The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-06
THE RAGING FEY Err.
UR. FACET DHsAGREEs wETM THE
BOARD OF health AS 10 HTS
NATURE.

What Is that sickness now prevalent In the
city? Is it yellow fever, Or is it q type of ma-
larial or pernicious fever
number Of eminent physicians Of great
experience daily record ut the office Of the
Board of Health cases Of yellow fever.
Other doctors OF like learning and practice
maintain that there Is scarcely any pro-
nounced case of yellow fever in New Orleans.
Between SO many conflicting opinions what
can the people say or Think
There is certain physician of long stand
ing in this community whom O. reporter OF
this paper interviewed yesterday, in order to
obtain some information on the subject for
the benefit Of the public. We refer to
DOCTOR FACET.
who was In New Orleans during the cpl
denies Of 1858 and 1853 and whose opinion
ought to be Of some weight here.
The reporter proceeded to the doctors resi-
dence, on Rampant, near Bayou Road, and
was ushered by the attendant in a neat office,
in which, after d few minutes, DR.. FACET
stepped in, and, with his usual atfabilty, in
quired into the nature OF the reporters visit.
The following conversation then took place
between the news-hunter and the doctor:
Reporter will you obIige me with
your opinion about the present sickness,
which is spreading such confusion In the COM
munity? What do you think it is
Doctor would not like to express any
opinion on the subject, because my idea Of the
disease will conflict with the ideasof @ great
number of respectable and learned confreres.
However. If you WISH / would state what my
impression Of the present disease Is, though
another mans idea could be opposed to mine.
Rep,-Your opinion, Doctor, is entitled to
some considerati4@n and the public will give
Doctor obviously in d certain man
ner will be listened to, but in day or two
another interview will be published with q
statement from some other doctor whose
idaes are contrary to mine, and, presto cpin-
ions change OF doubt sets in.
Rep.-Well, give us your idea anyhow.
Doctor was here in 1853, during the worst
yellow fever epidemic that New Orleans has
ever experienced or will experience. Two
hundred or more persons were dying every
day, yet did not notice at that time al y
such extraordinary
PANIC AND CONFUSION
as now exists. attribute this reign Of terror
to the action Of some physicians i'll pronounce
ing hastily on doubtful cases us being the yell
low fever. | do not believe that the disease is
as widespread as Is reported.
Rep-But, Doctor, the books Of the Board
Of Health show that yellow fever Is alarm
ingly prevalent?
Doctor With all due respect to the Board
of Health, allow me to state that scarcely
one-thrd Of the cases reported are really Of
the yellow fever type. | consider the great
number of fever cases Is brought about by q
malarial condition of the atmosphere; the
majority of deaths is caused by pernicious,
matarial and sbilious fevers, as often prevail
at this time In New Orleans / have not yet
been called to attend
A SINGLE CASE
of genuine yellow fever. There is no such
case now within my practice, and think that
the physicians are unnecessarily disseminate
ing fears by saying that there exists so many
cases Of yellow fever.
The only real cases of that disease that have
seen this year, of which had not q shade Of
doubt, were at the Charity Hospital, There
| were four persons attacked Of it.; all were for
eigners, and all died OF the disease.
Many pernicious fevers have such q close
| analogy to yellow fever, and present so very
similar symptoms that it takes skilIful and
practiced physician to draw the line of dis
tinction. | have given this subject q great
deal of thought and patient research; ! have
impaired the different types OF fever with the
yellow fever, and | have already expressed
my opinions on the subject, both privately
and In the papers, and | have arrived at these
conclusions:
1. That no person born here can be stricken
down with the yellow fever, unless it as
sumes the character Of plague, as in 1853.
2. That no child, native of New Orleans and
born since the epidemics can be attacked with
it.
g. That the negro Is not subject to it.
4. That the present extraordinary rate OF
mortality Is due simply to perncious and
malaral fevers, and not to yellow fever exclu-
sively.
Reporter Then, Doctor, it seems that you
utterly deny the existence Of yellow fever.
Doctor do not; I simply state what con-
illusions, from long experience and careful
study, have arrived at. AS | have told you
already, I do not care to have my opinions
| again brought forward, but as you asked me
my impressions on the subject of fevers,
give them to you without reserve and for
what they are worth. I -. just then the
office bell rang for call, and the reporter
withdrew, mot without thanking the kind Doc
tor for his information on subject which is
being 50 deeply agitated in this community