The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-06-02
MEN DIE LIKE SHEEP.
Spinal Meningitis Becomes Epi-
demic In Skagway.
Hundreds of Gold Hunters Suesamb
to the IncurabIe Mnlady-Large-
IL Due to CareIessness
of the Men.
A prominent physician of Portland

A prominent physician of Portland
says, concerning spinal meningitis:
THE disease runs in epidemics, and is
due mainly TO bad sanitary conditions.
1t is an inflammation of the membranes
of the spinal cord and of the brain,
and is accompanied by terrible head
aches and pains in different parts OF
the body. Young, healthy persons
are more liable to il than any other
class, and il attacks male and female
alike. The disease is accompanied by
n breaking out Of purple blotches all
over the body, and for this reason is
sometimes called purpuric fever. There
is no known cure for the disease, and
nine out Of ten persons attacked die
in 2i hours. and sometimes in a third
of that time. If one does happen TO
recover, he is left deaf or bind, or
afflicted in such way that it would
have been better if he had died.
"Thc sanitary conditions in Sl,agway
are very bad. There is no drainage
whatever, al slops, etc, being thrown
on the Ground. The water is Very bad,
rs the creeks are fun Of dead horses
10y the hundreds. Then the cold wealth.
cr comUcls the inhabitants to keep all
the windows tightly closed, shutting
out al ventilation and adding to the
general bad health. II is "A very ter
riblc thing, and nothing on earth could
induce wc to attempt to do any bust
ness in the town. While it is probably
not contagious, the conditions that give
it to one person will give il to another
just as we'll"
There is no doubt that the cold Of
the Alaska climate renders men easier
prey TO the disease.
Up TO the latter part of January the
winter. from the Arctic ocean TO the
Mexican line, had been exceedingly
mild. Since then the Alaska coast has
been constantly swept by icy gales,
which have been destructive alike to
If and property. During this period
the Clara Nevada has been driven to
her destruction in the Lynn canal, the
Oregon has been blown ashore, other
vessels have had minor accidents, and
many people have died at Skagway
and Dvca and on the mountain passes
leading out of those towns to the klon-
dixie god fields.
Strong indeed is the constitution that
cscaDcs lis in the northern regions
al this season of the year. Few of
the many thousands who have left Port
land, Seattle and San Francisco for the
north since the first of the wear can
truthfullY say that they arrived at
Ska"pay in perfect health. All com
planned Of some ailment-cold in the
head stiffness OF the limbs, sore throat.
hackachc, etc. The LONG steamer trip
j. not conducive to bodily comfort.
Scasiclrces is anything but pleasant.
and lack Of exercise causes languor
and failure of the eXcretory ORGANS to
do their duty. Scrupulous attention to
the functions Of these ORGANS is an
essential in the treatment of ccrChrO-
spinal meningitis, but whether it avails
rs Il precautionary measure is for doc
tors 10 say.
As the ma ioritv of the north-bound
people come from south of the fiftieth
parallel. they do not have any great
difficulty in acquiring cold after the
steamer passes the northern point OF
Vancouver islands and pokes her nose
into the waters of Queen Charlotte
good form 10 kill cold with whisky.
The main reason is that whisky in the
northern regions does more harm than
good. Another reason is that the whisky
OF commerce, considered as a stimulant
or as a medicine, is pure rot and is Of
no value. One drink of Alaska whisky
will make man yearn for the return
of his money; the second will cause
him TO tell all he knows to anyone
having time and patience to listen to
him. and the third will cause him to
arm himself with tomahawk and go
on a murderous hunt for his wife's re-
lations.
Exposure to cold in Alaska, es-
pccially when men know what the re-
suit will be, is due largely to careless
ness. Men will hug red-hot stove
for hours and toast their shins to per-
lection and then venture into the icy
wind with the hat on the back of the
head the coat unbuttoned, or the neck
insutl,cicntly protected. In the course
of a few hours they rack their minds
TO find out why this cold in the head,
why this weakness and other ailmert
which are the sure forerunner Of pneu-
monia, grip or meningitis Others will
stand on street corners until the mus
Giles Of their feet twitch and a chill
runs up the back from cold. Others viii
keep bundled all day in furs, wooden
undrrc'c'hos, heavy stockings, high
shoes and warm overshoes, with n wool
en- cap pulled down over the head. leav-
ing only part of the face exposed. In
a burst of confidence in the atmos-