In the winter of 1868/69 a smallpox epidemic swept the west, hitting especially hard in San Francisco and reaching even to Walla Walla. In an interesting reaction to the epidemic, a 'funny' was posted in the Walla Walla Statesman newspaper on January 29, 1869 as follows:
“FOUND THEM OUT. – A young woman in San Francisco thought to test the sincerity of her many admirers by giving out that she had the small-pox, and hanging a yellow flag from her house. She succeeded admirably, not one of her devotees coming near her.”
These few sentences tell us a great deal about the reactions to the epidemic at the time. Not only do we now know that yellow flags were apparently used to indicate infected households, but we also have an example of the use of humor to defray the stresses of a frightening epidemic.
For more interesting reading, check out the online archives of the Walla Walla Statesman at:
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/history/newspapers_detail.aspx?t=4
Here you will find scanned pages of the actual newspaper complete with period advertisements, recipes, news, and commentary. Just pick an issue date and enjoy.
October 30, 2008
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Indians were especially susceptible to smallpox. Any accounts of them?
ReplyDeleteI like where you are going with this topic.
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