USA > Tennessee > Shelby County > Memphis > A history of the yellow fever : the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, in Memphis, Tenn., embracing a complete list of the dead, the names of the doctors and nurses employed, names of all who contributed money or means, and the names and history of the Howards, together with other data, and lists of the dead elsewhere > Part 59
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69
1878.
But brief space remains for a response to that part of your request which relates to my personal experience of the great epidemie of last year, 1878. Its ontbreak in Mem- phis found me at the place from which this communication is sent. At that time, al- though the fever had been prevailing for some weeks in New Orleans, this coast was en- tirety free from it, and continued >o for a long time afterward.
On the 15th of August, having learned, from the newspapers, that my dear friend,
386
APPENDIX.
Col. Butler P. Anderson. of the Memphis Howard Association, had gone to Grenada, in company with General Smith, Vice-President of the same Association, on a mission of relief, I wrote to him to call upon me, if he thought my services there could be of any avail. At the same time I made a similar tender of service to the president of my own club ( the Can 't-tiet-Away Club, of Mobile, from which city I was already excluded by a rigorous quarantine), in case it was contemplated to send any assistance abroad.
On the evening of the 23d of August I received a dispatch from Col. Anderson, urging me to proceed to Grenada as soon as possible. Before I conkl get off, however, another telegram was received from the President of the Can't-tiet-Away Club, in Mo- bile, informing me that a number of nurses were on the eve of being dispatched for Memphis, and asking me, if possible, to proceed there at once and take charge of them. This latter request seemed to be the more imperative of the two, but I determined, at Jeast. to stop on the way, at Grenada, for conference with Anderson.
Accompanied by my son, a youth of seventeen years, who had solicited permission to go with me. I left home on the morning of Sunday, August 25th, and proceeded. by way of New Orleans, to Grenada, where we arrived early the next morning. Col. An- derson was the first person to greet me. His appearance, as he sat on the threshold of the desolate hotel, en deshabille, without his coat, and with a beard long unshaven-tokens of the hard work in which he was engaged-but full of calm courage and chastened cheerfulnes-, made an impression which can never be effaced from my remembrance. The day was spent with him in visiting the scenes of distress, which were then so rife in Grenada, and in consultation with the two surviving members of the resident Relief Committee. I was very reluctant to leave Grenada, and especially to leave Anderson and my friend Dr. Beatty, of Mobile (who was rendering admirable professional service to the sick ), but, under the demands of what seemed to be a higher claim, I bade them farewell, in the evening of the same day, and procveded by special train to Memphis. The impressions made on my arrival there , which was on the night of the 26th of Au- gusto, are given in the following extract from a letter written a few days afterward :
" Entering Memphis at night, as at a similar stage of the great epidemicof 1873. the contrast was startling. On the former occasion there were no external signs or tokens of pestilence in the principal streets. Shops and saloons were open, people passing to and fro, groups gathered, as usual, about the hotels and bar-rooms, billiard tables in activ- ity; and life presenting its ordinary aspects, except in the ' infected district,' to which it was then fondly hoped that the fever would be confined. Such was the case, in some de- gree, during the whole prevalence of the epidemic of that year. Now, on the contrary, the streets were dark. deserted, and silent. At the Peabody Hotel-the only hosteiry open to the public -- there were no longers to relieve the solitude of the lonely clerk in the office. A solitary light shone from the door of a saloon in Monroe Street, and a few others twinkled from drug stores here and there. The only place that presented a scene of activity was the office of the Howard Association, where I was grected by a dozen true and tried comrades of a former campaign, now girded with full armor for another. Two or three have passed away during the lustrum that has elapsed since they were last on active duty, but most of them still remain, and are at their posts. A. I write, how- ever, fire of them lie ill of the fever, brought on, most probably, by overwork and expos- ure. General Smith, First Vice-President of the Association, was prostrated in Grenada. Three of them, including the veteran Mansford, who was one of the original five that began the fight in 1873, have given way there) since my arrival ; and now comes to-day the painful new, that the gallant and generous Anderson, who has been doing such splendid service for Grenada, is lying ill at that place."
