duty of this board to apprize the public, and particularly the unacclimated, that we are on the eve of an epidemic, that the latter may prepare to absent themselves in time, and avoid such exposure and imprudence as may increase their susceptibility to the disease." A. HESTER, Secretary. WARREN STONE, Chairman. From this time daily reports were published in the city papers, and the number of deaths from yellow fever for the next week was 133. Since that time the number of cases and the mortality have continued to increase, until at the present writing, (August 23,) the disease pervades all ranks of society, and the number of deaths for the past week from yellow fever alone amounts to 324. As usual, the lower class of society has suffered first, and to the greatest extent. When the deaths from the fever at the Charity Hospital amounted to from 8 to 15 a day, but few physicians had more than four or five cases under treatment in private practice. It has been remarked that there have been more cases than usual among negroes, but the disease is evidently lighter among them than the whites. It is worthy of remark that every form and grade of Summer fever may be seen in our city at the present time-as mild intermittent and remittent fever, dysentery, mild and grave yellow fever, and congestive or pernicious intermittent, sometimes terminating fatally in the second chill. All these forms of fever may occasionally be seen blended or running into each other-the milder into the grave, and vice versa. As usual, the Third Municipality or lower part of the city suffers more than any other. Owing to the cheapness of rent, the greatest number of poor people reside in that quarter, and besides, the principal markets and shipping are in that vicinity, which were shown by a report of the Board of Health last year, to be always offensive in hot weather. The quarters which suffer in the next degree, are the upper part of the Second Municipality, and the town of Lafayette immediately above. The First Municipality contains a greater number of long settled and acclimated inhabitants than any other, and consequently suffers less from the epidemic. Whatever the influence of locality, it appears that the lower class of society are far the greatest sufferers, and there has been an immense influx of this class within the last five years. In regard to the connection between the sickness of this city and Vera Cruz, it is worthy of special remark, that notwithstanding the constant intercourse between the two cities, and the great number of discharged soldiers returning from the seat of war, very few cases of yellow fever have been brought to this place. Nor have the army invalids, during their confinement in hospitals here, appeared to contract the disease with readiness, notwithstanding their close proximity to yellow fever patients. Dr. McCormick, the medical Purveyor for this place, informs us that among five or six hundred sick and wounded soldiers who have returned from Vera Cruz, there have not occurred more than half a dozen cases of yellow fever. Now, there were from 60 to 100 of these invalids entertained at the Charity Hospital after cases of yellow fever were numerous in the house; and there are from three to four hundred at Dr. Luzenberg's Hospital, in the suburbs of the city, where there are usually from thirty to forty cases of yellow fever. True, the fever patients are kept in separate wards, and mostly in a separate building; yet they are close together. As to the Ship Fever, of which we spoke in our last number, it has nearly disappeared; the tide of immigration from Ireland to this city having been checked. When it was so bad at the Charity Hospital, many of the inmates who had entered for other complaints, and several of the House Students contracted it. We also heard of a number of cases in different parts of the city. Some of our physicians are fully satisfied of its communicability from person to person. The Weather.-The summer thus far has been unusually cool and remarkably wet. By reference to Mr. Lillie's Meteorological Report it will be seen that it rained nearly every day in July, and a good deal in the early part of August. There has been a great deal of thunder and lightning; several houses in the city have been struck, amongst others, the St. Charles Exchange. But no injury was done. The River is very low. There was something of a rise after the Spring freshet mentioned in our last number, but very moderate. We cannot close this hastily written notice of the prevailing sickness, without a passing allusion to the ample means of relief provided for the poor by our liberal and benevolent community. The Municipal Councils have all appointed physicians and apothecaries to visit and furnish medicines gratuitously to the sick; and the different religious