Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-11-22
Associated Press Dispatch. ]

RICHMOND, VA, November 21.-At the
session of the national health association, Surgeon
J A. Billings, OF the United States army submitted
ferTed the general report of the ysllOwfever commits
sion and setting forth that they had examined said
report and returned It to the executive committee
with the following remarks:
FirSt-That it Is evident that the fever commits
sion exercised great diligence in cOlecti data With
regard to the late epidemic ant that its labOrS in
this direction deserve the fun appreciation of the
American public health association.
Second-That the preliminary conclusions pre-
sented are in accordance with the prevailing opin
Ions OF The medical profession in this and other
countries, with the exception of that relating 10 dis
Infection.
Third The method Of Investigation pursued by tile
commission is considered satisfactory, and in fact,
the only one which could have been employed far
Fourth-It is believed to be of great Importance
that the investigation thus commenced should be
made as thorough and complete as possible in ac
cordance with the methods of the commission.
The committee think it proper TO observe that the
investigation should take much Wider range, since
what is desired is TO obtain IL possible knowledge
of the causes OF yellow-fever, knowledge which
demic that can be made VIII be able TO furnish
II yelowfeVer, as it is supposed is due to specific
material thing, some means aie desired Tor Tecog-
other thS than the fact Of the occurrence
of specidc diseases in human subjects, and hence
one OF the first things TO be sought is animal
or organism IN which it may be possible 10 produce
either yelow-tever or some specific recognizable
effect Of yellow fever poison In accounts of yellow
fever various illusions TO accompanying
phenomena observed In animal life
and Texas or Spanish catile-f fever
have been pointed out but yet the test mentioned
has not only not been found but it has not been
methodIcay sought. 1t appears, however. that this
is the first and most important step In the lEYestiga
ton II the current theories about the yellOWfeveT
are correct the yellow fever poison may be developed
BY adding some ore or more of the excretions or
fluids of persons affected with yellow-fever in decon-
posing organic matter; u3der the wellknOwn
conditions of temperature and measure. We have,
then to carry out the process of elimination to nd
out what constituents OF decaying filth are essential
and what noneSSentidl to the production OF poi
son, and at the same time to seek chemical or mi
croscopic means of recognizing the presence of
either the cause OF the poi-on o. the poison itself,
in order to get rid, If possible, of the
test iuoccuistIon prove its presence. In this
brief statistics of what would be COZ sdeTed salts
factory demonstrations of the of ysllowfeyer
popular one-haS been considered; several others
must be considered and tested, and IN each and all
the greatest and first desideratum is easily ap-
piled test of the presence of poison, 1t needs
an epidemic is raging is time to carry out such
researches. Probably tine best place carry such
an Investigation would be first In the city of Havana
1t must be clear that such Investigation Will
cUire much time and labor and that its results
should be presented and accom- panied by clear and
convincing evidence.
Dr. Chopin, president of the New Ofleans board
of health, gave the history of the introduction of
demic years ago, and showed that Il always I'M
ported. He cogtended for absolute nOn-in-
tercOurSe with the Infected countries from April to
November, as he was satisfied that the modified
quarantine was not sufficient TO prevent disease.
DR.. Ezra III. Hunt, president of the State board of
health of New Jersey, read excellent paper on
'HOw to Study an Epidemic" and then the aSSocta-
ton adjourned and proceeded i'll body to the exec
ernOr Holiday, where some time spent in social
Intercourse.