" It is a singular fact that until now only three or four members of this Association have ever had yellow fever, although nearly all passed through it unscathed in 1873. The accounts of the distress here. which you have no doubt received from various sources (I speak conjecturally, having scarcely seen any other than the Memphis papers since my arrivals, can scarcely have been exaggerated. The ravages of the fever have been aggravated by the unprecedented panic, the general destitution, the paralysis of business, the lack of nurses and physicians, the rapid spread of the epidemic, and the utter demoralization of the negroes. There is no trade or intercourse with the country. Some of the business houses are open for a few hours of the day, but many of them are entirely closed. With the exception of the nurses a few sisters of religious orders, and the negresses, no female figure is seen in the streets. The depopulation of the city by flight and removal has done good il diminishing the material for disease, but has been accompanied by some incidentai evils. The scarcity of physicians is a great evil, but that of skilled nurses is a greater One of the most distressing things in daily experience is the necessity of turning a deal ear to the pitcon- appeals for a doctor, a nurse, or other help. Several physician . arrived to-day, and others are expected. Nurses, also, are coming in almost daily, bn: far from fast enough to supply the increasing demand."
887
APPENDIX.
The day after my arrival (27th of August) I was requested by the Howard As- sociation to organize and superintend the infirmary, or infirmaries, which they were about to establish. Readily consenting to this, I set to work at once. in conjunction with Dr. W. E. Rogers, physician in charge, to effect the proper organization. The public school buildings having been tendered for this use, that on Market Street was selected as combining the most advantages, and thoroughly fitted up. In consequence, however, of various annoying difficulties and delays, it was not opened for patients until the 3d of September. The school-house on Linden Street was fired up for colored patients, but was always an object of prejudice or distrust with that class of the popu- lation, and was never more than partially vermpied.
After titting up the Market Street Infirmary, supplying it with a corps of nurses, a matron, and other requisites, I found, for reasons which it is not necessary to state, that there was no probability of further usefulness, on my part, in that particular duty. and finally, on the 12th of September, resigned the superintendency of infirmaries, and d ... voted my attention to other duties. At the earnest request, however, of Mr. Roger -. with whom it was always a pleasure to cooperate, on account of the complete accord and harmony of action between us, I fitted up the " Peabody " school building for use as a convalescent infirmary. It was never occupied as such. however, whether on ae- count of the illness of Dr. Rogers, which occurred about that tiun, a decline in the de- mand for accommodation, or for some other reason, I am unable to say.
Before leaving altogether the subject of the infirmaries, with which, thenceforth I ceased to have any special connection, it is proper to bestow a slight tribute of reevy- nition upon the merits of a lady, whose duties were of a sort that naturally escaped the observation of the public. This was Miss Mary S. Hill, matron of the Market Street Infirmary.
Having some knowledge of this lady, and of her admirable services rendered to Confederate soktiers during the late war, I had telegraphed for her immediately ou being requested to take charge of the infirmaries of the Howard Association. Some net- essary delay occurring with regard to her coming, the duty was kindly assumed for a few days by Miss Daisy Murdock, who afterwards resigned it into the hands of Miss Hill, on the arrival of the latter. Miss Hill's devotion to duty, her kindness of heart. and her excellent management of all the details of her department, are attested by all who had occasion to know her, and merit the highest recognition.
Having altogether forty-nine nurses of the Can't-Get-Away Club under my charge, besides many other duties in behalf of the sick. my time was fully occupied during the remainder of my stay in Memphis, which continued until the 25th of October, with the exception of abont eight days spent in a visit to my family, then reported -ick. During this period there were many incidents, which it would be inter- esting to record, if your space or my time would permit. As this, however, i, im- practicable, I must be content to close with the mere statement of two or three fact-, or general deductions derived from facts.
.Among the forty-nine Mobile nurses already mentioned as under my charge, to whom the addition of myself and my son would make fifty-one persons. there were four or five cases of yellow fever, only one of which was fatal. A comparison of this statement with the figures relative to unacclimated physicians. visitors, and nur-es. which I presume you have ascertained from other sources, will be found to have strik- ing significance.
