Since its founding in 1733 by James Oglethorpe, the city of Savannah has experienced many triumphs and disasters. Its citizens have endured hurricanes, fires, and epidemics, and they have dealt successfully with social injustice and political corruption. Savannahians have also experienced both sides of war-winning as colonial rebels in the American Revolution and losing as Confederate patriots in the Civil War-and they have welcomed many heroes and stars to their city such as George Washington, Elvis Presley, and Shoeless Joe Jackson. In Rebels, Saints, and Sinners, Timothy Daiss tells the story of Savannah through captivating anecdotes about the city's past-a past full of intriguing characters and astonishing twists of fate. This book offers a wealth of detailed historical research presented in easily accessible prose, and it is a must-read for history buffs, travelers, educators, and anyone else interested in America's greatest cities.
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About the Author
Timothy Daiss is a columnist, journalist, and author based in Savannah, Georgia, where he grew up and has spent most of his adult life. His weekly column is featured in five Georgia newspapers and his articles have appeared in local, regional, and national publications.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Essay #2 Winged Death: Savannah’s Yellow Fever Epidemics
"TO COME IS DEATH!! DEATH!! NOTHING BUT DEATH!" read the headlines in the Oct. 11, 1854 edition of the Savannah Morning News.
That year Savannah was in the throes of another yellow fever epidemic, also known as the " black vomit." It was the second of three major yellow fever epidemics that the city would suffer in the 19th century. In 1820, 1854, and again in 1876, the fever ravaged the city, bringing suffering, misery and death to thousands.
Due to its geographic location, and the abundance of surrounding water -- marshes, rivers and streams, Savannah was the perfect breeding ground for the aedes aegypti, commonly called the mosquito. And the relatively level topography that surrounds the city’s center meant that stagnant water was common.
Add the fact that 19th century Savannah was largely dependent on international shipping, which left it vulnerable to disease brought by sailors from foreign ports, and the all the ingredients were in place for major health catastrophes.
The first major yellow fever outbreak occurred in 1820. Earlier that year a fire devastated much of the city, razing 500 buildings and homes. Destroyed, burned out buildings coupled with heavy rains created ripe conditions for mosquito breeding.
The first outbreak of yellow fever that year began in August and lasted through mid October. At the beginning of the fever’s outbreak Savannah’s population numbered around 15,000. Within two months all but 6,000 had evacuated.
Other sources cite a smaller population, but still indicate that the majority of Savannahians fled harm’s way. As cold weather approached, the fever finally subsided. But it claimed nearly 700 lives.
SYMPTOMS
Contracting a disease in those days, particularly yellow fever, almost always meant a certain painful and particularly hideous death. The first symptom noticed would be a fever. Soon, chills began and you would become bed ridden. As high fevers zapped your strength, severe back pain ensued and you would develop jaundice --- a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, hence the name yellow fever.
Uncontrollable hemorrhaging from your nose, gums and stomach followed. Then vomiting began, usually a dark black color. In the terminal/final stage, delirium and convulsions plagued many. Finally, you would lapse into a coma. And if you didn’t die from the disease you still weren’t off the hook.
Numerous cases were reported of people in comas being mistaken for dead and being quickly buried – alive! Approximately 60 percent of yellow fever victims died. The second major yellow fever epidemic in Savannah broke out in 1854. Like the 1820 epidemic, it too began in August and lasted until the autumn chill killed the mosquito.
Prominent citizens, who could afford it, fled the city at the first mention of the dreaded disease. Left behind were the less fortunate: Irish immigrants, sailors, blacks and visitors. Just the mention of the name -- yellow fever -- would send a city into panic. That year yellow fever claimed over 1,000 Savannahians, ushering in a national call to find a cure.
SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
A handful of dedicated Savannah physicians usually stayed behind to take care of the sick and dying during outbreaks. But some of them also contracted the disease and died.
Dr. Richard Arnold, named the hero of the 1854 epidemic, worked virtually around the clock caring for those in need. At the time he wrote: "For six weeks my average sleep is four and a half hours in the 24. I am in the buggy, except for meals, from 6 a.m. to midnight."
Not only was Dr. Arnold deemed the hero of the ‘54 epidemic, but he later became head of the American Medical Association, trying desperately to find a solution to the problem. But medical research was still in the dark ages. While many worked tirelessly for an answer, their efforts proved fruitless.
One theory claimed that vapors from nearby swamps and marshes carried the sickness. All thought that the condition was contagious, adding to wide spread panic. Only years later did they learn it was not communicable
Ignorant of the disease’s origins, the remedies prescribed were little more than ridiculous. Some advocated the application of rags dipped in vinegar, while others thought that sniffing pieces of camphor would help.
A few mixed lemon juice, salt, soapsuds, molasses, quinine, and soda. Some used snuff, others stuffed garlic in their shoes. A number of physicians prescribed opium and marijuana.
Citizens were known to fire muskets into the air to try to ward off the disease. And, at least on once occasion, the local militia rolled out its cannon and fired several volleys down the streets in an effort to render the air "pure."
Within a few years, the medical community narrowed down the list of the disease’s possible culprits. Dr. Josiah Nott of Mobile, Ala., developed a theory of infection by insect transmission. Dr. Arnold substantiated his claims. But it would be years, and at least for Savannah, one more major epidemic before real answers provided relief.
FINAL PLAGUE
The 1876 plaque followed the same pattern as earlier epidemics. This one started in the heat of August and subsided when fall temperatures brought in cold air. By Sept. 4, Savannah resembled a ghost town. Businesses were closed and even city government virtually ceased to exist. Entire blocks of homes became vacant as more and more fled the city. By the end of the epidemic, 1,066 Savannahians perished.
A SOLUTION
In the 1880s Cuban physician Carlos Finlay proposed the mosquito as the cause of the disease. People contract yellow fever from the bite of the infected female mosquito, Finlay claimed.
By 1900, the U.S. Yellow Fever Commission verified his findings. Since then, mosquito control and immunization have eliminated the disease in North America. But the scourge still thrives in Africa and South America, inflecting misery, heartache and death.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Candid look at old Savannah,
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This review is from: Rebels, Saints, and Sinners: Savannah's Rich History and Colorful Personalities (Paperback)
Enthralling essays about Savannah's noble and oft ignoble past! Includes essays about "Shoeless" Joe Jackson's days in Savannah, Bobby Jones time there in 1930, and a 1950s Elvis Presley concert that stirred the status quo and bemused the local media. Along the way we watch the city grow from an outpost carved in the vast wilderness to a modern city, see the rise of Savannah Jazz, and look on as a teenage Ted Turner learns to sail in Savannah waters. Also included are in-depth profiles about Savannah's lest than glorious past such as "Corruption Savannah Style", which looks at the vices of Georgia's mother city during the first half of the 20th Century. From the colonial era and James Oglethorpe to the 1970s, this book lays bare old Southern clichés and in doing so is great reading.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just a great read.,
This review is from: Rebels, Saints, and Sinners: Savannah's Rich History and Colorful Personalities (Paperback)
This is a great read on the not so typical history Savannah, GA. I've lived in Savannah all my life and I just never knew until this book I once lived on a road that was part of the race track from the early 1900s. The author exposed history that was hidden at the end of my driveway. Thanks for a great entertaining read.
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This review is from: Rebels, Saints, and Sinners: Savannah's Rich History and Colorful Personalities (Paperback)
This book is exactly what I was hoping for. It is a gift for a family member who requested "anything" about Savannah, Ga, history or the like.
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