Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-03

u
possession OF this serum the danger OF
epidemic would have been entirely avert
ed. AS II is, in New orleans, in yellow
fever times, one never feels safe until
frost. the one always successful foe Of
Yellow Jack puts in an appearance.
No one who does not live below the
18th degree of north latitude, the north
ern boundary of the district subject to
yellow-fever, can imagine the absolute
terror which the news OF the presence
of this fearful scourge inspires. There
fore, it is no exaggeration to say that
the mamma that fell to the children OF
Israel in the wilderness was no more
grateful than the news received here
from a reliable source that Sanarellis
discovery in all probability meant new
weapon against the fever, and one which
would be available at any moment.
THE NEWS OF IT'S DISCOVERY.
The news Of the discovery OF this
serum, and the fact that the Italian
| sayant had his attention directed 10
New Orleans as a field OK experiment,
| IL ever opportunity offered, was brought
here by an American physician, recently
arrived from Montevideo. He states
that Sanarelli told him that he believed
thai New Orleans would offer, II 1t ever
became unfortunate enough, field for
experiment superior to that Of any other
place in North America, owing TO the
neculiar climatic conditions existing IN
the city and its surroundings.
He told this physician, also, that Wnile
| at nresent II was impossible for MIN 10
snare any Of the serum he had MADE as
| soon as il was possible he would FORWARD
10 him here at New orleans small sup
| ply TO be used in case OF an outbreak VI
fever. If this physician had that supply
now. he could sell 1t for tripie-yes'
ouadruple-its weight In gold. While the
fever here has practically been checked
for while the run cannot De Instantly
| STAYED. fresh outbreaks can-the panicky
| feeling is evident on every hanu. onnail
| wonder is there that this is the case
lien one recalls that the scourge has left
| its mark in other years. has scared the
| citv so dreadfully that even the mention
| of IL fairly excites terror.
THE EPIDEMIC OF 1873
II IS less than twenty years since the
deaths from yellow-fever IN new Ut
leans and Memphis exceeded 5000 within
one month. This was in the autumn OF
| ISIS. when the Mississippi Valley bore RAJ
more the appearance OF vast charnel'
house than the populous, fruitful country
which It ordinarily appears to be. Iher'
are those living yet who remember no"
death travelled the Mississippi and the
| Ohio on board the steam tug John ID
Porter and its two barges. TWO lone
months did this triumvirate or disease
stricken craft moved up and down the
Mississippi and Ohio rivers, spreading yei
low death wherever they touched. IheS
| communicated the fever 10 the Town o.
| Gallipolis, o., where ffty-one persons
| nd hirtU
From the time these craft left New Or
,eans until they tied up at Pittsburg
twenty-three persons died aboard OF them
The ghostly plague ship, or Vanderdecken
| and his FLYING Dutchman, were never
mora dreaded than these three spreaders
~ the yellow death. At Gallipolis, o.,
on the morning of August 10, 1878, the en-
eineers of the tug refused to work any
longer. and ran the boat alongside the
hank where all hands except two men
and the doctor deserted. 1t was IRON
New orleans that the tug and its parges
brought the cargo Of which yellow JacS
was master.
A PITIFUL STORY OF 1883.
nit,fuI story is told Of the last out
hroat Of fever of any consequence, which
tao, nlace in 1883. All Louisiana was IN
d,ra distress. when none knew at wha'
,,,or,ent tine deaths head might leer In al
the door Apparently sporadic cases were
heard of on every hand. Dr. rHeureaux
a nhysIcian of New Orleans, learned ina
at the house OF farmer out to"aro
Rayou Christian the disease mad ioune
saveroI victims. all of whom were In
r,ttabIa state. The Doctor, who had ne
faor az Yellow Jack. drove out 10 tn'
,Iaca and found that the majority OF the
s.,u,, had gone. Across the road IRON
tna house sat the owner, beside bright
,,,-hurning bonfire Of pine logs. He toit
~, Doctor that his son was sick In th'
hnnsa but that he was afraid to go u
him. .oarotaa ~.
s,,ai,,no which he found 10 be In con
d,tion simply frightful. but discovered NJ
uia, ~ the patient. At last. behind tn
rItchen stove lay a form that ne at mrs
.ro,aht was that of a negro, but on ex
s,.,atior discovered that the l9-year- ol'
an, Ssyered. thirsty. and dying from tn
- disease. had crawled about on tn
ei,hy eoors of his home In vain search
Co. water and had at last collapsed OF
tha snot where he was found.
nuts q one OF a hundred instances
va,,nw lack drives courage from mel
- have fearlessly faced death ant
danger In many forms. There Is some
,h,r~ SO horrible about 1t that one be
comes tremendously alarmed with appa
rently slight cause.
WHAT BRINGS YEIL4Ow-FEvER.
what brings the yellow-fever to New
Orleans Is something that no one knows
unless It be that certain conditions Q