As already stated, only one of my nurses in 1873 was a man. In 1578-as nearly as now remembered, without having their names before me-seven of them were male, and forty-two female. This is, in my opinion, about the proper relative proportion of the two sexes desirable for attendance on the sick in yellow fever epidemies. In 197> there was an unusual and altogether nnaccountable preference, in many cases, for male nurses. I can not but regard it a- unfortunate that so large a proportion of those em- ployed in Memphis were of the rougher sex. It is true this was partly from necessity. rather than choice, but provision shoukl be made against a recurrence of such necessity in case of inture visitations. Some men are admirable nurses, but, in general, except for delirious or otherwise unruly patients, women are far preferable. They are more attentive, more sympathetic, with readier instincts to discern what is wanted, and more capable of patient endurance.
The sad experience of the past year should impress upon us the importance of ob- taining and having always in readiness a supply of competent, acclimated, and as far as practicable well-trained nurses, for service whenever an epidemie may appear. Your correspondent made an effort to interest the Public Health Association on this subject at its meeting held last November in Richmond, but it failed on account of the pre-orcu- pation of that body with the one-absorbing question of quarantine. Quarantine is, indeed, a matter of vital moment, but the prospect of an entire exclusion of yellow fever
388
APPENDIX.
is not promising enough to justify any neglect of the proper measures for meeting and resisting in case of failure to shut it out. Perhaps a general concert of action among the active benevolent associations of the country, especially of the South, might do something toward the accomplishment of the object.
In comparing the fevers of 1875 and 1878, in Memphis, it is often assumed that the latter was the more malignant of the two. As a close observer of both, I can not con- enr in this opinion, but rather incline to the contrary. Within the limits of the "in- fected district," the percentage of the disease to the population, and the percentage of mortality to the disease, were perhaps as great in the former year as they were any- where in the lattes, if not greater : the symptoms, I think, were in general more violent, and the cases (if an umprofessional observer may presume to judge, less manageable. The striking and most remarkable distinction between the phenomena of the two years was the confinement of the pestilence of 1873 within a limited area, beyond which there was scarcely any thing more than a sporadic extension during its whole duration, while in 1878 it spread through the whole city as a fire spreads through a dry prairie. Why this was so is one of the yellow fever mysteries for which no satisfactory solution has vet been suggested.
The yellow fever, which had broken out late in the season on this coast, continned to prevail with no little severity for some weeks after my return from Memphis, that is, until late in November. There were five or perhaps six cases in my own family, some of them severe, though happily none fatal. The most malignant and rapidly fatal case, however, that I saw anywhere during the whole season, occurred on this pare sand-beech, swept as it is by the breezes from the Gulf and free from all suspicion of malaria, in the dwelling of my nearest neighbor, not two hundred yards from my own.
But this is presumably beyond the scope of your inquiries, my answer to which has already been, perhaps, extended beyond the proper limits.
Very truly yours, W. T. WALTHALL.
REPORT FROM THE CITY HOSPITAL.
From the official report of Dr. G. B. Thornton, physician in charge of the City Hospi- tal in 1578, the following extract is, by his permission, made, showing the number of cases of yellow fever treated during the epidemic, the deaths, recoveries, and other im- portant data :
Number of patients in hospital January, 1878. 102
Number of patients admitted during 1878. 1570
Number of patients treated during 1878. 1672
Number of patients discharged during 1878. 1176
Number of patients died 390
Number of patients remaining Dec. 31 106
Daily average for the year 86
Total percentage of deaths for the year. 23.3
Of the above 460 were yellow fever patients. The first case was admitted August 2d, a steamboatman from New Orleans. This was the first case officially reported to the Board of Health. He was sent to quarantine hospital on the morning of the 3d, by order of Health Officer Er-kine, where he died. The last case admitted was November 7 The 400 cases were divided as follows :
Number of whites. 339
Number of blacks 121
Number of whites recovered. 159
Per cent. of recovery. 46.9
Number of whites died 180
Per cent. of death ... 53
Number of blacks recovered 47
Per cent. of recovery 61.1
389
APPENDIX.
Number of blacks died 47
Per cent. of deaths .. 3.5.8
Total recoveries from yellow fever 233
Total deaths from yellow lover ... 6.)-
Percentage of deaths 49.3
Of the medical staff, which was increased by two assistants to the resident physician, Dr. Thornton. Drs. T. J. Tyner, of the city, and E. T. Easley, of Little Rock. all three had the disease; Dr. Lynn first, on September 19th, recovered, and subsequently resumed his duties, and served until the end of the epidemic. Dr. Easley second. September 20th, and died september 30th. Dr. Thornton was attacked on Detober 14th, was so pro- :rated by the disease as to be unable to resinne his duties in the wards during the remain- ler of the epidemic. It is a fact of interest to the general reader and the profession. to note that this was a second attack, well defined. The first was equally well marked, and occurred in October of FOT. when the disease prevailed in Memphis. The second at- tack was doubtless modified by the first, but the same pathological changes existed.