and benevolent societies, such as the Odd Fellows, the Masons, the Howard Association, the Hebrew Benevolent Society, &c., &c., have all established funds, and appointed committees to seek out and minister to the necessities of the afflicted. These poor creatures, (almost exclusively Foreigners,) seem to be incapable of appreciating the active benevolence displayed in their behalf, and often display a disgusting want of sympathy with each other, yet this does not stay the hand of charity; it bestows freely and expects no reward but the gratification of benevolence. At a future time, if spared, we may furnish a more dilated account of the epidemic. RIVER QUARANTINE. F. It is hoped that the towns on the river and bayous above New Orleans will keep a strict watch on the progress of yellow fever, and that those which have established quarantine regulations will have them rigidly enforced. HEALTH OF THE COUNTRY. The following communications have been received from our obliging correspondents, for which we return thanks. MONTGOMERY, Ala., August 15th, 1847. GENTLEMEN :-We have had considerably more wet and cloudy weather for the last two months than is usual with us at this season of the year, there having been about 36 rainy days, between the 10th of June and the 9th of August. Besides this, on many of the days in the same interval, which were fair in town, it rained in some part of the surrounding country, within a few miles of us. We have as yet had a smaller number of cases of fever of the different types than it is usual for us to have at this season. Below is the list of cases, made up from the same sources as the others. Abscess 3, Apoplexy (pulmonary) 1, Asthma 1, Abortion 1, Bronchitis (acute) 1, Croup 1, Cholera-morbus 4, Cholera-infantum 3, Colic 13, Cataract 1, Dirt-eating 1, Dyspepsia 2, Diarrhoea 23, Difficult Dentition 3, Dysentery 10, Enteritis 2, Epilepsy 1, Eczema 2, Erysipelas 1, Fracture (of cervical vertebra) 1, Foreign body in ear 1, Fever (ephemeral) 3, do. Intermittent 38, do. Remittent 79, do. do. Infantile 4, do. Pernicious 5, Gonorrhoea 3, Gastro-duodenitis 1, Hæmorrhoids 1, Hæmaturia 1, Hæmoptysis 1, Leucorrhoea 1, Laryngitis 1, Jaundice 2, Menorrhogia 1, Meningitis 1, Marasmus 1, Neuralgia 9, Prolapsus uteri 1, Pneumonia (acute) 3, Parotitis 2, Parturition (nat.) 3, Rubeola 25, Rheumatism (acute) 1, do. chronic 1, Retention of urine 1, Synovitis 1, Syphilis 7, Sprain 1, Scirrhus (of rectum) 1, Spinitis 1, Tinea capitis 1, Urticaria 2, Vertigo 1, Wounds (lacerated) 2, do. (contused) 2, do. (punctured) 2, do. (incised) 3, Worms 1, Whitlow 1. Making 293 cases in all-of which 9 proved fatal, 1 from pulmonary apoplexy, 2 from cholera infant., 1 from Dysenterey, 1 from fracture of cervical vertebra, 1 from Meningitis, 2 from acute Pneumonia, and 1 from Rubeola. In conclusion I would observe that an intelligent medical gentleman, residing about 14 miles South of this place, recently informed me that Typhoid Fever was prevailing to some extent in his neighborhood, and though I have never myself in Alabama, met with a single case which I was entirely satisfied was Typhoid Fever; still his account of the cases of which he spoke, corresponded so well with the description of Dr. Bartlett, and of others who have made this disease as it were a subject of special investigation, that I should feel exceedingly reluctant to doubt that they were such, notwithstanding a degree of scepticism which I have for some time felt, in regard to the existence of this disease, to any extent within the State, The gentleman however made no postmortem examination. W. M. B. MEMPHIS, August 10th, 1847. Editors New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal. GENTLEMEN :-Herewith you will receive the list of cases that have occurred in my practice in the last two months. Cases.-Angina Pectoris 1, Asthma 2, Abortion 2, Bronchitis 2, Cerebro-spinal meningitis (acute) 1, (chronic) 1, Convulsions (infantile) 5, Colic 5, (painters) 1, Carbuncle 1, Colera-morbus 4, Colera-infantum 14, Croup 2, Cynancha-Tonsilaris 1, Dysentery 18, Dysentericdiarrhoea 1, Diarrhoea 33, Dysmenorrhoea 1, Dislocation (elbow) 1, Dropsy 1, Dyspepsia 6, Fever (intermittent) 12, (remittent) 79, Gonorrhoa 1, Gastro-enteritis 2, Hepatitis 2, Hemoptysis 2, Hysteria 2, Hemaplegia 1, Hemorrhoids 2, Jaundice 1, Hydrothorax 1, Lumbago 1, Leucorrhoea 3, Mania-a-potu 1, Menorrhagia 1, Neuralgia 3, Ophthalmia 2, Pleurisy 3, Pneumonia 3, Purtussis 1, Phthisis 4, Prolapsus uteri 3, Parotitis 4, Rheumatism 6, Rubeola 3, Syphilis 1, Spinal irritation 3, Spleenitis 1, Urticaria 1, Wounds (incised) 2, (contused) 2, (lacerated) 6, Hydatids-uterine 1. In all 263 cases, and 9 deaths. One from Chronic Cerebro-spinal Meningitis, 1 from Croup, 3 from Dysentery, 1 from Gastro-enteritis and 3 from