Return of deaths within the city of Natchez, from 1st June 1822, to
first June 1835--including thirteen years:
The population of Natchez is ordinarily between three and four
thousand--lessened, probably, in the summer season, from 500 to 1000.
With this number of residents, the mortality cannot be regarded as very
large. On the contrary, few places of equal magnitude, either north or
south, can boast a greater degree of general health than this city.
Since the year 1825, it will be perceived, it has been growing gradually
healthier--with the exception of the last two or three years,--when,
owing in a great measure to the severity of the winter season, a great
proportion of the sickness and mortality has occurred in the winter and
spring months. Indeed take a period of seven years--from 1825 to 1833,
and we challenge any southern or western city, with the same amount of
population, to show a less number of deaths--especially in the summer
season, than the city of Natchez. The bill of mortality has been
considerably augmented of late, by that appalling and sweeping epidemic,
which increased in strength, and doubled its roll of victims in
proportion as it travelled south--together with small pox and
intemperance--for both of which nature has provided specific
remedies--but which certain classes continue still to avoid, and will
hence continue to suffer and die in spite of Jenner and the temperance
societies, as long as incredulity shall exist, and distilleries pour
forth their floods of poison in the land. Most of those with the last
mentioned diseases, it would seem, have been inmates of the public
hospital.
On an average, about 1/5 to 1/4 of the deaths annually occur from
bilious remittent, congestive and typhus fever. The yellow fever, be it
known, has not appeared here as an epidemic for the last five or six
years, and may be regarded as quite extinct in the city. Owing to the
careless and imperfect manner in which the returns have generally been
made--and this we are sorry to say, is too often the case--a large
portion of the deaths are from unknown diseases--as to which in regard
to the age of the subjects, and the colour, which in this country is
somewhat important, we are left generally in the dark. By giving the
subject some considerable attention, however, we have been enabled to
preserve a degree of accuracy in the proportion, and the general result,
we believe, is nearly, if not specifically correct.
The whole number of deaths by fever, during 13 years, is 511; cholera
107, consumption 100, intemperance 58, small pox 45, infantile 49,
dysentery 30, delirium tremens 23, drowned 10, murder 10, old age 10,
suicide 4, unknown 205.
The remainder, which we purposely omit, are by ordinary diseases, which
are not peculiar to any clime or season. We have examined a
meteorological table, kept with a considerable degree of accuracy for
the last 10 years: but it presents nothing peculiar--and its details are
too minute and comprehensive for our present object. We notice, however,
a greater proportion of "cloudy and rainy" days than could be expected
in this "sunny clime," while the average degree of heat is by no means
greater than in latitudes somewhat farther north. The greatest range of
heat is 98, and the greatest cold 10 deg.--This we are inclined to believe,
is not strictly correct, as we have twice, within a few years, seen the
thermometer as low as 10 deg. in the neighbourhood of New Orleans.