Dr. Berlin Peoples, a young graduate in medicine, who went on duty as druggist of the hospital August 15th, was attacked September 27th, and died October 24. Dr. H. C. Sauve, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, on duty as a Howard physician in the city, who succeeded Drs. Lynn and Easier. escaped, and the only physician connected with the institution who did. He had previously had the disease in New Orlean -.
There were four employes who escaped, who had never had the disease, two of whom were white men uurses, one from the North, who had lived in the South but a few months, consequently was wholly unacclimated ; the other, a native of Mississippi, whose whole life had been spent in the South, but had never before been exposed to the disease. It may be of interest to mention that these two nurses served in wards of twenty-five beds each, which were filled the greater part of the time; that the duties they performel was very exciting, and consequently they could not have been more exposed to the can- tagious influence of the disease anywhere. The other two who escaped were negroes, employed as laborers abort the institution.
Of those admitted a large number died a few hours after admission, in one or two instances death occurred while en ronte to the hospital. and instead of a living a dead body was taken from the ambulance. The hospital records show that the number for Angust and September who died within thirty-six hours after admission was ninety-six ; for October and November, fifteen. Total who died within thirty-six hours, one hundred and eleven. Number for Angust and September who died within nine hours after ad- mission, fifteen ; for October who died within nine hours, one. Total number who died within nine hours, sixteen. Number for Angust and September who died within eight- een hours after admission, thirty-seven ; for October and November, seven. Total within eighteen hours, forty-four.
The above list will show, or at least give some idea of the extreme condition of many on admission. They were really beyond the reach of any medication or nur-ing. This fact in regard to the admissions into this hospital should be noted. It being the public charity of the city, the regular hospital in contradistinerion to the Howard Infirmaries, no cases were denied admission on account of condition or length of time sick. The order governing the admissions into the Howard Infirmaries was, that no case should be ad- mitted that had been sick over twenty-four hours. The infirmaries were located in the city in charge of the Howard physicians; this hospital was about the center of the extreme eastern limit of the city at the terminus of Union Street.
.
300
APPENDIX.
THE CITIZENS' RELIEF COMMITTEE.
This organization, under the management of such gentlemen as Charles G. Fisher, Luke E. Wright, William Willis, and James S. Prestidgo, accomplished a great deal of good. It provided food for the needy, camps of refuge for all who would avail themselves of them, insured safety of life and property by a thorough military supervision of the city. and gave courage by its constant, undeviating course. Its history is brief, but it is a record luminous with every thing that can redeem poor fallen humanity. As we find it in the daily papers, it is as follows:
On the loth of August the following notice appeared in the daily papers :
CITIZENS' MEETING TO-DAY.
The undersigned citizens, who intend to remain in the city during the prevalence of the fever, invite all of our people similarly inclined to meet at the Greenlaw Opera House, at eleven o'clock, for consultation and action with regard to assisting each other through the scourge, and providing ways and means for removing from the city to a place of safety such of our people as are pecuniarily unable to do so withont assistance. It is expected that answers to telegrams sent to President Hayes will be placed before the meeting.
C. G. Fisher, R. A. Thompson, C. P. Hunt,
E. C. Mosby, N. M. Jones,
G. Falls & Co.,
H. Furstenheim, J. S. Day, S. C. Toof,
W. B. Galbreath, Orgill Bros. & Co.,
R. C. Nicholson,
R. F. Patterson, B. Bab!,
John M. Peters,
S. M. Gates,
John S. Foof, W. P. Proudfit,
J. M. Keating,
S. Mosby. Fader, Jacobs & Co ..
W. II. Bates, J. T. Pettit, Porter, Taylor & Co.,
Alf. Tuther. J. R. Goodwin, and others.
