The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-08-18
SUPERSTITIOUS ITALIANS
Believe Government HAS Poisoned The
Air of New Orleans.

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added its woes to the pitiful results OF
the fever scourge. That ignorance, is
its own punishment is verified by the
condition among the Italians. Those
who have been stricken were principal
ly Of class which does little other work
than the unloading Of banana steam
ships, can speak little but Italian and
distrust anything and everything that
is not Of their race.
One Italian said yesterday to q board
Of health inspector that he believed the
government had poisoned the air to get
rid Of the Italians. Such is their dis
trust that few will take medicine, and
nearly all hide their disease until the
last possible moment. Because Of this
delay in seeking medical assistance the
great number Of deaths has resulted.
The fever is easily cured by present
methods, if the case is treated early
enough.
The old German remedy for fevers
which has been handed down from gen.
GRAFTON to generation for scores Of years
is practically the treatment being given
by physicians. The first symptoms Of
the disease are severe, splitting head
ache, followed by severe chill. There
is only one chill. II there are more it
is not yellow fever. The patient is given
hot mustard footbath, a strong pur-
gative, and put to bed under heavy blan-
kets to perspire. Cooling cloths are ap-
piled to the head and chopped ice kept
in the mouth to prevent nausea, The
bowels and kidneys must be kept open,
little food except milk given, and there
you are. The fever rises steadily for
three days. If it continues to rise there
after the patient is as good as dead. II
it breaks the result is speedy recovery.
Pathetic scenes are manifold in the
Italian quarter. Food and raiment,
with other necessities, are being sup
piled the poverty-stricken by the Italian
societies and other organizations. In
some families three or more members
have died. Many cases have been re-
ported as fever and as dead within an
hour after discovery. But in that short
| time the other members of the family
have scattered to other parts of the city,
to stay in hiding with friends and rela-
tives.
In scores of Catholic churches special
masses and movenals are being said,
daily, asking the intercession of saints
in his visitation. For the Italians look
upon this as visitation Of Providence,
wreaking Of vengeance for some great
wrong Of the past.
In the past funerals Of yellow fever
patients we're held at night. The body
was placed in box, carted to ceme-
terry and lowered into the waiting hole,
to be quickly covered with lime and then
with earth. Today no restrictions are
ordered. The entire town might at
tend funeral il it SO desires, irrespect-
i've as to the cause of the death. No fear
exists Of infection except through the
mosquitoes.
The quarantines have caused the
greatest trouble. Only per cent. Of
the population has been i'll of fever, and
one-fifth Of that has died. There is abb
solutely no sign OF panic or scare in
this city, and. contrary to all reports,
trains are not crowded with refugees.
In three weeks the railroad people re-
port that they have carried out less peo-
pie than in the same time in any pre-
vious summer. III. WHYTE.
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