The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-16
WHEN HAY ANA WAS
A CHARMED HOUSE
FORMER YELLOW FEVER VICTIM
TELLS HOW TT FEELS.
Excelsior Resident Fought for His Life
in Cuban City in 1853, and Won Out
Because Doctors Gave Him Up to Die
and Allowed Him Water-Also Con,
quered the Cholera.

W. B. Morse Of Excelsior went thru
the yellow fever epidemic in Havana in
1888, and in recOunting the experience
to i n g ) ournal says there are two
facts which he remembers distinctly.
one IS that the very first symptom was
a sickening headache, and the other
that. 1T seemed as tho his head and
hands were swelling to gigantic size.
At the time of his illness 10000 people
died IN Havana out Of a population of
about 100000. New Orleans was fever
stricken at the same time, and after the
worst was over both places were liter
ally. deserted. People died like sheep
during the epidemics; there were no
provisions made to check it's spread:
the victims could not be quarantined as
there were too many, and the only
course open was to let the fever have
It's run and wear itself out. r... ..-E
In the fall of '53 MI. Morse went to
the steamer he was very i'll with sea-
sickness. He arrived in Havana in a
weak condition and his system could
not Withstand the first attack of the
fever. Ten days after his arrival he
was taken down with it. and being a
foreigner he fell victim to the worst
form OF the fever. According to the
Doctors verdict there was no hope for
MIN, but his strong constitution and
IRON Will conquered, and three weeks
after he was taken i'll he was on the
way to recovery.
Mr. Morse attributes his. recoverev to
the frequent use Of water and to the
juice OF the lime fruit, tho the physi-
clan s. orders were as little water as
possible and great doses of calomel. 1t
IS the opinion of Mr.. Morse that many
OF the $4,000 stuff erers might have been
saved II water had been given them
was an article not on the prescription
fist, and the fever patients were left to
6urn almost to death with fever. Or
ders were so strict forbidding the use
OF water around the sick room. thai
when the doctor discovered a. waShhow1
with water in it, which Mr.. Morse had
used, to cool his feverish head and
hands, the attendant was Immediately
ordered to remove it.
Doctor Relented.
Considering the hopeless condition of
Mr.: Morse, the doctor seftened and
said to let him have all the Water he
wanted, as ..he would die anyhow.S
1t saved his life. In all the weeks of
suffering, Mr.. Morse never lost con-
seriousness: While there was BIT LITTLE
actual pain, the agony of the SEEMING.
ly swollen head and hands was GREAT.
ana this combined with an utter lack
OF steep proved very exhausting. The
greatest horror and one which proved a
great FACTOR IN the battle for life, was
the IN thought OF being buried in Havana.
Inc dead were buried side by side, and
the corpses were put on TOP Of each
other in layers until the deep grave
was full. At the close of a wear or
Two each grave was opened, the bones
removed and the grave was used over
Tor the same purpose.
Ihe yellow-fever mosquito was then
an unknown quantity in Havana. and
ne cause OF the fever was attributed to
| ty-two years Mr. Morse does 1fi6T fen1en.
| per much about the part medical sci.
ence took in treating the fever. with
the exception Of the remedies annlied
as stated before, and an additional an.
pllcation Of leeches to relieve The
BODY OF some Of the fever-heated
blood and swelling over the abdomen
Before and after the fever the patients
could be pointed out by the sickly vel.
AoW e,3s nue. OF their. compilations.
on4rtly after leaving the fever-strick.
was caught in the cholera endemic in
1904. Once more he was a sufferer. but
again :, his splendid constitution helped
to pull him thru: In 1866 he witnessed
the same horrible sights of death and
nc TOR IN IN Kansas City, which was then
In the throes of cholera. AS many as
seventeen hearses were counted in one
block, and on one Sunday there were 50
many dead that they could not be
buried. People by the score were taken
sick one evening and dead the next
morning, and MIR. Morse saw his bust
ness associates and friends slain before
MS eyes The doctors who were at his
oeds5de during the fever and the chol
e end o attH nm immune against sec.