In obedience to this call. on the next day a mass meeting was held at the place in- dicated, at which steps were taken to accomplish the purposes indicated in the call. and at which the Citizens' Relief Committee was organized, as follows: M. II. Riley and W. J. Che -. for the first ward: D. F. Goodyear and F. Marshall, second ward ; W. P. Promul- fit and J. C. Maccabee, third ward ; John Beamish and Hugh L. Brinkley, fourth ward ; Rev. Dr. Landrum, and Captain James Cleary, of the Fire Department, for the fifth ward ; Lake E. Wright and Charles G. Fisher, for the sixth ward: John Lonsdale, Jr .. and W. A. Wheatley. for the seventh ward ; Henry Fur-tenheim and C. F. Conn, for the eighth ward; Gus. Reder and R. B. Miller, for the ninth ward : Butler P. Anderson and John A. Strehl, for the tenth ward; and for the city at large, Major John R. Flippin and L. D. Eisman. When this committee organized, a resolution to add one colored man for each ward to their number was unanimously adopted. At the same meeting it was re- solved to ask the government for rations, through General R. F. Patterson, collector of internal revenne. and committees were appointed to select a site for a camp, and solicit subscriptions of food and money. On the following day, Saturday. the 13th, the com- mittee on selection of a camping-ground reported in favor of the Webb Place, on the Memphis and Tennessee Railroad, about seven miles from the city, and Captain Cameron's company, the Binff City Grays, was selected to assist in policing it. Charles ti. Fisher was elected permanent chairman : John G. Lonsdale, Jr., treasurer; W. A. Wheatley. secretary; and J. C. Maccabee, commissary. The following-named colored men Were added to the committee: Aaron Stephenson, for the first ward ; F. B. Davis, second ; Thomas A. Grigsby, third: Coleman Thomas, fourth: Townsend Jackson, fifth; J. A. Thompson, sixth : Vernon Chalmers, seventh : James tilass, eighth : James Lout. ninth ; Jesse Wood, tenth. At the meeting on Monday, many subscriptions of money and pro- visions, and other help, were received and gratefully acknowledged. Camp Joe Williams
391
APPENDIX.
was announced as ready for the people, who were urged to take refuge in it without de- lay. The tents for it were supplied by the government, which also, through secretary of war MeCreary-who, with the President, acted very promptly and nobly-supplied 40,000 rations to be drawn as needed. Superintendent Willis, of the Southern Express Company, Dr. D. T. Porter, and Mr. Thomas B. Turley were added to the committee. Captain A. T. Lacey, John Consadine, aint John J. Duffy were elected to fill vacancies by resignation. Camp Wright was established on the 21st, located on the Cuba road. Camp Smith, Camp Griffin, Camp Wade, Camp Father Mathew, and Camp Duffy were established about this time. Father Mathew Camp was independent of the rom- mittee, but all the others were under its supervision. At the meeting of the 21-t. the people were again appealed to to remove from the city, and provision was made for the support of the families of the Mcclellan . colored; Guards and Brown's colored ) Zouaves, both of which companies were mustered into permanent service. At a meeting on the 24th of August. Hon. Casey Young, member of Congress, and Rev. Dr. Slater were added to the committee : J. A. Thompson, colored, was also added to the committee. On the same day the colored people held a ma-s meeting, and appointed committees to co-operate with the Citizens' Relief Committee in the maintenance of law and order. At a meeting on the 27th, the chief of police was empowered to fill all vacancies on the police. the committee becoming responsible for their pay. General Luke E. Wright reported all the camps doing well, and that Camp Morri- Henderson had been established a quarter of a mile from Camp Joe Williams-the MeClellan guards to police it. There were no more meetings of the committee up to the 1st of September. Thoroughly organized and equipped, there was no need for any. On that day an appeal for aid was made, which was signed by Charles G. Fisher, chairman; J. G. Lonsdale, Jr., treasurer, who also acted as secretary ; by Luke E. Wright. C. F. Conn. William Willis. D. F. Goodyear, and S. M. Jobe. A meeting of the committee was held on the 5th of september, at which Hon. Casey Young presided, bat it was devoted to the distribution of supplies, which, with money. continued to pour in from all parts of the country. At a public meeting held on the 10th of September, the people were arged to go to the camps. The committee were still at work, though very much diminished in muimbers. A great many bad left the city, and many had died. Those who remained were doing an almost exhaustive work every day. On the 20th of September the committee sent the following, addre-sed
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.