Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-15
LOCAL ORIGIN OF YELLOW FEVER

An eminent Savannah physician, DR..
R. D. Arnold, has written letter to a
friend on the subject of the yello1 fe-
yer from which the following is copied.
"AIore than ten thousand people left
our city during the prevalence of yell
low fever in the summer of 1854 They
went tovarious points. Many sickened
after leaving the city and some died.
There has never been an authentic case
of the disease having been propagated
by any refugee, or by his or her band
box, caIpet-bag or trunk. The same
fact obtained in 1920, as | have fire.
quently heard from physicians who
practiced here at that time, the late Dr.
VIM. R. Waring, Barlow, Posey and
II. Habersham. 1t was from the teach
ings of my ever respected preceptor, Dr..
W. R. Waring, that in the epidemic of
1927, while I was his pupil, l became
satisfied Of the non contagion of yellow
fever, and consequently it's non
portability by persons or baggage. A
constant practice and experience Of
forty-three years, every summer of
which has been passed in this city, has
only served to confirm this belief. I
speak only Of Savannah, for then l
speak Of what l know and have seen.
1t is a great pity that compilers OF
medical statistics viii take the
views of strangers instead Of
combining themselves TO the testi-
niony Of local physicians. When
yellow fever has once broken cut
i'll Savannah, the only agent that has
ever stopped it has been frost. Until
that occurs, the air remains poisoned
by the germs Of the disease, and all
who enter the precincts of the city are
liable TO take the disease, whether they
come in contact with case or not.
Great heat and want of electricity in
the atmosphere have always seemed to
me important factors in the production
of this disease"
DR.. A1nold's forty-seven years ex-
perience in Savannah, which stands low
ON tide water, shows that frost kills the
germs Of yellow fever. How does it
kin those germs and what are they?
What can they be other than living or
ganisms which frost destroysg DR..
Arnold speaks of great heat and y
want of electricity as important factors
in the production of this disease" Heat |
and electricity are only modes Of mo-
ton in ETHEREAL matter in all known |
space Frost has no known or suspect
ed influence to change these permanent |
while it kills the vitality of |
poisonous fungi These microscopic
are in the air, but they are
not gas of any kind. They do not pro-
duce disease in all who inhale
them, but man may carry
them in clothing or in his system from
one place to another, and from seed
thus introduced the pestilence may
grow and spread in a new district. No
mode of motion is likely to give exist
ence to yellow fever or cholera. Who |
would think of ascribing any specific
malady to sound OF music? Yet their
ether vibrations may be intensified to
develop light, heat, thunder and cleo
5ricity II yellow fever had such an
origin it should be as permanent in
Mobile, and New Orleans as
music on a piano. Its facts forbid this
dea of its cause. All its phenomena
point to the conclusion that it is life as
a parasite feeding at the peril Of life of
! higher order in creation.