The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-03
JACKSON, MISS.
Clear and Comprehensive Reports
or Drs, Adams and Todd, Health
Officers of That City,
As to the Yellow Fever Epidemic OF
Last Summer.
The Work OF Distinction and Clean
ing Up That Has Been Done.
No Theories INDUCED by Those
Sanitary Experts.
They Roly Upon Precautions That
Ara nndAraoI Ia, E,,>..A....
They Roly Upon Precautions That
Are Endorsed by Experience
And That Impnrts Confidence to the
People of tho Town,
And Satisfy the General Public Else
where That They Are on the Alert
and Are Determined That Yellow
Fever Shall Not Touch Them.

From the stat Correspondent Of The Appeal
JACKSON, Miss, March 1.-The fol-
lowing paper was read 10y Dr. Writ
johnson, Of the Mississippi State Board
Of Health, before the American Public
Health Association at ils recent session
in Milwaukee
The outbreak OF yellow fever at jackson,
Miss, in September, 1858, presents some
features that may be OF interest to sani.
tarians and is another illustration OF tho
prcviously well known fact 10 those ac-
quaintcd with the history OF the disease,
but IL would seem one not 50 well under
stood 10y the public that yellow foyer may
occur sporadcilly without resulting in an
epidemic. The history Of the outbreak,
with the measures instituted for It's sup.
preston. will bc briefly related.
On September 20, about the same hour,
two Of the local physicians, pr Harring-
ton and Morgan, Informed me that they
hal patients sick with u suspicious fever
aud that they had regarded them with
suspicion for two or three davs The Tor
mcr declared his belief that his patient
had yellow icvcr and the suspicious OF tho
latter were 80 strong ~ 10 almost amount
10 q conviction that his two patients also
had the disease. IL was at once arranged
for mo 10 visit the patients. Before doing
30, however, being strongly impressed
with the idea that the cases werr yellow
fever, on account OF my confidence in
the ability OF the gentlemen reporting
them, aud fully approaching tine great ~
sponsihi,ity involved In final decision
Ms To the character Of the disease | tclc.
graphcd two well known physicians Of
| Nicksbury, anu invited them To como
ON the evening train b. see the cases with
the local physic ans Then, In company
with Dn Harrington and Galloway, 1
visited Mr. Calhoun. the patient II tho
former. aud found hc had been sick about
four DAYS. In company with Drs. Morgan,
Galloway aud Harrington, then visited
the two patients of Dr. Morgan, Mr.. Io-
rance and Mr.. Ice, AMI found that both
had been sick about five days After the
examination oi the eases consultation
WIS held by the physicians named. aud il
was agreed to pronounce the cases as aus-
picious, and await the arrival oi u physi.
clan from Nickshurg before positively de-.
Gliding the character OF the disease. AZ tho
conclusion Of this consultation. at about 3
o'clock I'm, the eases were officially an-
nounccd 10 our citizens ~ suspicious, aud
~ photographed 10 the Boards Of Health Of
the Gull States In accordance with an
existing agreement Upon the arrival
~ Dr. lgchhri, president Of tho
vicksburg Board Of Health. aud Dr..
Purncll, Of the hospital Of that city, nj o
o'clock pun, tho following local ply.
sicians In company with them, visited
the eases, viz Dns. Harrington. Morgan,
Galloway, Todd, Health officer Of tho
County Hunter, a member Of the State
Board OF Health, and myself. AZ the con-
sultation held, all Of these gentlemen
agreed that the disease was yellow fever,
aud II was at once officially reported as
such. Under the laws OF tie Slate, tho
state BoaEi Of Health assumed control Of
thc stui efy management of the town.
The lir ,icct In the way II prevention
WIS p1ulalion. and this had already
cummpuc,i ruon the iint announcement
nj the fever IA. - being mpidiy accom-
plishcd without much assistance from u.s.
Many vi the CiizHus sought refuge IN the
surrounding country, and arrangements
Werr made with the officials Of the Illinois
Central Railroad TO run special trains 10
convey people 10 Northern points. Ar
mugumCnt. were made NJ speedily ~ pos.
sibie Tor the establishment Of a refugee
camp Tor the safety ct those who had not
been able 10 leave the town. This camp
WIS not, however, used 10 any great ex.
tent on account oi the fortunate termina-
ton of the fever.
II IN safe to say that within thiriy-six
hours about 300 persons had taken their
departure, leaving behind the following
population, ~ shown by census taken at
the time. Whites, Ns, colorcd l,Jni.
total, 1901. Whites protected by an attack
4 a . 4 aH...N
total protected, 40.
Tho town, while not having popula.
ton Of moro than 1000, covers o consider
able area aud the residences for the most
part have large grounds and are widely
separated. The exodus Of citizens almost
dopopualcd the infected dis,nc, and
created long distances between inhabited
dwellings.
Guards were stationed a, the infected
houses, With Instructions 10 permit no ono
% have access except physician aud
nurscs, and an effort was made 10 keep
under observation everyone who had
! boon exposed 20 the discuc. The houSus
were designated by yellow ilags.
As soon ~ the drpopuation Of the town
had been accomplished, as far ~ practical
Bile. night aud day force OF guards were
stationed on all avenues Of escape, with
instructions to permit no one 10 pass,
either Ia OF out, without written permits
sion.
Three Of the four railroads entering the
town were compelled 20 stop running their
trains on account Of the quarantine TO
slrictions Of the places along their lines.
Only ono road. the Illinois Central, con-
tinned 10 run ~ trains, aud on this road,
one and hali miles north OF the town,
was established quarantine station, where
trains stopped under the supervision Of
quarantine officer, aud freight and express
] matter was discharged, which was suhsc-
| qucntly brought into the town by loco
| ..,etiye and car located there. No person