History of the epidemic yellow fever, at New Orleans, La., in 1853 / by E.D. Fenner.

  • Fenner, E. D. (Erasmus Darwin), 1807-1866.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the epidemic yellow fever, at New Orleans, La., in 1853 / by E.D. Fenner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    most extraordinary features of this epidemic is presented in the fact that the natives of the city, both white and colored, have suffered severely, and many of them died of it. This is generally admitted, and beyond dispute. Children who were born since '47 have suf- fered most; but many born previous to that time likewise suffered, and some of them died of black vomit.7 I saw two Quadroon girls, sixteen and seventeen years of age, who were natives, and had never lived anywhere else—they had the fever severely, but recovered. A child, aged five years, in the same family, also had it. I attend- ed a Quadroon boy, about eight years of age, who had a severe attack, attended with hemorrhage from the gums. I have already mentioned the case of a white infant only jive weeks old that died of black vomit. It may be stated generally, that all children, and young persons in the city, who had never had Yellow Fever previ- ously, were attacked this year. Of course there were some excep- tions -to this, as there are to every general rule. ^ I am informed that the Creoles on the coast, above and below the city, suffered much worse from Yellow Fever than those in the city, many adults having died of the disease.' 4. Attacks upon Negroes.—This epidemic affected unacclimated negroes, or those who had never had Yellow Fever before, equally as generally as it did the white population, though not so severely. This is equally true of the mixed races generally.v It is a well es- tablished fact that there is some thing in the negro constitution which affords him protection against the worst effects of Yellow Fever ; but what it is I am unable to say. During an epidemic he will take the fever almost, if not fully as readily as the white, but it will be altogether milder and less dangerous in its tendency. In short, it will correspond more exactly with the bilious remittent fever that prevails in the country, and requires precisely the same treatment. And yet this type of fever in the city negro must be produced by the very same cause that gives rise to malignant Yel- low Fever in the white race. Occasionally we see the hemorrhagic diathesis of Yellow Fever displayed in the negro, but it is by no means common.' The least mixture of the white race with the black seems to increase the liability of the latter to the clangers of Yellow Fever ; and the danger is in proportion to the amount of white blood in the mixture. Very few negroes ever die of Yellow Fever in this city ; but I learn that a considerable number have