My husband startlingly resembles his great-uncle Walter, or rather Walter's photo. Walter died at 28, in 1898, leaving a wife and three young children. The yellow fever that killed him had been epidemic in the region for some time, and local merchants had done everything in their power to suppress reports of it, like the fictional merchants in Jaws suppressing reports of a shark, because yellow fever was bad for business.
Here below is the story as it evolved in local newspapers. I recommend reading it with an eye to what the CDC and the FDA would look like in a Rmoney (or any other money) administration. I will spare you Walter's heartbreaking obituary.
[NOTE: I withdrew, retitled, and reposted this because I decided the first title didn't make any sense]
24 Sep 1898 Iberville South
"The newspapers of New Orleans are mum on the yellow fever question, but nevertheless the city is shut up by quarantines as tight as an oyster."
1 Oct 1898 Iberville South
A HARMLESS FEVER
"The editorial silence of the press of New Orleans on the yellow fever question suggests occult influences at work. The silence is impressive and instead of dissipating, creates fear in the public mind.
"We deplore the visitation of yellow jack and deeply sympathize with every afflicted community, but the conduct of the city press is somewhat mystifying. It seems to us that the situation should be faced bravely and honestly and that no effort should me made to hide or magnify the trouble.
"Last year the announcement of the existence of the disease caused widespread fear and general alarm, but this year the people of the South were in a calm and quiet mood ready to accept the statement of the physicians that the disease had undergone a change since 1878 and was now no more to be dreaded or feared than our well known endemic malarial.
"By openly and candidly admitting the existence of a few cases of the fever in the city and by showing its comparative harmlessness, the press could have done good service, but its silence has been interpreted to the detriment of the people of the City and State.
"Whatever the influences are that have been at work in press circles in stifling comment on this matter they have been for evil. People can be educated easily; fooled for any length of time, with difficulty."
SANITARY CONDITIONS
"Notwithstanding the numerous reports to the contrary, there is not a single case of yellow fever in this town or parish, nor has a single case developed. There is some malaria fever here. More than usual, but it is of a very mild type and the mortality resulting has been very light - less than one per cent.
"The heavy spell of rain has left the town in a very dirty and unhealthy condition and to the neglect or refusal of the people to comply with sanitary rules, is traced some of the causes of our trouble.
"Many sinks and water closets are in a filthy condition and at night the oder [sic] arising therefrom is suficient [sic] to sicken and kill.
"The council or health board should take steps at once to enforce its sanitary regulations.
"The ditches are filled with pools of disease breeding slimy slop, and filth and uncleanliness stares one in the face on all sides.
"The town must be disinfected and cleaned. Further neglect will be quasi criminal."
8 Oct 1898 Iberville South
"The South assures its readers that no yellow fever news or rather so called yellow fever news, will be suppressed. Every case reported and every suspicious case will be announced through these columns. While in common with 99 per cent of our most intelligent people, we do not believe that yellow fever has made its appearance here, we will nevertheless publish every particle of information bearing on the subject."
"We have discusssed the fever situation with almost every prominent man in the community and have yet to find one who believes that there is a case of yellow fever in this town. The old nurses of 1878 say no; the best physicians say no; and as this is the best evidence, the verdict is no. If Dr. Carter of the Marine Hospital ever reaches here, itÙs our office cat against every yellow fever sensationalist in the parish that his decision will be no."
"It is in order for the Times-Democrat to rise and explain why special telegram sent by its own correspondents from this town, explaining the “bogus” fever situation, are suppressed. The press of New Orleans has been behaving very peculiarly since yellow fever was announced in that city and its conduct has not been admirable from a country point of view. It looks as if the merchants of New Orleans have charge of the yellow fever news department of the city press."
"The New Orleans Telegram, a paper with a circulation confined almost entirely to that city, is publishing the names of all physicians who are reporting yellow fever...
"And the press of New Orleans - the English language contains no words sufficiently strong to condemn the course it has persued.
"It has been charged that the merchants of New Orleans purchased its silence and not a single paper has had the audacity to even enter a denial.
"Crime and criminals flourish and prosper for the nonce, but justice is swift and will overtake the most wary.
"Henceforth every village, town, city and State in the South should institute a vigorous quarantine against New Orleans from the first of May until the first of December. New Orleans should be taught that a criminal policy is an expensive policy."
DENGUE AND MALARIA
"The month of September is considered an unhealthy one. It is in fact the only 'sickly' month we have. 1898's September was no exception to the rule, but was a little worse than some we have had in the past. Climatic conditions and the non observance of sanitary regulations brought malarial and dengue fevers. We have had within a radius of ten miles about five hundred cases of the two fevers. Of this number four hundred and fifty are now well, forty improving rapidly, and ten have crossed the river. After the fever had about run its course, by some hocus pocus an expert arrived here on Tuesday, September 30, and visited a number of the fever cases. His vascillating course in admitting and in the same breath denying that yellow fever existed here disgusted the people. Another expert, Dr. Parker, visited us on Tuesday of this week. He followed in the footsteps of his predecessor and confirmed the formerÙs final diagnosis in one case and pronounced it Yellow Jack..."
WRONG, NEIGHBOR
"The 'official yellow fever yarns' that have been sent out causes our usually fair and just contemporary, the Baton Rouge Advocate, to say:
'Official reports from the experts sent out by the State boardof health announce the yellow fever at Clinton and Plaquemine, La. It has been apparent for some time that the fever was at Plaquemine although the doctors called it dengue, and Plaquemine was the first town in the State to quarantine against Baton Rouge. The report has been current for some time that the yellow fever was there, several persons have died from diseases which the popular mind associated unmistakably with yellow fever, but the medical authorities denied that it was yellow fever and got considerably wrought up about the danger apprehended from Baton Rouge. We have been unable to ascertain definitely the number of cases there but there is said to be considerable sickness in that town and it is well for the authorities here to be on the lookout for persons coming from that place to this city. Having gone on so long under the name of dengue it is quite possible that the entire town is infected and it it feared that a dangerous epidemic may result from the laxity incident to the treatment of yellow fever without adopting the recognized precautions necessary to prevent the spread of an infectious disease. We trust the authorities of Plaquemine wil not find it too late to stamp out the disease and thus prevent the great damage that must ensue to the business of the town.'
"The town of Plaquemine did not quarantine Baton Rouge, nor has any reputable physician in this community diagnosed yellow fever as dengue.
"We would have felt more grateful to the esteemed Advocate for its expressions of sympathy, had it confined itself to facts in referring to conditions here."
Obituaries report "untimely deaths" of Mrs. Mattie Sparks Holloway and Mr. Charles H. Dupuy.
Several people sick with "prevailing fever." Mayor D. L. Reville "was forced to take to his bed on Monday... has recovered and is now giving attention to his official duties."
15 Oct 1898 Iberville South
Quarantines all over the South.
Readership assured there is no reason to panic.
IBERVILLE PARISH, LOUISIANA
Walter died of yellow fever on October 21st
Now GET OUT THE VOTE!!!