The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-12-08
Defiance 10 yellow Fever.
What saved New orlean, and Mobile,
and Might Have saved Memphis and
shrtyepoTt--sRnitary science.

citation Dr.. Russell read two papers
written by DR.. Alfred W, Perry, Health
Inspector Of New Orleans. The first
subject, Quarantine without Obstruc.
ton to Commerce" began with a histo.
nv OF the importation Of infectious dis.
cases aud the Efforts that have been
made in every sea port to prevent the
spread Of dangerous maladies from yes.
sells to the shore. Great opposition has
been met in the conflicting opinions Of
medical men and from merchants and
owners OF vessels who have been sub.
iected to great losses and expense by
the delay necessary.
"Recorled cases, continues DR.,
Perry, "proye conclusively that yes.
sci infected with yellow fever ought TO
be detained in Quarantine at least fifty
DAYS, and cases may be offered to show
that time alone cannot be trusted to
eradicate the germs Of the disease"
Cases were cited OF two vessels at DIFF
ferent periods which sailed from ports
infected with yellow fever, and after q
voyage Of over forty days across the At.
lantic, during which there were no signs
Of the disease being on board, arrived
in Swansea, Wales. The vessel had
been moored TO the wharf and the crews
discharged in good health. Yellow fever
attacked the stevedores who unloaded
the vessels, aid in both instances the
infection spread into the town and many
died.
The old method OF disinfecting q yes.
sci was to fumigate the different Sec
tions, and throw quantity Of chloride
Of lime into the bilge water. This
could not destroy the germs lurking In
the creyices OF the vessel and cargo,
and these we're liable to be developed
under favorable conditions at any time.
The only way to destroy the germs Of
infectious diseases is TO use gaseone,
and when this agent has been properly
employed, no vessel need be detained
in Quarantine over twenty.four hours.
Thus all the advantages Of the strictest
quarantine can DO secured without de-.
lay or loss to either master, owner, or
merchant. The expense OF disiniecting
a vessel with gaseone is comparatively
very small, and the mothol OF applica.
tim simple. Sulphurous acid gas i'm.
pregnated with carbalic acid is mingled
with hot air from q furnace to produce
the gaseone. Acommon blower run by
the engine OF the vessel or q steam tug
moored alongside forces the gaseone
through flexible pipes into every Gran.
nv and creyice oil the vessel and cargo.
II unites with and thoroughly disin.
fects the bilge water. From four to
six hours application Of the gaseone is
sufficient to destroy every germ OF dis.
ease in the worst infected vessel pos.
sible, mud the cargo may be discharged
within twenty.iour hours with perfect
safety. The cargo cannot be injured
by tile gRseone.
The second paper showed the certain.
ty with which a district in cityattack.
cd with epidemic malignant fever may
be made healthy by the free use of dis.
infectants. 1t was from New Orleans
that the disease was carried to
Shreveport, Memphis, and other towns
in which II was so malignant as TO near
" depopulate them. But for the viRor.
ous action OF the Board Of Health, New
Orleans would undoubtedly have SUI
Jared rs severely as the other cities.
The first week in August the BoArd
OF Health began to disinfect extensive.
" with carbOlic acid all places in which
yellow fever has appeared. This was
done by sprinkliug oil the yards, alleys,
and drains with crude carbolic acid
from hand sprinklingpots, using seven.
ty gallons to each square. This dc.
stroyed any germs Of disease on the
ground, aud prevented their spread over
other parts Of the same square. Thirty
whole and twenty.one half squares
where there had been yellow fever were
disinfected in the Fourth District, one
OF the worst in New Orleans, and in
only seven OF these areas were there
any subsequent cases of the disease.
Before the disinfection, there had been
ninety.ons cases, aftcrward there were
only eleven. Ola population of 1923,
of whom 1,249 were liable to be attack.
cd blythe disease, seven and three.tcnths
per cent. took yellow fever before the
area had been disinfected. After dis.
infection only nine.tenths Of one per
cent. were attacked. In one square
there were six cases Of yellow fever be.
tween August 10 and September s. The
square was disinfected by Septem.
Der 10, and there has been no sub.
sequent cases there. In the other
squares disinfection by crude cArbOlic
acid was invariably followed by total
cessation Of the disease. Thus the
value of disinfection has been shown
in city containing every principle
favorable to the development of terri.
bic epidemics.
Prof. Chandler detailed the use OF
disiniectants. The crude dead oil, n
product Of coal, which has 4 very dis.
agreeable odor but is very cheap, is the
best lisinfectant for streets and privies.
This oil costs but ten cents u gallon.
The refuse zinc OF manufacturers is re.
duced by chlorine, aud this fluid mixed
with the dead oil gives metallic dis.
injecting fluid at n very small cost.
This solution was carried about the
streets OF New York in Watering carts,
but instead Of the usual sprinkler,
which is very whSteful, n double hose
was attached, md two men followed the
cart sprinkling the cutters. In this way
100 miles Of streets were disinfected
last summer. For disinfecting privies
two barrels were used, one filed with
dead oil, the other with the chloride Of
zinc solution. A pailful Of these solu.
lions mixed half and half was enough
to thoroughly disinfect the worst privy
at n total cost of ten cents. One hun.
dred and twenty privies were thus dis.
infected daily in the worst districts Of