The paper of Dr. Henry E. Turner, already referred to, gives an account of cases of typhus fever in Newport, in the spring of 1864, which we quote, it being a memorable narrative of a local epidemic of typhus.

"During the months of March, April, and May of this year, a very remarkable epidemic has developed itself, at Coaster's Harbor Island, chiefly affecting the pauper inmates, although not exclusively. As I before said, the community there consists of from sixty to seventy individuals; and during the period I have mentioned eleven persons have died, making about 16 per cent. of the whole, which would be a frightful rate of mortality by itself; but when we consider that the dysentery of the previous autumn removed 10 per cent. from the same institution, the result is absolutely astounding; it being one quarter of a whole community dying of epidemic disease in what has always been regarded as the healthiest locality on the face of the earth, in the lapse of little more than half a year.

"The origin of this last visitation was the bringing to the Asylum of a family of colored persons, who had been living in a poor neighborhood, in filth and squalor and debauchery, without sufficient food or clothing or fuel, so that the woman was absolutely frost-bitten in her bed. Three of them had what was manifestly typhus fever, at the time of their introduction, although, strange to say, they all recovered. From that time, as if by contagion, the disease attacked a large proportion of those exposed, most of whom being old and decrepit, or insane, or infirm from other causes, seemed to have no power of resiliency, and succumbed, without generally very aggravated symptoms. Those who were young, and possessed of any degree of vigor, generally recovered.

"In most of the cases, the disease was marked by a small and feeble pulse, somewhat accelerated, but not extremely so; the skin. was hot and dry, the urine scanty and high colored. Instead of the irritable bowels usually seen in cases of fever with us, attended by copious and frequent dejections, there were no evacuations at all, unless urged by cathartics and enemata. The tongue was generally dry, but not coated with sordes, nor were the lips and teeth. There was a singular absence, in the most severe cases, of grave cerebral symptoms; the depression in fact was disproportioned to any indications. This may possibly be accounted for by the circumstance that the facilities for ventilation in the house are not very good; and the disinclination of the inmates to allow any

access of fresh-air which they can avoid is an insuperable obstacle to the keeping open of the doors and windows. There being no hospital building, the sick are in different places, not separated from the rest, which fact undoubtedly caused much of the mortality."

Dr. Turner gives the names and ages of ten inmates of the Asylum who died; seven were aged over fifty, and the youngest was thirty-five; four were insane, two were inebriate, one was idiotic, and one paralytic; only two were females.

In Providence, in eight years ending with 1863, there were 232 deaths by fevers, including typhoid, typhus, bilious, &c.; and of these decedents, 151 were of American parentage, and 81 of foreign parentage.

REPORT

ON

MORTALITY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.

BY

CYRUS RAMSAY, M. D., LL.B.

REGISTRAR OF RECORDS AND STATISTICS.