Quarantines, Propaganda, and Epidemics

The following was written in the March 16, 1895 Beacon. Interesting to note the attention given to propaganda and fear, as it relates to making life decisions…

…The Ruston Leader of last week devotes a large space to the Monroe Bulletin in regard to the question of quarantine. People go wild over contagious diseases. Those outside of an infected place become alarmed and those inside do not want to be ignored or ostracized for being unfortunate. Severe diseases require severe remedies. “An ounce of preventative. is worth a pound of cure.”

Caution often checks or prevents a calamity. It is said that had it not been for the ridicule of a few persons, that many lives would have been saved during the yellow fever epidemic at Delhi. Several persons were ready to- move out of town before the fever became an epidemic and they were scoffed at until rather than be ridiculed, they returned and died.

Fortunately, the smallpox is not so easily communicated and with the proper precaution can be checked and further stamped out.

The Richland Beacon-News
Rayville, Louisiana
16 Mar 1895, Sat  •  Page 2