Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1898-10-13
Spinal ! Meningitis Becomes Epi-
demic in Skagway.
Hundreds OF Gold Hunters succumb
to the Incurable Afalady-LarRe-
~ Due to Carelessness
sef& Of the Men. 1.'


the body. Young, healthy persons
are more liable to it than any other
class, and it attacks male and female
alike. The disease is accompanied by
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, aud
nine out of aten persons attacked die
in "a hours, and sometimes in third
of that time. II one does happen to
recover, he is left deaf or blind, or
afflicted in such a way that it would
have been better if he had died. -.
'The sanitary conditions in Skagway
are very bad. There is no drainage
whatever, all slops, etc., being thrown
on the ground. The water is very bad,
as the. creeks are full of dead horses
by the hundreds: Then the cold wealth
er compels the inhabitants to keep all
the windows tightly closed, shutting
out all ventilation and adding to the
general bad health. It is a very ter
rible thing, and nothing on earth could
induce me 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 it to another
Just as well.''.s9 ~ 81. -. 49,.
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
lif 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 Dyea and on the mountain passes
leading out; of those towns to the Klon-
dixie gold fields. >>'.~..
: Strong indeed is the constitution that
escapes ills. in. the northern regions
at this. season Of the; year. Few OF
the many thousands who have left Port
land attleandt San Francisco for the
north since thea first iofathe year can
= trut hfullE saga tina tf they, arrived lat
Skagway, in sperfect: health. All COM
planned of some :ailment--cold in the
head, stiffness of the limbs, sore throat,
backache, etc., The long steamer trip
is not conducive to bodily comfort.
Seasickness jis. anything but pleasant,
and lack of exercise causes languor
and failure of,the excretory organs to
4 Co,s,,,,,,1C,,c o%+on{iny, IN
:, the functions of these organs is an
essential in the treatment of cerebro-
spinal meningitis, but whether it avails
as precautionary measure is for doc
tors to say. ~ .. .-'>... -:
AS the majority of the north-bound
people come from south of the fiftieth
parallel, they do not have any, great
difficulty in acquiring a cold after the
steamer passes the northern point of
Vancouver islands and pokes her nose
into the. waters ;of Queen Charlotte
sound. InaAlaska It is not considered
good form to 'kill'' a 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 stimulant
or as medicine, is pure rot and is of
no value. One drink of AL ska whisky
will make a 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. ST. 49,
Exposure to cold in Alaska, es-
pecially when men know what the re-
suit will be, is due largely to careless
ness. Men will hug a 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
insufficiently protected. In the course
of a few hourslt they rack their minds.
to find out swhys'this cold in the head,
why this weakness and other ailment
which are the sure forerunner of pneu-
monia, grip or! meningitis. Others will
stand on street corners until the mus
cles of their feet witch and a chill
runs up the backfrom cold. Others will
keep bundled all day in furs, wooden
underclothes, heavy stockings, high
shoes and warm overshoes, with a WOOL
en- cap pulled down over the head, leav-
ing only part Of the face exposed. In
burst of confidence in the atmos-
pheric conditions they will throw open
the coat and put the cap in normal
position on the head. In q compare
~, - Nc af 4<(0a