Phthisis. Compared with the cases reported the two months previously, it will be seen that measles and mumps have subsided; and that the only form of disease that has increased much, is remittent fever. All the cases of remittent fever were mild. No death having been produced from that form of disease. For the past three or four weeks, the city and surrounding country have been gradually improving in healthfulness, becoming exempt from measles and its secondary complications; and now may be reported as unusually healthy for this season of the year. The spring, and the summer thus far, have been unusually cool; and the amount of rain that has fallen has been unusually great. During June and July, the quantity has not been so great, but the showers unusually frequent. Seldom more than one or two days have passed without rains. The crops both of corn and cotton, are unusually well grown and promising; and the quantity of vegetable matter of every kind, never was greater in this region of country. Almost every kind of vegetation is still in a growing state, and presents a large absorbing surface for the purification of the atmosphere. The weather for a few days has been dry; and the large amount of vegetable matter, of every kind, with which the country abounds, will soon be matured, and its decomposition commence, when a great increase of sickness will no doubt be produced. Very respectfully, J. S. PATTERSONVILLE, La., August 17th, 1847. Messrs. Editors :-This region of Louisiana has been comparatively healthy this whole season, up to within two weeks past. Diarrhoea has been the prevailing disease up to the beginning of this month. It has been confined most generally to the slave population; the recent cases yielding pretty readily to suitable treatment; but the chronic ones difficult to manage, and recurring again and again upon the slightest error in diet or drinks, or exposure. The best treatment as yet instituted is the internal use of quinine, opium and tannin, and a mixture of chlorate potass in hydrochloric acid, together with vesication over the abdomen. Since the beginning of August there have been some fever cases, both among the white and colored population. They have been of the congestive, intermittent and remittent type; some presenting considerable gastric and enteric irritation. Though requiring prompt measures, they have not been difficult to treat, and I think for the last six or eight days have rather been on the decline. This has been a very wet season, and continues so up to this time. Should it now become dry, we are expecting much sickness; it being generally thought, and probably with much correctness, that wet Springs and summers, with dry hot autumns, are generally associated with much sickness in this climate. Very respectfully your ob'dt. servant, R. H. D. HOSPITAL REPORTS. If time had been allowed us, we might have obtained interesting reports from all the hospitals in our city for the present number of our Journal, but under existing circumstances it has been impossible to attend to it. All of them have been full. In the month of June last, there were admitted into the Charity Hospital 1,216 patients, the greatest number that ever entered that hospital in the same time. The first death from yellow fever that occurred at the Charity Hospital, was on the 7th of July. From that time to the 22nd of August, the number of deaths from yellow fever at this institution was 362. It is now the predominant disease of the house, and the deaths have been as high as 27 a day. This hospital will furnish some interesting fever statistics when the epidemic is over. MAIN BUILDING. Total 1216. Total 912. June-Admitted: Males, 879: Females, 346. (Lunatic Asylum, 101.) MAIN BUILDING. July-Admitted: Males, 802; Females, 166. Total 968. Total 163. Remaining on the 1st of August, 483. ABSTRACT OF A METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL FOR 1847. BY D. T. LILLIE, AT THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. Latitude, 29 deg. 57 min.; Longitude, 90 deg. 07 min. west of Greenwich. 1 91.5 71.0 20.5 30.10 15 90.0 73.5 16.5 30.18 30.04 0.14 S.W. 3 2-375 3 0.331 S.W. 2-4/5 6 1.452 W. 2-415 77-545 29.99 0.25 W. 2-6/7 6 2.330 30.07 0.13 S.W. 2-317 4 2.960 29.87 0.29 S.W. 2-3175 4.625 2-6/7 4 5.015 29.79 0.21 N. 8 87.0 74.0 13.0 30.17 30.00 0.17 S.E. 3 1 0.050 30.385 REMARKS.-The Thermometer used for these observations is not attached to the Barometer, but is a self-registering one, and is placed in a fair exposure. Regular hours of observation, 8 A. M., 2 P. M. and 8 P. M. The Barometer is located at an elevation of 19 feet above the level of the ocean, and is suspended clear of the wall of the building. The Rain Guage is graduated to the thousandth part of an inch, and the receiver is elevated 40 feet from the ground. |