Disease

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Using records from the Cedar Hill cemetery, it is possible to trace a long history of disease in Licking County.

Cholera

In 1854 there was a significant cholera outbreak in Newark, that killed 75 people in six weeks. [1] Records show that cholera first came to the US in the early 1830s, and started in the big cities, before gradually seeping into the more rural areas years later. Sources from the Ohio Historical Society relate that the canals, and more specifically Newark's proximity to the Erie Canal, played a significant role in the outbreak.

Influenza

In 1918 the Spanish Flu swept the nation killing over 675,000 Americans. [2] The first case in Ohio was reported on October 26th, 1918, and quickly spread throughout the state with 125,000 cases. More than 80 of those cases came from Licking County. [1] With rising concerns about the epidemic, a fraternity house of the Phi Delta Theta at Denison University, was turned into a campus hospital for flu victims. The flu epidemic peaked during these fall months, then dissipated through 1919.

Tuberculosis

In the early part of the 20th century, Newark was home to the Licking County Tuberculosis Sanitorium, led by medical director Charles S. Baldwin. [1]. Known as the TB San, the institution located on County Road 119 [3], operated from 1932 to 1967, and provided isolation and special medical care for those suffering from tuberculosis. [4] The building was built between 1931 and 1932, near Price Road and Turner Road, and now operates as as the headquarters for the Licking County Health Department.

West Nile

2008 was the first time West Nile had been brought to Licking County. Testing by the Licking County Health Department found four pools of mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus. No infections were reported, but the county was on high alert for the remainder of the summer. [5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Aumann, T. (2008, October 13). Epidemics took toll. The Newark Advocate, p. 1.
  2. The Great Pandemic: The United States in 1918-1919 . United States Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  3. County T-B Hospital to Receive Visitors. (1932, September 12). The Newark Advocate.
  4. Markley, B. (2014, August 6). TB Sanitorium Photos. Licking County Records and Archives Blog. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  5. Stirgwolt, A. (2008, August 15). Four mosquito pools positive for West Nile. The Newark Advocate, p. 3A.