Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-01
THE YELLOw-FEVER.

The appearance OF yellOw-1ever al the
National Soldiers Home. az Hampton.
IS a distressing piece of news That the
disease probably weuid be introduced INTO
this country from Cuba. or Porto Rico,
was expected. but It was supposed there
would be only a struggling case or two
on smpboard and II was believed these
could be easily managed by the quaran-
tine officers But it was a profound sur
prise TO find that the disease had crept
in and gained foothold in a soldiers
home located in a part of the country
which IS not usually included in the yell
low-fevcr zone.
How tho fever got TO Hampton IS not
certain. but that IL was introduced from
the West Indies we have NO doubt. One
account has 1t that 1t was brought there
in cots and souvenirs Brought from SAN
tlago: another IL that it s. trsceabie TO
a discharged colder who had been in
Cuba.
No matter how il got TO Hampton. it
seems that valuable time was lost in
identifying the disease as yeiow-fever.
With all the advances in medical science
st is discouraging 70 know that yellow
fever is not Otter promptly diagnosed.
That certainly was true as 20 the last
epidemic in the South, which started at
Ocean Springs Miss, and that must have
been tue at Hampton.
1t is tamentable that the fever has
gotten a hold in an institution where
there are as many IS four thousand in
mates; but 1t IS fortunate that the
neighborhood where it has appeared is
a narrow strip Of iaad which can be
easily ouarantined and yet is where the
people, sick and well, can be readily sue
cored.
The home being an institution Of the
Omitted States Government, It goes with
out saying that the Washington authors
ties Will spare no effort to stamp out the
SiseaSe as soon as possible And We know
the government will be vigorously
.hided by the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
road Company, which has large interests
an that section.
Hampton Is about eightyNtwo miles east
Of Richmond and is distant from Fort
Monroe about two miles
The home occupies spacious grounds on
the outskirts OF Hampton and thus It
may be that Che town itself may escape
the disease; but It Is fact that must
he confronted that hundreds Of he SOL
oiers Visit the town daiiy. and oftentimcs
lounge about various resorts there for
hours al a time. Newport News Norfolk,
and Richmond have been under the pain-
ful necessity OF ouaran1ning against
hampton. Old Point. and vicinity; but
we pray It VIII not have TO be for long
Within Che past week or two thousands
OF eScuf siOniss from all parta Of Viz
ginia have bean 20 Old Point, ana many
OF them also visited the Soldiers Home.
But thero was no fever at the Point. nor
any 10 thu town Of Hampton, and such
Of the eSomg.onlsts as want 10 che home
usually 0it nothing more than pass
Through the gTounds and look Into the
public rooms end marry away. Therefore.
We should think IL extremely unlikely
that any OF them have carried the disease
away with tls-n
The very section or the state now
threatened by ysllow-fever has for many
months past been troubled with small
pox though. happily the disease has been
vary milo. That disease found. aud yell
low-fever hpos. our State Beard Of
Health unsrovioed with fuads 70 do the
work claiming sts prssn, attention. What
penny wise snd pound-fooisk policy On
the part of Virginia. II is dreadful 60
think that our LEGISLATURE ean hnd money
Tor 50 many objects Of secondary imsor-
tonoe. whiis II nosleetS 10 give this board
tbs rnSapS TO fight spldouicsi But. we
mos1 admit. Il Is mot altogether the fault
OF che Legislature Way haven't ;hs peo-
pie spoken Ara TINY 40 dun OF cotnpre-
hension az not to understand that TIE i'm.
rroyements In The means OF c0mmunica-
ton between different oonnf,itiss have
added 10 m. territory and 70 tho .iapgcrs
Of eDsdamIcsg Arc, they content to sit un-