Year: 1878

OUT OF G4LJ EOf fON.


Not q single case of yellow fever has been reported
at Galveston. Texas this year, although that city
was formerly accustomed TO have an epidemic once
in three or four years aud seldom escaped whenever
the fever ragged either in other Gulf ports or the
interior cities of the south. The healthfuness of
Galveston. this Summer, is uRaasstionably due
more to the perfect sanitary condition of the city
than to the strict quarantine that has been main
tained against infected ports.


The sanitary history of Galveston as told by Col.
A. II. Belo the proprietor Of The GdlrestoR Ae'rs,
may be studied with profit, not only by
the people of Southern cities, but also by
the authorities of all commercial centres in the
North into which there is constant danger that
the fever will be imported. The last great yellow
foyer epidemic at Galveston was IN 1867, and 1t
was one of the worst from which the city had ever
suffered. The disease was introduced from In
dianOa, and it spread like fire among dry prairie
grass to nearly all parts of the city, AZ that time
there was standing water under nearly all OF the
older houses in the city and under many of the new
ones and II was noted that where this stagnant
water was most abundant the fever spread most
rapidly and was most fatal. After this discovery
it was determined to raise the grade of the city
four feet, and to require that the space beneath
every building that had wafer under it should be
Hleu UP Wiln ahlu. Al INC hdinb Allnts Lut ulsAil-
age of the city, which liko that of NcY-Orleans,
has TO be upon the surface, was greatly
improved, and more strict sanitary regulations
were adopted and enforced. Ever since 1867
there have been frequent and thorough
house-to-houso inspections during the Summer
months, beginning on tue first of May,
the abatement of all nuisances and careful
cleansing and disnfectOn of alleys and passages.
In this way Galveston has been made the cleanest
city in the United States, and public opinion there
is such that no interference with the Board of
Health, which consists Of eminent physicians who
serve without pay, will be permitted.


In 1873 the yellow fever very fatal In Mem
phis Shreveport. and at two places in Texas.
Galveston did not quarantine against interior
places that were infected but allowed itself to be
made a city of refuge by people fleeing from the
disease During the season a considerable number
of persons who had contracted the disease elsewhere
were sick Of yellow fever in Galveston, and twenty
nine persons died, but the fever did not spread,
and there was not single case known in which it
was contracted in the city. In other words, the
yellow fever proved not to DO contagious in Calves
ton in 1873.


During the same Summer Galveston quarantined
against New-Oreans, where there were some cases
of fever. committee of New-Orleans physicians



there was epidemic in tie former city, and dur
ing their stay they were entertained by
the city. On this occasion a full discus
sion of the means Of preventing the
Introduction of the yellow fever took place, the
participants being gentlemen who had had great
experience with the disease and the conclusion
reached was that quarantine could not be strict
enough to protect city from yellow foyer unless
care was also taken to keep its sanitary condition
good.


1t is now eleven years since yellow fever has
been epidemic in Galveston, and the people of that
city believe thar with proper attention TO sanitary
precautions they need suffer again they did
in 1867. It will probably be found when the his
tory of the present epidemic in the South is written
that in every city which has suffered the soil had
been prepared for the introduction and spread of
the disease by the neglect TO observe sanitary rules
The yellow fever would certainly lose many of its
terrors if every Southern city was kept clean as
Galveston.