with the problem solved, and NOR
tality from yellow fever unmentioned in
our records, the rate in the city of New
Orleans is not what it should be, not yet
placed in the high rank to which it is en-
titled by its natural advantages.
The mortuary statistics are published
weekly, and the records being open
TO public inspection and comparison,
will not tire you by reciting
mass of statistics other than to mention
the three principal causes Of death and
their percentage to the total roll, for the
TWO years, in this city, two periods of
time which may, with business, be cited
rs fair sample, since neither presents
any marked variation from the usual.
In 1885 the deaths in this city from
levers of all kinds were 379, or 500 per
cent of death from all causes from con
889, or 1856 per cent; from
cholera infantum 1873, or 2.9s per cent.
In 18S7-All fevers 332, or $3.50 per
cent; consumption 773, or II per cent,
md cholera infantum III, or 281 per
cent, both white and colored included. In
his calculation is also included the deaths